Review – Web of Deceit

FBI Special Agent Kait Knight looks down the barrel of a pistol in the hand of her crazed brother-in-law, Fenton Rhodes. He has overheard her receiving a phone call that named him a massive Internet scammer and murderer, so he plans to kill Kait and make his getaway. But his wife Abby, Kait’s twin sister, interrupts the confrontation. Fenton fires to kill Kait, but Abby pushes between them and takes the bullet herself. Fenton flees, and with Abby’s last breath she places her daughter Lily in Kait’s care.

Thus begins Susan Sleeman’s thriller Web of Deceit. Fenton disappears for three years. The FBI case against him remains open and Kait remains obsessed with bringing Fenton to justice, but she encounters opposition from her supervisor. A lead on Fenton takes the FBI team to a specific house, but they arrive to find local police detective Sam Murdock investigating a murder there. The victim of the ghastly murder closely resembles Fenton and is connected to Fenton through computer game groups. It becomes increasingly clear that Fenton is behind this murder, that he uses his mastery of computers to toy with the FBI, and that his final objectives include recovery of his daughter and a hideous revenge on Kait.

The author skillfully tightens suspense in each scene and chapter, leading to a thrilling climax and satisfying denouement. In the process, she shows a well-researched knowledge in depth of investigative techniques and the latest investigative equipment . The result is a fast-paced, hard-hitting suspense novel that is one of the two or three best I have read in the past two years. Highly recommended.