Author: Joy Chambers
ISBN: 9780755352654
RRP: $29.99
Joy Chambers has written a novel that will surprise and shock, containing a relatively strong element of intrigue and more than a touch of romance.
All of the events in the novel link back to World War II so even though the narrative opens in Australia in 1947, after the end of the war, it isn’t long before we are transported to wartime Holland.
I am still a little ambivalent about this book, I can’t quite make up my mind. Part of this, a large part of this, is due to it being so heavily centred on WWII and the actions of the Nazis. The book has some stellar selling points but there were also aspects that left me less than impressed.
The chapters are extremely short which is something I really enjoyed. I tend to read in any slot of time I can find and I hate stopping mid-chapter so this was great for that.
We begin in NSW in 1947 with Shelly and Cole Wareing, newly married and far away from everyone they know. They don’t speak much of Cole’s time in the war but we slowly learn the things that Shelly knows, which isn’t much.
The first 130 pages are set in 1947, but not far in the narrative splits off to follow each of the main characters. The Peace time chapters follow three different characters in turn so the fact that the entire tale is narrated makes it much simpler to follow than if there were also multiple points of view.
These chapters raise many questions that can only be answered with a trip to the past, which is how we are returned to 1943. These chapters are concerned less with following all of our characters than with focusing on the character who raises the most questions. There are also brief snapshots of the other characters to share relevant information.
The wartime section was very drawn out and gave a vivid view of goings on in occupied countries, so though our original characters are Australian much of the narrative is set in the war-torn European regions. We read much about the Nazi treatment of the Dutch and the Jews, visiting prison camps with our characters and seeing the way the SS controlled the populace.
I appreciate that there were many questions to be answered in the wartime section but I believe it could have been done more succinctly. Even as these chapters unraveled more questions were raised but all of them were answered quite satisfactorily.
Once the questions were answered it was a quick cut back to post war 1947 to pick up where we left for the journey to the past. It glossed over the ensuing 2 years without telling us much about how they got from where we left them to 1947. Yes, I said not long ago that the war section could have been more succinct and now I’m wishing for elaboration but it isn’t the contradiction it seems.
Once back in 1947 all the loose ends are neatly tied up and some questions are answered that were never consciously asked.
The characters were complex which I think is necessary in a tale of this type. I don’t see how you can have secret agents or double agents that weren’t complex. Tudor, Cole and Laetitia were all quite likeable though with reservations because I was never quite sure what was going to jump out and bite me. They were commendable characters taking great risks for their country. Shelly too is a character to be admired, in the face of questionable evidence she chose to keep faith with her husband and set off on a quest of her own to find answers.
Many of the other characters were nauseating and reprehensible, I have never liked to hear/read/see anything about the fanatical followers of the Fuhrer and the staff he had enforcing his reign throughout the war.
Throughout the novel Chambers has used real historical figures and there are Author Notes to give a little background on the real people that appear in the book. The majority of the characters are fictitious and the story is fictional so the inclusion of historical figures seems a little superfluous.
The Great Deception illustrates the hardship faced by millions during the war, and the lingering effects afterwards. We are given an insight into life for Australians during the war, those still at home and doing what they can but still feeling that bit removed.
All in all an interesting read with all the elements of an engaging story, although it is one I found to be quite hard work. The element of romance was quite strong yet also quite subtle and slow building which worked for me, and I think for the story.
The Great Deception also explored the change the war wrought on people’s behaviour. Attachments and intimacies that may never have eventuated if it weren’t for the very real fear that at any time the reaper could come calling your name.
All of which worked just fine for me and then was instantly ruined with a seriously saccharine ending. I’m all for a happily ever after and everything working out for the best but this one took it a step too far for me, but I’m sure there will be romantics out there who read this and absolutely adore the ending.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
I was dissapointed with this book unfortunately. I have not been able to finish it, I have gotten 1/4 of the way through and struggled reading that much! I found it too difficult to get into, it seemed like one of my husband’s war books and did not spark my interest as first thought from reading the intro. Sorry to say I am at a loss with this one 🙁
Thank you for the chance to read a novel unlike one I have ever read before. This would not be my choice of genre, so I found the writing of a different time interesting.
Most of us got hooked by the mystery at the start – wanting to know what happened to Cole during the war and why his former friends were after him.
Pretty soon we were in WWII finding out the story. Much has already been written about the story, but I will say some parts were heavy going with a lot of dark content, although luckily the chapters were short which made it easier. This section seemed to go on for a long time – I can partly understand this as it was the main information part of the story, but in relation to the ending I think it was a bit much.
The ending was too brief after all the other information we received, and thought this about the end of the mission too. Large parts seemed to be skipped over when we were told everything prior to this. Maybe this should all have been kept at an even level throughout the book. The ending was nice, which in itself was weird after the tone of the rest of the book. I would have liked this consistent as well.
Having said all that, overall I did enjoy the book – and now feel I have a bit more of a visual image of the war due to Joy’s descriptions. This is definitely one I will be recommending for readers of historical fiction.
I recently read the great deception over a course of the week and found it to be a pleasent and an easy book to read. Its not normally the type of book i would read (i prefer crime and mystery) but I found myself enjoying it.
It wasnt a difficult story to follow but I do think it lacked some direction and the plot was a bit week.
The author must have done a great deal of research as the book has a lot of little details which i found interesting.
Overall a nice read.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace for another great book to review for book club. I loved the story and the history side of the book, but I did feel like it was longer than what it could have been.
The writer did take me to the second world war and gave me a feel for the time and what horrid things were done, and the scarring that it left a lot of the soldiers with emotionally and physically. It showed me a depth of the characters which I really like in a book.
I always love a neatly tied up ending and that is what I got here, so I would recommend the book to anyone that likes a bit of a story and a bit of history.
Hi All, I enjoyed “The Great Deception”. It was an easy read and I felt immersed with the characters and plot fairly quickly. I do enjoy historical/ romantic fiction so the great deception was right up my alley. I Liked that Australia was used within the story settings with Shelly coming from Ipswich – which is only 20 minutes from my home, as well as taking us abroad. I enjoyed the portrayal of friendships that developed – between Cole and Shelly, Cole and Dirk , Shelly and Yvonne, both Cole and Dirk with Laetitia; and how these characters were supported or challenged within these relationships. The ending did surprise me and I was happy that all the characters storylines were concluded.
Again I enjoyed the story and will be lending out to many of my friends. Thanks again for the opportunity Beauty and Lace.
I Have just finished reading The Great Deception, I thought it was an interesting and exciting book to me, iI found when i put it down i could not wait to pick it up again to see what was going to happen, the idea of the whole story worked well with a bit of History mixed in, i always like a War Time Love Affair. I was waiting for a twist at the end so when it didn’t come i was bit dissapointed. So overall it was a good exciting read, and i thought Joy Chambers is a good Writer, i will be looking forward to her next book and i would recommend it to any one.
I Forgot Thankyou for the Doggy post cards they were lovelly
I really enjoyed reading Joy Chambers “The Great Deception”. I normally read fantasy, science fiction or authors like Bryce Courtenay and Wilbur Smith. I generally do not go for “war stories” at all (more my Mum’s area!!). But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. There was no dilly dallying around, the author just got right into the story straight away. Excellent! I did find that after getting right into the book, the ending was a bit abrupt, so I found that tht was the only letdown for me. Also, being a QLDer, I really liked the Ipswich setting. Not often you get places like that in a book!! This is a book I would recommend for all ages and for all readers. A good read, enjoyable and riveting. Thanks Beauty and Lace for letting me have a good read and being able to participate 😀
I have just finished reading “The Great Deception” and really loved reading it. Once I got into the story and the characters I could not put it down and told many about this great book I was reading. I have always enjoyed Joy Chambers books and for me I love her writing style.
I have not quite finished reading the Great Deception…. it has been a little hard. I am an avid reader I just found it hard to “get into it” the story line is great it is just not keeping my attention. I think the setting and how it is described is done well in the first part of the book but the last part of the book left me wanting as the story progressed. The book did not focus particularly on either the love story or the war but seemed split between the two storylines without ever complementing each other. I thank you for the opportunity to have read this book. I will endeavour to read another book by Joy Chambers so that I can fully make my mind up on her style of writing.