Bitmo Sunday book review

Sunday Book Review – Means to Deceive by Alex Craigie

Published on by dgkaye

Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m reviewing a mystery that kept me turning the pages all the way till the end – Means to Deceive by Alex Craigie. Craigie is a masterful storyteller who leaves plenty of red herrings in this tale, keeping us guessing right until the end.

Blurb:

Eighteen months ago, Gwen Meredith left the job she loved and came back to Pembrokeshire to help support her irritable and increasingly confused grandmother.
But someone is pursuing a vendetta against her.

As the attacks become more malicious, her old anxieties begin to build.
She’s attracted to her new neighbour who is keen to help…but can she trust him?

When those closest to her are threatened, her desperation mounts.
Who can she trust?

Gwen has a dark secret of her own.
Can she even trust herself?

My 5 Star Review:

Gwen is having a bad day, many bad days. She is a teacher’s assistant who does not like the school principal, Ian, yet someone snapped a shot of her shaking his hand at an event and it became taken out of context, big time – internet big time, and a smear campaign ensued.

Gwen noticed an alcoholic, abusive father physically abusing his child. She tried to intervene and the man drove off with his child. Her alerting authorities angered this man and he began harrassing Gwen.

Dyleth has a crush on married principal Ian and believes Gwen is hot for the two timing principal and spreads gossip.

Gwen had a boring, quiet life before these incidents happened. She moved in with her ailing, demanding, grandmother Edith less than two years ago to take care of her. The only good thing that has happened in Gwen’s life lately, was meeting her new next door neighbor, Ben. Ben becomes her shining knight in armor when all the weirdness, attacks and chaos begins. Is Ben too good to be true, or should we now begin suspecting him?

Strange and evil things are taking place at Gwen’s home. The abusive man is doing drive bys and knock knocks, someone lurks in her garden at night causing damage and painting vile words on her car and lawn. Gwen feels like she’s losing her mind when even the police aren’t doing much with her many complaints.

Gwen’s brother Gethin is having relationship problems at home and decides to come visit his sister and grandmother to help figure out what is going on around that house. He too is attacked one night, and once again, neighbor Ben manages to save his life.

A lot is going on in Gwen’s life and she begins to question her own sanity when too many strange things keep happening. Gwen also struggles with a childhood incident where she blames herself for her parents’ deaths. We’ll later discover that everything Gwen thought happened wasn’t really as it seemed.

If you are already curious as to what is going on, trust me, you will continue to feel that way as you will be eager to keep turning the pages to find out what is going on. Who done what? Is there a traitor among family? Is the principal or the abusive man responsible for all the chaos and accidents? Could Gwen’s developing relationship with Ben the neighbor be real or does he have ulterior motives? You will want to find out as Craigie takes us on a carefully plotted out story that won’t give us a hint until the very end.

©DGKaye2022

55 thoughts on “Sunday Book Review – Means to Deceive by Alex Craigie”

  4. What a wonderful, delightful surprise! Thank you so much for this review, Debby. I’m sure you can guess how happy I am at the moment! This is one of those boosts to the confidence that keeps me afloat for a long, long time. ❤ 😀 ❤

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  8. I just read this excellent book a couple of weeks ago. Lots of interesting and intriguing layers to this one, and I didn’t see the ending coming.

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  13. Wonderful review, Debby. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and you’re so right that all those questions keep the reader guessing right up to the end! All of Alex’s books are just like this… such suspense! Congrats to Alex on the wonderful review!

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  17. Ooooooh…. sounds a good read… and one to keep the suspense going..
    I’m reading one of Rosie Goodwin’s The Mill Girl.. set in the 1840’s and the horrors of working in the Mills in England. Child labour, exploitation and poverty.
    Hope you had a nice Easter.. was thinking of you. ❤ Sending LOVE ❤

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    1. Thank you my friend. And thank you for sharing what you’re currently reading. I will have to check out that one! Easter came and went, that’s all I will say for now. Love to you ❤ xox

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  23. Great review, my lovely UB. Thank you. One to add to my list for sure. Well done, Alex. Much love for you, always. ❤ xXx

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  24. I have several of Alex’s novels on my list, but it is difficult to make a choice. This one sounds excellent as well. Thanks, Debby, for the recommendation.

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