Deceitful Truths (Caspian Wine, #2) by Maggie Thom

Deceitful Truths (Caspian Wine, #2) Reviews

• 
  Sheri

  Deceitful Truths by Maggie Thom
  
  Tarin can't remember one week of her life, but she knows something bad happened. So she takes her son away from her unloving and mean husband Stephen across the country to stay with her friend, and hopes to start a fresh new life. Soon she makes new friends and things seem to be going alright. Then she realizes something is not right at her new job, Tarin and her sons life are now in danger. She teams up with Graham to try to piece together the hidden secrets that can destroy her life forever.
  
  A fast paced page turner. I really liked Tarin, the story is very original and if filled with twist, turns and secrets. Just when I thought I had it figured out, a new turn or secret would pop up and have me at the edge of my seat. A definite all night read! I highly recommend to those who like psychological thrillers.
• 
  Dianne

  Tarin is on the run with her young son, Chance, hiding out from the manipulative and brutal hands of her husband and the father who never wanted her. An expert with a computer, she takes a job as a cyber-specialist at Knights Associates to have access to their computers to do her own cyber investigating. Too bad she is under the intense scrutiny of Graham, their resident computer sleuth, who soon discovers what she is up do, but isn’t sure what her motives are. The tentative flag of truce between these two is raised while they work together to unravel the mystery where all ends lead to Caspian Winery. The romantic tension grows between these two, but Tarin’s secrets may tear them apart, especially if she is found and her son is spirited away. Can Tarin trust Graham to help her? Will Graham trust Tarin enough to believe the truths she has kept buried?
  
  Maggie Thom set the bar high with Captured Lies and then raised it with even more with Tainted Waters. Then she came out with a standalone that is also a companion novel to Captured Lies, and while I expected a white-knuckle read, I had NO idea she was going to raise the bar again! Deceitful Truths has more twists than a grape vine, more jagged edges than broken glass and some pure, raw emotional turmoil that will squeeze at the heart of anyone who would do whatever is necessary to protect someone they love. I think the only thing that kept me from breaking skin clenching my fists were those moments of heart-melting romance that flickered through. With characters that come alive under her skillful hand, Ms. Thom takes us once again to the heart of wine country, to the Caspian Winery and a family that has known the pain of deceit, betrayal, loss and the strength of family ties and love. Somehow, Tarin’s life is entwined with those of the winery and it brings back painful memories that may be lies for Dorothea and her family. Will unraveling Tarin’s life uncover the reasons behind Caspian Winery’s current problems?
  
  Do you like convoluted mysteries where each layer is peeled back only to find another covering the resolution? Deceitful Truths showcases Maggie Thom’s talent for tossing in everything but the kitchen sink and coming out with a masterpiece that begs to be read and savored!
  
  I was fortunate to receive an ARC edition from the author in exchange for my honest review.
  
  Expected publication Date: March, 2014
  
  
  
• 
  InD'tale Magazine

  Although "Deceitful Truths" is a sequel, Ms. Thom easily twines the previous happenings into the current book without it becoming an information dump.
  
  Read full review in the
  2014 April issue of InD’tale Magazine.
• 
  Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews)

  Review by Kim
  for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
  
  Deceitful Truths is a suspense/thriller with small romantic elements. Maggie Thom has managed to give the reader a tangled web full of lies and deceit to try to figure out. Deceitful Truths is a stand-alone story, however events which take place in Captured Lies (the first book in the Caspian Wine Series) are referred to, so if you haven't read that book, you may want to.
  
  While I liked Deceitful Truths, I found the story to be a little confusing in the beginning. It was hard to figure out who was saying what and where the story was initially going. But the cool thing about that was that it kept me wanting to read the book.
  
  Three years ago, Tarin Madsen Roth awakens to realize she has lost a week of her life and the only clue she has as to what happened is a piece of an invoice from Caspian Winery stuck to her back. Confused and alone after her father refuses to listen to her, she marries Stephen Roth. Unfortunately for Tarin, her marriage is anything but perfect. Stephen uses her as a trophy and shows her off to everyone. He’s rigid. He's distant and doesn’t show much affection for their two and a half- year-old son Chance. In fact, Stephan doesn't like for their home to show a child lives there at all. Finally getting fed up with her life and not knowing what happened to her, she takes her child and leaves. As luck would have it, Knight Associates has an opening. Now, Tarin just has to figure out who she can trust.
  
  Knight Associates, founded by Graham and his partner Guy, is experiencing some higher than normal traffic when it comes to their new cyber crimes division. Needing help, they place an ad and in walks Tarin. Tarin seems to have the perfect resume and is perfect for the job. Maybe a little too perfect. It’s soon discovered that mostly all of the new traffic is bogus, to lead them on wild goose chases. The only question is why. Add to that, Graham discovers Tarin has hacked into their computer system.
  
  As if things are not hectic enough at work, Guy has to deal with learning that things aren’t going so smoothly with his wedding to Bailey, heir to the Caspian Winery. Plus, Caspian Winery is being hit with bad wine arriving at vendors and wine shipments going missing. In it’s long history, Caspian Winery has never experienced any of these problems.
  
  With her move across country, Tarin seems to have a bullseye placed on her back. Lucky for her, Graham is there every time to save her and her son from danger. While Graham doesn’t trust Tarin, she intrigues him and makes him step up his game. In Graham, Tarin sees the man she has always wanted to have. She fears that the secrets she’s hiding will not allow them to have a chance.
  
  For me to say I didn’t know who was behind everything would be a lie. I went into the book having a pretty good idea. The only question was how and why. Deceitful Truths delivers the suspense I’m accustomed to from Maggie Thom. Her web of connect the dots will definitely have you wondering what’s going to happen next. The best part is that this book didn’t give me nightmares.
  
  Source: Author
• 
  Laurie

  This was a suspenseful story that kept my attention and kept me intrigued throughout. Knights Associates seem to be under a cyber-attack of massive proportion. Partners Guy and Graham are scrambling to figure out the source of the attack, but are unable to make any progress because their workload is overwhelming. They hire Tarin to help them sort through the staggering number of emails.
  
  Tarin is a woman on the run from an abusive husband, and is fiercely secretive about her personal life. She is motivated to help Guy and Graham clean up the mess, especially as she comes to realize that somehow it may be connected to an unsavory, vaguely remembered incident that haunts her from several years before.
  
  The author weaves an engrossing tale; stingily doling out clues to deeper mysteries piece by tiny piece. There are red herrings in abundance and it was a challenge for me to keep track of the many convoluted relationships. Sometimes Tarin frustrated me with her secretiveness. Graham grew on me as the book progressed. I was thrilled that Guy had settled Bailey’s tendency to run away from everyone and everything. Marriage agrees with the couple; I liked Bailey’s personality as a happily married woman. Her maturation has been significant. Guy is the same dependable, anchor that I loved in the first book. The intensity really picked up in the last quarter of the book, and the ending left me wholly satisfied.
  
  This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review.
  
  Reviewed by Laurie-J
  
• 
  Jane

  Deceitful truths by Maggie Thom
  
  4 Stars
  
  Okay, this book was engaging and I couldn’t put it down, I was eager to find out what had happened to Tarin and what was going to happen with Chance. But, I was confused about lots of things and even by the end I wasn’t 100% sure what the connections were between everyone. Not that that really matters because I got the answers I needed even if I didn’t totally understand it all!
  
  The plot was full of twists and turns and red herrings (I think!) because just when I thought I knew who was going after Tarin, it would turn out to be someone else. Just when I thought I knew who was causing the problems for Caspian Winery I’d realise I was wrong, and when I finally thought I’d guessed who was hacking into Knights Associates wham, I was wrong again!
  
  I haven’t read loads of mystery books but the ones I have read were much simpler than this one so didn’t over tax my mind too much, this is definitely a book for mystery lovers who enjoy complicated story lines, and I highly recommend it.
  
  Copy supplied for review as part of a tour
  
• 
  Emily

  Tarin was missing for a week, she doesn't know what happened but she does know that she ended up pregnant and has no idea what to do next. She fell into the arms of Stephen, who she married and lived two years in terror, she has had enough and runs with her young son.
  
  Getting a job with Knights Associates is a perfect fit for Tarin, they solve cyber crimes and Tarin maybe able to get the answers she has longed to find out, primarily what happened that week. However her employer Graham knows Tarin is hiding something and is determined to figure it out. When the reason Tarin became pregnant comes back and wants to take the child, Tarin finds herself immersed in a tangled web of deceit.
  
  Intriguing story that is a cat and mouse chase until the end. I liked that Tarin has had enough and does what she thinks is best for her son. There is so much to this story as it unravels, you are going to be on the edge of your seat from the very first page.
• 
  Woody

  Great suspence/thriller
  Free download ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  This is book two of the Caspian Wine Series Book 2 although a standalone book, I think it’s far better to have read book one Captured Lies first.
  It follows on the thread of the first book. We see Tarin running away from an abusive husband at the same time trying to find out what happened to her “missing week” three years ago.
  She gets a job at Knight Associates and meets Guy, Graham and Bailey, characters from Captured Lies.
  Lots of plots going on, cyber crime, abduction, trouble at Caspian Winery, preparing for Guy and Bailey’s wedding. Very complex action, full of twists and turns. Marvellous story full of mystery and suspense with a side helping of romance. Wonderful characters. Well written by Maggie Thom making this an exciting read. Highly recommend this book.
  
• 
  Alisa Gamblin

  Fantastic read, You will never guess where it leads
  
  Full of mystery, suspense and romance, Deceitful Truths keeps you on the edge of your seat as it pulls you into the web Maggie Thom has woven. Who did what? Why? and how are they all related? I could not read it fast enough....my mind was captivated with guessing where the next pages would take me, only to be surprised by another twist and my mind being led in a different direction.
  Tarin life is anything but normal...forced to run and use her talents to survive and create a new life. She wins your heart early in the story as she struggles with a secret that unravels as you read.
  A must read for anyone who loves mystery, suspense and romance tied into one!
• 
  Miranda Shanklin

  This is the second book in this series. I found it to be just as good as the first one. You don't have to have read the first one to be able to follow along with this one. It was better because I knew what led to some of the actions after reading the first one though.
  
  I love the story line and the emotions that come with trying to find the truth and learn who to trust. The way that the characters interact with each other is something that I could see actually happening.
  
  This story of secrets coming out into the open and lives being shredded and put back together is one that held my attention from beginning to end.
• 
  Paula Harp

  I received this book as ARC for an honest review. I loved it, it was full of suspense, twists and turns, with some romance thrown in. It was part of Caspian Wine series. This was Tarin and Graham's story. Tarin lost a week of leer memory 4 years ago and found out she had gotten pregnant during that time. She is investigating to see what happened to her during that week. Lots of lies, twists, turns, and suspense. Great read!
• 
  Helen Dougherty

  this book was fantastic! Maggie really knows how to keep you guessing as to who did what and what is going to happen next. The book just came out today and I read it in one sitting - it was that great!
• 
  Dalene

  First, I would like to thank that author Maggie Thom for giving me this book for an honest review. I enjoyed this story very much, it kept me guessing throughout the story. The storyline is very good. The characters are well developed and written.
• 
  Carolyn Baird

  Really enjoying this series. The characters are interesting, believable and well developed. Their situations do not feel contrived. There is enough history for books to stand alone but they flow well in the time line to mesh from book to book.
• 
  Teresa

  Kick butt action from page 1! Excellent 2nd in series.
• 
  Bonnie Dale Keck

  Not kindle Unlimited, 1 was freebie day and the other must have been from one of my freebie things somehow.
  
  Someone stole a week of her life… And now someone is trying to steal the secret, she’s now protecting.Doing whatever it takes to protect her family, Tarin abandons her abusive marriage, rescues her son and flees across country. Lost and unsure who to trust, she hopes her new job with a Private Investigator, Knight’s Associates, will give her the connections and resources she needs to find answers. Seven days of her life are missing and she doesn’t know why but the consequences of it are undeniable.Graham’s company, Knight’s Associates, has been hacked, they are being inundated with false leads. The past is coming back to haunt them but how does the new assistant they hired, play into it? Is she truly helping them solve cyber-crimes or is she selling off their high-security information? Is that why someone is trying to abduct her?Tarin and Graham discover that although they don't trust each other, they are forced to work together to solve several seemingly unrelated crimes that may lead to one disastrous conclusion. Can they figure it all out before Tarin's nightmare plays out? An eighty-year-old woman pays with her life? Or before Tarin learns a truth that may seal her fate and be the one secret that will keep her and Graham apart as neither one of them may be able to forgive or forget...
  
  Captured Lies: Book One of The Caspian Wine Suspense/Thriller/Mystery Series
  Deceitful Truths: Suspense/Thriller/Mystery Series (The Caspian Wine Suspense/Thriller/Mystery Series Book 2)
  Split Seconds (The Caspian Wine Suspense/Thriller/Mystery Series Book 3)
• 
  Diana Montgomery

  This book kept me flipping pages. Loved it Lots of adventure. Tarin is missing a whole week of her life. She wants to know what happened to her besides getting pregnant. Her son is born and her main concern right now is to keep her child safe. In a abusive marriage she runs away and hides from him. Can Tarin get her life back? Lot of people are out to get her. Even her father. I loved this story kept me glued to it and the characters are well written.
• 
  C.

  Great second book in the series. Maggie Thom puts more twists and turns in her novels than a bag of pretzels. The characters are strong and each has a piece of the background of the story. You really need to read these books in order and, believe me, it's definitely worth it. I received an ARC in return for a fair and honest review. Ms. Thom deserves her five stars, It can't be easy to put a three book series together that include all characters yet makes each book unique.
• 
  Bev

  This story is about what a mother will do for the love of her child. Tarin will do what she needs to to protect her family. But when she thinks things are going fine, they actually are not. Can she get away from her controlling, abusive husband or will he find her and their son? What will the consequences be? Read the book to find out. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
• 
  D.E.

  Deceitful Truths is the second book in the Caspery Winery Series, but it is not necessary to read the first installment to understand and follow Deceitful Truths as Thom does a good job of ensuring that all the important information is included in this installment. There is a lot going on in this book. There are several storylines that are slowing coming together. Although I quickly figured out all the clues, it was still an enjoyable read.
  
  I did feel that some of the chapters were too short and the information all too fleeting. A little more filling in could have made the story flow better. Some of the action doesn’t make sense due to the shortness of the some of the chapters. Unfortunately, there are also some areas that are unbelievable. You would never put a woman in a room with the man that kidnapped her. It doesn’t take a security expert to figure that out.
  
  There are a tons of characters to follow in Deceitful Truths. This can be a bit confusing. I like how Thom gives secondary characters a personality and background as well. Often secondary characters are flat. This is not the case in Deceitful Truths. The character of Tarin was very realistic. I wanted to scream at her to trust the men of Knights Associates, but considering her history of abuse, not trusting was more realistic. I was less impressed with the male characters of this novel. It was very obvious that Tarin had been abused. Instead of treating her with kid gloves, they didn’t trust her as she was keeping secrets. Of course she was keeping secrets! As former police officers, they should have understood an abused woman’s need to keep secrets.
  
• 
  Holly

  This is a highly complicated book, not for the casual read. While it is easy to work out what's coming (I had the ending figured by 15% of the way through), it us an entertaining read that does bring you from one page to the next with ease. The plot with Tarin, Graham, Dorothea and the like is a twisting, turning ride that will bring you to the end with s huddering halt.
  
  4/5
  
• 
  Nancy

  LH group author
• 
  Claudia

  A fast-paced, suspenseful tale of mother's love, this is a story you'll have troubles putting down.
  
  This is the second book in 'Caspian Winery series, although you can read it without knowledge of the first one. The characters are interesting and well constructed, particularly Tarin who is realistic and very easy to relate.
  
  The storyline is effective and robust, and the writing compelling, all which makes this a very recommendable read.