{"id":9215,"date":"2017-08-22T11:16:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-22T15:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=9215"},"modified":"2024-01-29T20:10:04","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T01:10:04","slug":"a-dangerous-deceit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/9215","title":{"rendered":"A Dangerous Deceit"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Dangerous Deceit<\/a><\/em> (2017) Alissa Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That was completely unexpected. In a very good way.<\/p>\n

Gabriel Arkwright is the third Gentleman Thief-taker, and like Samuel, he has a past he doesn’t talk about. He’s also glib and very good at becoming who he needs to be for each case.<\/p>\n

Jane Ballenger lives in an isolated country house hiding both her disability and her past.<\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t a clumsy woman. Her faults were legion. She was easily distracted. She was rude. She lacked a proper sense of humor. She was hard of hearing. According to some, she was a proper idiot. But, as a rule, she could put one foot in front of the other without making a spectacle of herself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For as long as Jane had been aware there was something wrong with her, secrecy had been her one and only consideration. The need to be honest had never presented itself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And that is what made this story. Yes, the mystery was interesting, but Jane’s hearing problems were fascinating, as were the way she was treated because of those problem. Let me be clear, she isn’t deaf, not really. Here is part of the author’s note at the start of the book (so I’m not giving anything away).<\/p>\n

When I set out to write the character of Jane Ballenger, a woman with central auditory processing disorder, I knew I was going to run into some interesting obstacles. <\/p>\n

Although it has gained some attention in recent years, CAPD is still not a particularly well-known disorder. It\u2019s also not something I could give a name to in a book set in Victorian times, when the condition was not recognized.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jane’s reasons for hiding this problem from Gabriel are well-founded, but they also place the both of them in significant danger multiple times.<\/p>\n

She looked from Gabriel to the tied mare. \u201cThis horse isn\u2019t for me to ride, is it?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, cheese fork amen to furlough.\u201d <\/p>\n

She whipped her gaze back to his. Cheese fork? Surely not. \u201cI\u2026\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But there is far more to Jane than that, of course. First and foremost is her love for the couple that has taken care of her since she was ten. There is also the fact that her fears are completely justified, given both her past and society at the time. So although she knows her problems are placing her in greater danger, just glibly giving up her secrets is not an option.<\/p>\n

Which is what makes me like the story so well. Gabriel, of course, has his secrets, which are interesting, but not nearly as interesting as Jane. Which is both a strength and a weakness in the story, since Gabriel’s issues feel almost tacked into the story to provide some parity. But I didn’t really care because I found Jane so interesting.<\/p>\n

I highly recommend this book, and you do not need to have read the first two books to enjoy this one.
\nRating: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Published by the author<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Dangerous Deceit (2017) Alissa Johnson That was completely unexpected. In a very good way. Gabriel Arkwright is the third Gentleman Thief-taker, and like Samuel, he has a past he doesn’t talk about. He’s also glib and very good at becoming who he needs to be for each case. Jane Ballenger lives in an isolated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,30,33,8,742,43,26,56],"tags":[156,50,530,535,557],"class_list":["post-9215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-8-5-10","category-british","category-historical","category-mystery","category-physical-health","category-private-eye","category-romance","category-sexual-content","tag-alissa-johnson","tag-boinking","tag-disability","tag-neurodiversity","tag-victorian"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-2oD","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20124,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/20124","url_meta":{"origin":9215,"position":0},"title":"A Dangerous Deceit","author":"Michelle","date":"July 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A Dangerous Deceit (2017) Alissa Johnson (The Thief-Takers) Set in England in ~1872 This is such a marvelous book. Jane, struggles with so many things, and is justifiably terrified of anyone discovering her secret, which makes it one of the few books where it is completely logical for the main\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dangerous Deceit","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Dangerous-Deceit-e1511015233441.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13409,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/13409","url_meta":{"origin":9215,"position":1},"title":"A Dangerous Deceit","author":"Michelle","date":"September 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A Dangerous Deceit (2017) Alissa Johnson (The Thief-Takers) Set in England in the mid 1870s. Miss Jane Ballenger is a recluse. She's tried going out in society, but it went very badly, so she remains at home, hiding her problems from the world. Sir Gabriel Arkwright is a famous thief-taker\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dangerous Deceit","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Dangerous-Deceit-e1511015233441.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11620,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/11620","url_meta":{"origin":9215,"position":2},"title":"A Dangerous Deceit","author":"Michelle","date":"February 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A Dangerous Deceit (2017) Alissa Johnson Miss Jane Ballenger is a spinster and a recluse. This is due to the fact she has difficulty hearing, and so avoids going out in public. At one point, he related a story involving three turnips and a brick. She was fairly certain she\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Dangerous-Deceit-e1511015233441.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11413,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/11413","url_meta":{"origin":9215,"position":3},"title":"Destined To Last","author":"Michelle","date":"January 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Destined To Last (2010) Alissa Johnson Set in England in ~1814 Lady Kate Cole is a stunning beauty. She also, unfortunately, has a reputation. She was also, by all accounts, a woman so remarkably prone to accidents that it was generally considered wise to back away if she happened to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Destined-to-Last-e1511013245528.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9276,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/9276","url_meta":{"origin":9215,"position":4},"title":"McAlistair’s Fortune","author":"Michelle","date":"September 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"McAlistair's Fortune (2009) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1814 Evie Cole has lived with her cousins since she was a young girl. After her father's death in a carriage accident, her mother was unwilling to care for her, so the injured child moved to Haldon Hall and remained there\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/McAllisters-Fortune.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13279,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/13279","url_meta":{"origin":9215,"position":5},"title":"Destined To Last","author":"Michelle","date":"July 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Destined To Last (2010) Alissa Johnson (The Providence Series) Set in England ~1815. Lady Kate Cole was, by most accounts, a young woman of exceptional beauty, extraordinary talent, and notable charm. She was also, by all accounts, a woman so remarkably prone to accidents that it was generally considered wise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Destined to Last","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Destined-to-Last-e1511013245528.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9215\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}