Deception
by Denise Mina

List Price: $13.95
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0316058572
Publisher: Little, Brown

Secrets lurk behind closed doors. This truth is made chillingly clear when Lachlan Harriot, a hapless suburban househusband, ransacks his wife Susie's home office in a desperate attempt to find evidence of her innocence after she is convicted of the murder of a paroled serial killer who was under her psychiatric care. But in that room Lachlan was once forbidden to enter, he discovers a disturbing history: transcripts of private conversations, photographs, letters betraying illicit affairs and false identities. While Susie languishes in jail, Lachlan's hunt for the truth becomes an unrestrained plunge into a netherworld he never imagined, full of deceptions he never suspected.

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1. Do you have to tell a long-term serious partner everything about yourself? What if the information you're holding back could only make your partner feel inadequate or insecure or, worse, end the relationship?

2. Susie's office is so off-limits that Lachlan hesitates to enter it even after she's convicted of murder. Is it wrong to ask for a private room in a family home? Can anyone truly expect that privacy be respected? Is it different for a man than for a woman?

3. The consequences of Susie's choices cannot be concealed and affect not only her relationship with Andrew Gow and "Donna," but ultimately her entire family. Do you agree with Susie's actions? Do we choose to fall in love — is there an element of volition — or is it an accident, like falling over? Can we really be responsible for the actions that love inspires us to commit?

4. Lachlan takes particular delight in sporting his new Armani coat during Susie's trial. Is it wrong to want to look good at tragic events like funerals? Is Lachlan's vanity an indication of his indifference, or just a by-product of his privileged existence? How do the luxuries Lachlan enjoys prevent him from understanding Susie's affiliation with Andrew Gow?

5. Marzipan fuels madness in Deception. Do you think eating a lot of sugar can enhance an erotic experience? or does it just make you feel suddenly tired? What other unlikely catalysts for romance appear in the novel?

6. Lachlan's diary entries are written as he would speak. If you kept a diary, would you alter your voice in any way? Would it be for others to read? Do you think people ever tell the truth about themselves, even in something as private as a journal?

7. Yeni and Lachlan make an unlikely but quite suitable pair. How can a woman so different from Susie take Susie's place? Does Lachlan's attraction to Yeni despite their obvious differences say anything about Susie's unusual and secret love? Is one right and the other wrong?

8. At the most difficult time in his life, Lachlan refuses the help of his extended family. If you were in his shoes, would you do the same, or do you think family is the only source of comfort and strength in trying times?

9. Think of your deepest, darkest secret. Is it hidden well? If circumstances were beyond your control, would someone be able to unearth a trail to the truth?

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"In her new novel, Mina executes a stunning shift in style and tone to come up with an entirely different perspective on her recurring them—that domestic dysfunction breeds criminal violence....Mina works an astonishing degree of tension—and a lethal amount of savage humor—into Lachlan's progressively unhinged behavior."

—New York Times Book Review

"Wonderful".... "It's the twists and turns of Lachlan's mind as he struggles with deceiving us about Susie's deception that really make this a most satisfying reading experience."

—Sunday's Chicago Tribune, Dick Adler

"In her first novel after the award-winning Garnethill trilogy, Denise Mina proves, if there were any doubt, that she's not only one of the best crime writers going, but one of the best writers of any stripe....Mina's sharp observation and lovely prose shine a disturbingly bright light into dark corners of life. Don't miss this book."

—The Rocky Mountain News

"Deception lives up to its title with a story that's equal parts entertainment and total surprise. With subtle humor and a keen eye for the darkness that lurks behind clean, well-lighted lives, Denise Mina delivers a fast-paced thriller and confirms her reputation as one of the genre's brightest new stars."

—George Pelecanosgh