A Course in Deception

by Jana Rieger

Jana Rieger uses her academic background to tell a chilling story of betrayal as seen through the eyes of Dr. Mackenzie Smith, who is devastated when a young colleague, Anbu Mathew, dies in a suspicious accident. When Mackenzie begins to find disturbing messages that Anbu left behind about the latest drug trial in the sleep clinic, she vows to solve his mystery.

366 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2017

Reviews

[Cindy Stewart]

Great book by a Canadian author from Edmonton.Throughly enjoyed it and highly recommend this thriller

[H-J Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Course in Deception" by Dr. Jana Rieger, who is a prominent health researcher and a university professor herself, is a unique piece of work in various ways. First of all, this book narrates a life as a a tenure-track academic, as well as a person who yearns for humanly happiness, by the eyes that experienced the course in life. These anecdotes are somewhat dramatized in a sense, but none are utterly unheard of. Second, this book tells a voice of woman whose whole world crumbles down by a series of deception and betrayal. The uniqueness of this book is that the misfortune is coming from an academic setup and its consequences that affects all aspects of life.

"A Course in Deception" is a fast-paced page-turner. The book is very well plotted. Snippets in every each corner of the book are humorous and/or grow suspense; finally, it turns out that these details are organically related clues that (...it'll be a spoiler if I write more...)

For those who are researchers themselves, I strongly believe that these readers can feel catharsis from lighthearted wits about academic life. Some stories are actually very sad, but these stories are well orchestrated to keep the rhythm of this fast-paced medical thriller. For those who are not researchers, they will find that legendary nerdy life of professors are actually very relatable to any ordinary life (except that these weirdos feel jubilation for life in random details that are normally meant to be overlooked). A take-home message of this book may be that truth will finally find us in the end of the day; persistence is what it takes. This message echoes a strong belief that I strive to bear in life. I strongly recommend "A Course in Deception" to all readers.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great first effort and well exceeded my expectations. The book is well paced and kept me reading though it was somewhat predictable in spots. Some characters are very well developed. Others are a little more flat. I'm a sucker for quality dialogue and this book did not disappoint. Looking forward to this author's future efforts!

[Kelly Macfarlane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, we need half stars! This is not a 4-star novel but a solid 3.5!

Academic novel, set mostly in a medical / scientific lab, focusing on the research side of academia, with all the machinations, plots, and murders that go along with it. It's a fun and entertaining novel, and a good first-novel by a local author (and prof at the University of Alberta, where the novel is set)

[Jack S. Damico · Rating 3 out of 5]

While well written and intense, the book stretches credulity regarding actions and reactions in research universities. Some of the procedural aspects of the research process would never be omitted or happen in the ways described here. That said, it was enjoyable and a very good read.

[Amy Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great, fast paced read. There were lots of twists to keep you guessing throughout the book. I look forward to reading more from this author!

[Theresa Paltzat]

This book was chosen for a recent book club. I was very interested because of its connection to my alma mater. The protagonist, Dr. Mackenzie Smith, is a researcher at the university. She is devastated when her colleague and friend dies in a car crash, just when a series of misfortunes befalls her lab and her ongoing research. Rieger does a great job of creating suspense through the novel as Mack discovers the person behind her colleague's death and her own misfortunes. I would have enjoyed seeing a few more sympathetic or likable characters but the novel did provide an interesting glimpse into the ethics of health research.