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Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
2014 | Bluff, Deduction, Murder & Mystery, Party Game, Spies / Espionage
Simple game to learn but challenging enough to not get board (0 more)
Great party game for about 5-7
Deception is a great game for an evening in with friends based around the simple task of discovering the murderer using unique roles. After only 1 explanation of the game we where able to sit and play without any confusion and we had to play a number of games before we could bring ourselves to stop
  
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
2014 | Bluff, Deduction, Murder & Mystery, Party Game, Spies / Espionage
One of the funnest (yeah I know, it’s not a word) parts of board gaming is getting to introduce new people to the hobby! Whether it’s a family gathering or a party with friends, I love breaking out a fun game for any occasion! Some board gamers have an aversion to the ‘party’ games category, but I think you just need to find the right game for the group to have the best experience! One of those games, for me, is Deception: Murder in Hong Kong!

MURDER! As an Investigator, that’s just another day on the job for you. This time feels different, though. Something about this case is off… After the initial evidence is gathered, the team’s Forensic Scientist has disclosed to the team that the killer is one of the Investigators! Everyone is on edge, accusing every other Investigator of being the murderer. Everyone had potential means and motive, and it is up to you to figure it out! As the Forensic Scientist uncovers more evidence, the details of the crime will come to light, and the killer will be revealed. Put your investigative and deductive skills to the test as you try to unmask the killer, or throw the team off your scent if you are the culprit!

DISCLAIMER!! This review is for vanilla Deception: Murder in Hong Kong. We have plans to add in the expansion once one of us purchases it and learns it and teaches it to the rest of us. Should that happen and our review change, we will add that information to this review or to a new review and link to it from here. -T

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a game of bluffing, deduction, and hidden identity. All players (except for the Forensic Scientist) have a secret role in the game – Investigator, Witness, Murderer, or Accomplice. The Forensic Scientist knows who the killer is, and how they did it. It is their job to guide the Investigators to the killer by providing clues about the uncovered evidence. The Investigators are trying to interpret the clues and uncover the killer’s identity. The Witness knows who the killer is, but has not yet figured out how they did it. The Murderer and Accomplice are looking to pin the murder on one of the other innocent members of the team! As clues are revealed, each player gets a chance to make a case against the player whom they think is the murderer. You must convince everyone of your logic, or else the killer could get away! In a game where everyone is a suspect, who can you trust? Gather clues, present your case, and put your poker face to the test in this ultimate game of deception! (See what I did there?)

I thoroughly enjoy games of deduction. Anything where you have to think and solve puzzles/riddles/etc. is fun for me. In Deception, it’s a race to see who can find the solution first. Not only do you have to deduce the correct answer from the provided clues, but you also have to put your persuasive skills to the test! Unless you can convince everyone that a specific player is the killer, they might turn their accusations towards someone else, or even worse, towards YOU! You really have to think outside of the box to interpret the Forensic Scientist’s clues, and I like to challenge myself to find the solution in as few turns as possible. The faster I can solve the murder, the smarter I feel. Don’t lie, it makes you feel smart too when you figure it out before anyone else!

The only part of Deception that I don’t really enjoy is the bluffing aspect, which is one of the most integral parts of the game, I know. I am just a horrible liar with a questionable poker face. If we play and I am the Murderer, I am almost always found out. Whenever anyone accuses me, my mind blanks and I cannot think of a single convincing way to get everyone off my scent! That is a personal problem, though, because when I get to be just a regular ol’ Investigator, I have a blast! I can still be accused, but I always feel like I have an easier time getting people off my case if I am actually innocent. I know some people really enjoy being the Murderer because they like the challenge of deceiving the entire team. I am not one of those people though. If I was guaranteed to be just a plain Investigator (or the Forensic Scientist) every time, I would probably pull this game out more!

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a ‘party’ game, but with the right group, it can still be a challenging game. A higher player count, in this case, does not necessarily equate to a chaotic game either. So give Deception a try. It’ll be worth it! Purple Phoenix Games gives it a 17 / 24.

https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/26/deception-murder-in-hong-kong-review/
  
The Lost Symbol: (Robert Langdon Book 3)
The Lost Symbol: (Robert Langdon Book 3)
Dan Brown | 2010 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.6 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
The third Dan Brown book featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and, like his previous books ("Angels and Demons", "The Da Vinci code", "Deception Point" and "Digital Fortress" - the first two in that list also featuring Robert Langdon), I found it to be an entertaining enough read without being anything special.

I have to say, I also think that (one of) the supposed big reveals was actually pretty obvious from roughly 1/3 of the way into the story, which didn't really help ...
  
One Step Too Far
One Step Too Far
Tina Seskis | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Seskis is a master at weaving her plot and creating twist after twist, and the ending was a sublime surprise that had been supremely disguised in the rest of the novel. I imagine that deception and secret keeping are amongst Seskis' talents! This is not just a story with a twist though, but handles emotion with empathy and artistry and I genuinely grew to care for and grieve with the characters. A great fun read that kept me page turning right to the end with gripping eagerness.
  
Secret Hitler
Secret Hitler
2016 | Bluff, Card Game, Deduction, Humor, Party Game
Design (2 more)
Simple rules
Quality materials
Fantastic Social Deduction/Deception game
My group has played this twice now, once with 5 players and once with 7. The more players seems to be a better option as this game scales higher better than lower.

Definitely a game where paying attention to your friends is paramount, and it can be extremely challenging to snuff out those pesky fascists.

Probable the most emotionally involved games we've played recently. So if you and your group enjoy some good natured personal conflict, this game is for you!

Friendships will be tested!
  
Incendiary (2009)
Incendiary (2009)
2009 | Drama, Mystery, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A touching drama as a young mother tries to cope with the loss of her husband and son in a terrorist attack. Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams team up again shortly after Deception made around the same time. Williams gives probably her best performance to date. Although the film starts well, it seems to lose some direction in the second half. The ending was ok but from the first 30 minutes this could have been a much stronger film. As it is most people have probably not even heard of it? If you don't mind a drama you should enjoy this.
  
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) created a post

Dec 1, 2023  
My November 2023 reads!

19 reads this month I’ve enjoyed so many fab books this month! But only 1 5⭐️

1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 ⭐️⭐️
0 ⭐️
4 DNFS

My favourite book of the month was The First Satan by G.R Thomas I absolutely love this author.

My least favourite was The Deception of Harriet Fleet it promised so much yet let me down!

My DNFS were at 4 this month so not too bad!

Book of the month The First Satan by G. R Thomas
     
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Cara Edgar (32 KP) rated The Lie in Books

Jan 25, 2018  
The Lie
The Lie
C.L. Taylor | 2018 | Thriller
7
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
engaging fast read (0 more)
may cause triggers for victims of abuse (0 more)
Best friends are there for each other through thick and thin. You trust them with your life. At least that's what Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al think. But all that changes when they embark on a trip of a lifetime together. When they return home, only two of them are left alive and the group has been torn apart by lies and deception. Many years later, when the dust has settled and life has moved on, one girl receives a threatening letter. Someone knows the truth about what happened on that holiday and will stop at nothing to expose it.
  
Deception (Dark Matter #2)
Deception (Dark Matter #2)
Teri Terry | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Deception is the 2nd book in the Dark Matter series by Teri Terry. I was given the opportunity to review the 1st book, Contagion, and thoroughly enjoyed it. When offered the 2nd book, I jumped at the chance.

Deception starts where Contagion ends. Shay, believing she is the carrier of the epidemic, surrenders to the army. Kai is heartbroken and feels betrayed because Shay left. After discovering survivors like Shay are not carriers, he is desperate to find her.

I enjoyed the 1st book more than the 2nd. Because it is a YA book, there is the obligatory love triangle. Still, it is worth reading. We are introduced to other groups. They are survivors, those hunting the survivors, and those behind the epidemic. One of the people we learn more about is Dr. Alex Cross, Kai's hated stepfather and Callie's father.

The 3rd and final book in the trilogy, Evolution, is available for pre-order. Its release date is August 11, 2020. I am looking forward to seeing how the trilogy ends. Will Kai and Shay end up together? What will happen to Callie? Will she get her revenge?

View my review of Contagion at http://philomathinphila.com/2019/08/11/200-word-review-of-contagion-by-teri-terry/.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/16/20.
  
Innkeeper’s daughter Mina Scott will do anything to escape the drudgery of her life. She saves every penny to attend a finishing school, dreaming of the day she’ll become a real lady—and catch the eye of William Barlow, a frequent guest at the inn. William is a gentleman’s son, a charming rogue but penniless. However, his bachelor uncle will soon name an heir—either him or his puritanical cousin. In an effort to secure the inheritance, William gives his uncle the impression he’s married, which works until he’s invited to bring his wife for a visit. William asks Mina to be his pretend bride, only until his uncle names an heir on Christmas Day. Mina is flattered and frustrated by the offer, for she wants a true relationship with William. Yet, she agrees. . .then wishes she hadn’t as she comes to love the old man. And when the truth is finally discovered, more than just money is lost. Can two hearts survive such a deception?



My Thoughts: Mina has had her eye on Will since the first time she served him at her father's inn; so when Will asks her to help him by pretending to be his bride, she jumps at the chance. But as Mina and Will find out, deception brings on worries and more deception. They soon learn that as the Bible says that truth will set you free. There are many lessons in this novel. One is to not lie, to be truthful in all things. It's never good to keep secrets. It's never a good thing to play with another's affections. It is also a story of forgiveness and second chances.

 This was a fun book to read. This is the second book in the series "Once Upon a Dickens Christmas" and even though I haven't read the first one, it was easy to read and follow along. The characters were fun, Mina being the main character is a sweet young woman who loves to read. The readers are instantly drawn to her. Then there are Will's cousins, which I found to be very comical and in some ways true to life.



Michelle Griep is a wonderful writer, who holds the reader's attention and adds a little whimsy to the characters and story-line.



I truly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading more from Michelle Griep.