Wow! What just happened? This book went from interesting and intriguing to mind-blowing excitement and shock! I’m still breathless after finishing this book. I was slow in reading the first half and had many distractions, that’s why I say to “pay attention” because there’s lots of people and information that you will need to be familiar with later on.

The author has not disappointed me yet with her ability to write a story that totally captures my imagination and blows my mind! This book is a must- read for someone who likes to feel like they are on a roller coaster with a blindfold on. Hold on tight...there’s lots of twists and turns. ( )

Formula of Deception is a book that hooked me from the start. I love how the present crime story has a connection to WW2. Also, the setting Kodiak, Alaska really worked great for me. I love stories set in remote towns or islands. And, a crime novel set in Alaska worked well with me since I don't read many books set in that state.

I was engrossed with the story. I found Murphy Anderson to be an interesting character. She's a person I felt I connected with. Her losses in life really moved me. I liked the characters she met in the book and Carrie Stuart Parks managed to add some really nice surprising twists to the story. All and all is this a great book and I hope this is the first book in a series!

I have previously read Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks that I enjoyed and I'm glad to say that this one was just as good as Portrait of Vengeance (from the Gwen Marcey series) and that I definitely want to read more books by her.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

I did enjoy the book but there were times I was a little lost. I think it is because there were so many characters, I couldn't keep up with them. The story is good though and kept my interest throughout. I loved that it was set in Alaska. I hear that it is beautiful there, but I don't think I could handle the cold weather.

Murphy is a complex character and I tried to connect with her. Her need to hide out in a town that no one knows her really intrigued me. She has encountered a dark past that has traumatized her. Her fear is that the person who she thought would stay in prison forever just might be on the loose. That would certainly have me on edge. She is a bright woman and fits in well in the town until she starts to lie about her background. The title of the book is perfect, because the story is full of deceptions.

I loved how the author seamlessly included history from WWII. That just enhances the mystery more when unexplained deaths start occurring during a murder investigation. No one is safe who has anything to do with investigating the crime, and bodies start to drop. Murphy must use her wits and survival instincts to stay ahead of danger. The ending will catch you off guard. It's another hit for this gifted author.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Title: Formula of Deception
Author: Carrie Stuart Parks
Pages: 320
Year: 2018
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating: 5 out of 5
Stunning! Yes, that is the appropriate way to describe this author’s writing of suspense with many twists and turns in the plot. Yet, the ending of this particular story really caught me off guard! A friend of mine has read her earlier works and was telling me time and again how truly amazing the tales were in the novels. I thought I would get to them one day. Well, today is that day!
I was engaged in the story line from the first page and thought for sure I would figure out the mystery and all before the end of the book. However, having never read this author’s writing, I was not in any way prepared for just how the book ended! I loved the look backward into the history of what was going to impact the present and the future!
Murphy Anderson is a character who really was complex and seemed desperate throughout the story line. Murphy wasn’t who she claimed to be, but she needed the money the forensic artist work brought. What Murphy hadn’t counted on was the multiple attempts on the lives of those around her and then narrowing down to her having to face the past again. Yet, it isn’t the past we read in the beginning of the book. Confused yet or intrigued? Either way, readers are going to love sitting down and traveling the labyrinth the novel has within the covers.
I plan on going back now to read her three other books and can’t wait to see what will come next from this woman’s pen!
Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/. Also follow me on Twitter@lcjohnson1988, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457 ( )

Carrie Stuart Parks has given her wonderful character Gwen Marcey a break from mayhem and has written a novel with a totally different feel, characters, and setting, yet with all the wonderful suspense that readers have come to expect from Parks. Formula of Deception takes the reader on a wild ride into remote Alaska. So strap on your seatbelt, you will never know where this trip is going to take you. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Kodiak, Alaska is the setting for Formula of Deception. I’ve never been, but Parks descriptions of the town and its environs and the uninhabited islands nearby vividly filled my imagination. Main character Murphy Andersen is a wounded soul searching for her missing sister while dodging a serial killer. She finds herself in the middle of a crime investigation when she lies about her experience as a forensic artist. And she continues to lie her way through all the attacks and murders that cross her path. It’s not a coincident that deception is part of the book’s title. This novel confronts the reader with lies others tell us, lies we tell others, and lies we tell ourselves. While I loved the action and danger of the twisting plot, I was intrigued with the inner workings of Murphy’s mind. Be prepared to question every characters’ words and motives. Things are definitely not what they seem. But don’t worry about figuring it all out — this one provided surprise after surprise, even up to the end. I loved that! Parks incorporates Alaskan culture and history into the book to great effect. Her references to little known events from the WWII-era will have you scrambling for Google. The combination of historical fact and fictional conspiracy works very well.

While Formula of Deception is described as a standalone novel, I really hope Parks will revisit Kodiak along with Murphy. This could be the start of a great, great series. Sorry, Gwen! 😉

Highly recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )