Synopsis

What if you were framed for a murder you didn’t commit? A gripping, addictive thriller for fans of Angela Clarke, Mel Sherratt, and Rachel Lynch.

Jennifer Smits is a young mother, married to a hotshot lawyer and living in Amsterdam. Her world explodes when her husband is found dead at a holiday park during a weekend getaway. Convinced that the police have failed in their investigation, she embarks on a desperate quest for the truth – but the deeper she digs, the more she gets enmeshed in a tangled web of lies, spun by a ruthless law firm.

As Jennifer’s search for answers intensifies, her grip on reality weakens. Barely able to manage her patients at the health clinic, or take care of her young son, Jennifer is at risk of losing it all – even her closest friends begin to desert her. And then a chance encounter with a charming stranger sparks a new chain of events that plunges her deeper into a world of threats and corruption. Soon, she begins to fear for her life – but who can she trust, and how far will she go in pursuit of the truth?

This is a gripping, addictive thriller that will make you question everything, including the flaws of forensics. Could we all be framed for a murder we didn’t commit?

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Praise

‘Double Deceit was one hell of a book, the author has done an impeccable job in crafting out a plot that is not only very interesting to read, but one which is packed with little packets of surprises all the way through’

‘A really entertaining ‘who dunnit’ that kept me guessing… a thriller at heart, with many twists and turns, but there’s a wonderful element of romance, and a deeper message touching on the transient nature of life. Definitely worth a read!’

‘A terrific thriller that reminds of John Grisham’s novels, perfect from start to finish’

Review

I do love a good thriller and this one checks off many boxes. The story centers around Jennifer who has lost her husband in a tragic accident, but then things start to go awry, and perhaps he didn’t have an accident but was murdered. Jennifer starts looking for clues and manages to convince several people to help her even when in normal situations they would be the last to help.

The book is filled with red herrings and I suspected several people as the perpetrators because something didn’t seem quite right. I wasn’t correct, but the way the characters were portrayed, you would be suspicious too!

I did think that Jennifer was ripe for finding herself dead like her husband by sticking her nose into the situation. I can’t believe how easy it was for her and Sandra to sneak into the law firm to look for a file and be able to copy it for themselves. I also wondered about Dan and he set off all sorts of red flags with how he met Jennifer in the park. Seemed a bit off but it did add some drama to the story.

I’m not sure that Jennifer is a very likable character. Something about her personality seemed off to me, maybe it was how she was dealing with the death of her husband and who is to say what is right or wrong? And perhaps it had something to do with the interactions with her friends. But she was persistent if nothing else, even when the police didn’t believe her story.

Overall, this was an intriguing story set in Amsterdam and the author provides some wonderful descriptions of the areas and I felt like I could picture them in my mind. We give this book 4 paws up.

About the Author

Julienne Brouwers worked as a pharmaceutical scientist and medical physicist before becoming a writer. She lives in the Netherlands, with her husband and three children, where she has published two successful thrillers, and lived in the UK and US for a total of four years.

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