The Deception

The Deception has been called "a most difficult book in which to divine the culprit." Rarely does the reader find the villain until the last page of the book.

Soiled doves are being systematically killed in Denver, Boulder, and other towns in Colorado.

Governor Evans is a physician and understands the mindset of the insane. He knows the killer will continue his need for his morbid satisfaction until he is caught. He calls on Denver Marshal Seth Stewart, appoints him as a Special Investigator and U.S. Marshal, and tasks him with the responsibility of finding the killer and bringing him to justice.

Two men seem to always be around a town on the day that a killing occurs. To add to the puzzle, the two men look somewhat alike, dress in much the same manner, and even ride similar horses.

Three attempts are made on Marshal Stewart's life. Two paid assassins end up dead without revealing the man who hired them; the third got away.

It seems that the more Marshal Stewart discovers, the less he knows. Finally, there are two witnesses hundreds of miles apart; one who saw the killer and the other who survived his attempt to strangle her.

Armed with information from the eyewitnesses, Seth finally gets his man after an investigation that covers more than three years. The question is does he really have the right man?

The Deception - The Soiled Dove Murders is a classic mystery set in the 1860s in Denver, Colorado, and the small mining communities near what is now the capitol of the state. There are twists and turns and several action filled sub-plots intermingled with the search for the killer of the prostitutes. The final solution to the mystery adds another twist to the story.