Deception Bay: A powerful new feminist mystery novel

Deception Bay is an empowering debut novel by N. N. Parker with strong feminist themes and a thrilling plot! If you enjoy stories about witches and corrupt patriarchal societies with strong female heroines, this needs to be on your list!

Spoiler-Free Plot

For years girls in Lower Lynch have been disappearing only to be found dead soon after. Most of the town blames the girls for disobeying their parents and venturing into the treacherous waters of Deception Bay where they drown.

Lacey Emerson doesn’t believe that story. She’s been to the beach and knows it better than most of the others in the town, she knows there is nothing inherently dangerous about it. After a young girl goes missing, Lacey begins to notice the strange behavior of some of the men in town.

When her hand in marriage is promised to Sebastian, the Mayor of Lower Lynch’s son, she’s desperate for a way to escape and be who she truly is, with who she truly desires.

With the help of Mateo, her childhood friend, they uncover shocking truths about Lower Lynch and what is really happening with the missing girls. Along the way, Lacey discovers things about herself she wouldn’t have dared to think of for fear of the townspeople shunning her.

My Thoughts on Deception Bay

Deception Bay was an enthralling story from beginning to end. The prologue captured my attention from the first sentence and I found myself hurrying to turn every page to see what happened next.

The first half of the book was slower than the second half, but that doesn’t mean it was boring. It set the scene for the second half of the book perfectly. The book is largely about a patriarchal town dominated by men who don’t view women as equals, and the first half of the book illustrates that for us. It made the events of the second half feel much more rewarding (and heartbreaking at times) because we saw how Lacey struggled in Lower Lynch.

Throughout the book, it is slowly revealed that Lacey is a witch. It’s something we know early on, but we get to see Lacey come to terms with her powers and accept herself throughout the novel. I’ve always found that a lot of stories with witches in them miss the mark when it comes to the feminist undertones, but this story executed those very well! 

When I think about witches, I think about women who strayed from the norm at the time, regardless of if they had magical powers or not. The men were afraid of them. Most of the women were subservient to them and they wanted to keep it that way. So, women who didn’t fit the mold they built were deemed witches and cast out of towns and villages in brutal ways. They were afraid of those women. They were afraid those women would influence the others and they would lose the power they held. I think Deception Bay captured that sentiment with the main character, Lacey.

The book has a romance subplot that I enjoyed too! Lacey was forced to accept a marriage proposal from Sebastian when she had no interest in it. She and Mateo had been lifelong friends and they fell in love. If you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope with romance, their storyline will warm your heart. 

The ending was somewhat predictable, which is the only thing I didn’t love about the story. Even though I saw a lot of it coming, I truly believe storytelling is about the journey, not the destination. That being said, I really loved the journey. The characters were rich and the events leading up to the big reveal perfectly foreshadowed it.

Deception Bay is a quick read with a compelling storyline that carries a deeper meaning. I’d recommend this book to just about anyone, but especially those who love a good mystery with light paranormal elements!

Ages: 

16+ for some strong themes and adult situations

Content Warnings:

kidnapping, murder, sacrifice, attempted rape

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