Deception

In this debut mystery thriller, Deception, from Maggie Belvoir, the reader is asked a very interesting, yet very serious question. Exactly how well do you know your friends? And exactly how well do you know the members of your own family?

Life is great for the O'Brien family! No, it's really good, thank you! They have all the trappings of a successful life. A massive house, lovely holidays abroad, and they have two lovely daughters, Scarlett and Siobhan.

Scarlett has a friend called Margot .Poor Margot has had a bit of a troubled past and when she is adopted into the O'Brien family, everything's good! No, really good, thank you! Margot seems like the piece of the family that was missing.

However, jealousy and sibling rivalry suddenly start to raise their very unpleasant heads and the family begins to become fragmented.

Things become worse when tragedy strikes and the family begins to unravel with even greater speed.

Frank Du Pont, a police detective with an insufferably huge ego decides to take over the murder investigation and makes a vow that he will bring the killer to justice.

But will he? And what is the secret agenda that he is hiding from his colleagues and everyone else? And does he have a secret that he is very keen to keep hidden?

The truth, when it does come to light, could prove even more shocking to the family and the community than anyone could have anticipated.

It's an exceptionally well-written detective thriller and it's to be hoped that Maggie Belvoir will be writing for many more years to come.

It's published by Matador at £9.99.