Deception by Jack Jordan

 

Nine-year-old Ryan is dying of congenital heart and lung failure. His parents, Emma and Miles, sit at his hospital bedside in despair, wondering what they can do. Even if Ryan makes it to the top of the donor list, they can't afford the exorbitant cost. When they are suddenly offered the chance to earn enough money to cover the cost of the surgery Ryan desperately needs, the big question is what are they willing to do to save their son's life?

I've loved the books I've read by Jack Jordan, the king of the moral dilemma thriller, particularly Redemption (you can read my review here). Having been blown away by Redemption, I wondered how on earth the author could top it, so when The Tandem Collective (link to website here), Instagram handle @tandemcollectiveuk/@tandemcollectiveglobal offered me a chance to read an advanced copy of his new novel, I leapt at the chance.

Deception is one of those "read in one sitting" novels. From the heartbreaking opening through to the gut-wrenching conclusion, you keep turning the pages, desperately needing to know more. The opening chapters are written with such empathy that they really set the scene for what is to follow. We learn that the couple has already faced bankruptcy as a result of the huge medical costs they have accrued over Ryan's short life. Miles is working three jobs simply to keep their heads above water. It is a stark reminder that the American health care system is a business. I could feel my chest tightening as Miles explained the predicament the family was in. Alongside this, we see that Emma is filled with doubt, wondering if they are doing the right thing by prolonging Ryan's life. She questions who they are actually doing it for.

When the family is offered the opportunity to earn enough money to cover the medical expenses of a heart and lung transplant for Ryan, you can feel their elation. There is also scepticism. Why would someone offer to give them so much money, and what do they have to do to earn it? This is where the moral dilemma happens: what would you be willing to do to save your child's life? Both Emma and Miles are adamant that they would do anything, but when it comes to putting words into action, will they?

Readers are taken on a rollercoaster journey as the couple are faced with a range of moral dilemmas and danger. It is impossible not to put yourself in their place, wondering if you would have the courage and ability to carry out the tasks they are given. This is a novel where moral ambiguity is pitted against amorality, and we are faced with the question: Is it acceptable to do the wrong thing to negate or expose something even worse?

The pace never lets up, as the couple is faced with crisis after crisis. You are taken through a series of highs and lows as you will the pair on, hoping for success. I particularly loved the way in which we participated in the emotional journey both Emma and Miles went on, seeing the way in which their conviction waxed and waned, and the strain it put on their relationship. By the conclusion, I was fully invested in the outcome, one which left the couple with an agonising decision to make.

Deception by Jack Jordan will be published on 4th June 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to The Tandem Collective, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, Night by Night, Do No Harm and Conviction, and an Amazon No. 1 bestseller in the UK, Canada and Australia.

Do No Harm was described as ‘chilling’ by Sarah Pearse, ‘brilliant’ by Lesley Kara and ‘pulse-racing’ by Louise Candlish. It was an instant Times bestseller on first publication and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month pick.