When her twin sister was murdered, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again—and may be back in the killer’s crosshairs.
The memory that Murphy was asked to draw was from an Alaskan hunter who discovered five bodies on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago, but has only shared the information with the police now that he’s dying of cancer. When they go to the island to investigate, no skeletons remain but there is evidence that the bodies may have been deliberately destroyed. But the big discovery is of a World War II Quonset hut.
As one by one the people who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much deeper at stake. What happened there during WWII? And who is willing to kill to keep those secrets buried?
What People are Saying:
Publishers Weekly "Parks skillfully blends a lovely yet treacherous locale into the very dark deeds of its human inhabitants. Readers will want to see more of the mysterious and sympathetic Murphy."
By The Book "Carrie Stuart Parks has given her wonderful character Gwen Marcey a break from mayhem and has written a novel with a totally different feel, characters, and setting, yet with all the wonderful suspense that readers have come to expect from Parks. Formula of Deception takes the reader on a wild ride into remote Alaska. So strap on your seatbelt, you will never know where this trip is going to take you. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
Kodiak, Alaska is the setting for Formula of Deception. I’ve never been, but Parks descriptions of the town and its environs and the uninhabited islands nearby vividly filled my imagination. Main character Murphy Andersen is a wounded soul searching for her missing sister while dodging a serial killer. She finds herself in the middle of a crime investigation when she lies about her experience as a forensic artist. And she continues to lie her way through all the attacks and murders that cross her path. It’s not a coincident that deception is part of the book’s title. This novel confronts the reader with lies others tell us, lies we tell others, and lies we tell ourselves. While I loved the action and danger of the twisting plot, I was intrigued with the inner workings of Murphy’s mind. Be prepared to question every characters’ words and motives. Things are definitely not what they seem. But don’t worry about figuring it all out — this one provided surprise after surprise, even up to the end. I loved that! Parks incorporates Alaskan culture and history into the book to great effect. Her references to little known events from the WWII-era will have you scrambling for Google. The combination of historical fact and fictional conspiracy works very well.
While Formula of Deception is described as a standalone novel, I really hope Parks will revisit Kodiak along with Murphy. This could be the start of a great, great series. Sorry, Gwen! 😉