Deception: The Sunday Times Bestseller 2022

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She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to ever speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother. The majority of Sally’s, whose real name was Janet, decisions can be justified due to the events that we learn occurred in her childhood which in turn subsequently moulded how she was an adult but still Janet was a character who I never really liked and she wasn’t one bit endearing. She sets about changing her life but to be honest as I couldn’t warm to her at all I didn’t feel overwhelming hope for her that she would do well in life. I didn’t find myself overly rooting for a positive outcome for her because to be honest she just came across as someone mostly out for herself. She was deceitful, conniving, a schemer, treacherous and nasty and despite her childhood I questioned was there really any necessary reason for her to turn out in such a manner? Janet goes through an awful lot but I think thanks to her upbringing she knew no different in how to act and she should have known better. Janet is driven by a demon and manipulation, always wanting to be the top dog and used both men and women to get money and power. But will the road she trod upon turn out to have what she feels be a happy ending? Will Alice too be able to find some understanding from what she uncovers? Alice talks to Angus and discovers that her mother is not the woman that she thought she was and that her life was all a lie. Because of this she decides to find out the truth about her mother, visiting places of her mother’s past and her old friends to discover the truth. Alice always knew there was something strange with her mum, she ever liked to talk about her life before Ralph, and so Alice decides to find out the whole story. Alice’s investigations take her on a journey whereby she discovers her mum’s chequered past and meets many of the people who were involved in her earlier life. As Alice’s trip into her mother’s life comes to a close, she must weigh up her conscientious and decide just how much she will confront her dad Ralph with, and how much he already knows. Once again Lesley has come up with a brilliant story which although is life changing for the character Alice , could be totally believable .

She is married now to her sweet husband. His name is Jimmy and he supports her as she supports them both on the hat shop she finally opened– her dream for so long, ever since she was young. But they can’t see what’s coming as the first world war gathers on the horizon and it is certain that a storm is coming. Belle’s life is so crazy but it’s about to change more than she ever knew possible– is she ready for it? Deception has a seemingly simple plot as Alice tries to find out about her mother’s past, but told through Alice’s modern 2015 perspective interspersed by her mother’s decades of life, there’s a gradual uncovering that draws in the reader and makes them experience the truth in the same way as Alice uncovers it in a very satisfying narrative.A gifted storyteller who continues to give fans, old and new, quality entertainment and another addictive, engrossing saga.

But she finds out about that and death too when one of the girls is murdered and she is witness to it. Belle is taken from her home and sold into prostitution in Paris by the killer. Now her entire world is not her own and when she is to go to New Orleans halfway across the planet, she is going to blossom from a young girl into a young woman that is more in control of her fate than ever. I personally love a dual timeline but so did not find that this flowed too week, it was quite disjointed. After her mother's funeral, Alice Kent is approached by a man who insists he's her real father. Initially upset and disbelieving, Alice soon discovers that tugging at this loose thread unravels the expertly woven tapestry of lies which was her mother Sally's life. Personally, I found "Deception" to be thoroughly enjoyable. Lesley Pearse’s work is a definite recommendation if you have an affinity for crime and mystery genres. Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shownAn interesting story told across time and generations. The conflict between what is known to be true and what Alice comes to discover is the gripping aspect of the story. I really enjoy a novel that makes me wonder what I would do in the same circumstances- and this is one of those books. Part historical, part contemporary; the writing is wonderful.

A gritty, gripping drama . . . A raw, truthful and moving account, building intrigue as Alice gradually uncovers her mother's life of deception, lies - and love * Woman's Weekly * The book maintains a very good balance, offering just the right amount of intensity without overwhelming the reader. As the story reaches its conclusion, it does so in a satisfying yet somewhat anticipated manner. Nonetheless, the journey to that point is fulfilling and rich in emotional resonance. Belle is a simple courtesan, but she knows that the assets she has now will not last. She is going to have to find a way out of this world, whether finding something else to do or escaping completely. Belle has to get out and get away from the men who want her attention and this world entirely. But the road ahead will be full of dangers, even for someone as resourceful as she is.Lesley Pearse was told as a child that she had too much imagination for her own good. When she grew up she worked her way through a number of jobs, including nanny, bunny girl, dressmaker and full-time mother before, at the age of forty-nine, settling upon a career that would allow her gifts to blossom: she became a published writer. Lesley now lives just outside Bristol. She has three daughters and two grandchildren. After the funeral of her mother, Sally, Alice Kent is approached by a man claiming to be her father.

Then her husband enlists in the Army and is sent to the battlefields. Belle starts to realize slowly that her entire life is on the verge of falling apart. But she is resilient and will not stand by and watch it happen. Belle volunteers to help treat the wounded and ends up working abroad as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross In France. Deception is a book that I didn't want to put down. I raced through it, finding it so easy to read but also gritty and gripping. I liked the social aspects of down-at-heel London, to Bristol and Devon, over the course of 40 or so years. Sally had quite a life and it made for fascinating reading. Pearse enjoys introducing her readers to characters that they will connect with and care about. While other books in the genre she writes in rely on formulas to get from the beginning to the end, she doesn’t use any formula to write her novels. The genres that they are set in also vary from genres that aren’t totally defined, from crime to historical adventure or engaging books like Trust Me, which was based on the real events of child migrants from England that were being sent over to Australia after the war.

This is a heart-wrenching journey as dark secrets are exposed and we understand the decisions Sally was forced to make * Candis * I found her Alice aggravating and unlikeable, and her mother (though gains some sympathy due to her abusive childhood) is also not a nice character with literally no redeemable features.