"Deceit" is the sixth crime thriller from writer Kerry Barnes and is perfect for fans of Jacqui Rose, Kimberley Chambers and Martina Cole. Many of her books feature stories that have their basis in gangs and the "laws" of gangland warfare as well as the lifestyle that comes as a result. Her background is in science, namely medicine, but she has more recently discovered that she has a deep love for both reading and writing. She highlights that her stories feature some of her life experiences although she likes to leave the matter of which of those storylines have elements based on reality to us, her readers! Usually, when I read books that are heavily gang-based, they tend to be written be men so I am pleasantly surprised to find a title in a similar vein written by a woman and - most importantly - it is just as downright thrilling as anything a man can write! The story had me engaged and interested within a few pages of picking it up and the author's writing style definitely helped with that. It's very easy-to-follow and flowed well. I'll tell you how gripped I was - I missed the television programmes I usually watch religiously because I simply couldn't stop thinking about what would happen. Constantly exploring the possible options in my mind to the point where I may have been watching the T.V. but in name only. So, I went right back to reading and knew there wouldn't be much point trying to sleep before finishing it as my mind would be racing, as before. I really appreciated how Barnes made the gang world seem more feminine than it actually is. The main topic she explores is that of revenge as well as the often associated causes and effects - lies, secrets, manipulation - DECEIT! Deeper issues with a tie to gangs are also looked at such as class and racial prejudice, which can be both causes of becoming involved in a less than moral lifestyle and/or effects. One last word, if you're not a fan of books steeped in vulgar language then maybe give this one a miss. That being said, I don't feel the author overused it or used it gratuitously and I can see why she decided to use it in the places she did. It fit the story too. Hard-hitting, intelligently written, with characters who are both deeply flawed and realistic and a thoroughly enjoyable conclusion. I truly loved this story. Many thanks to HQ Digital for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.