What do you think?
Rate this book
Deceive and Defend
Like a pebble dropped in a pond, the effects of two deaths—one in the Johannesburg home of the wealthy Silverman family; the second, hundreds of kilometres away on a Free State farm—ripple across South Africa and the world, irrevocably changing the lives of four Tracy Jacobs who desperately wants journalism’s highest laurels… and also yearns for love. Now she must choose between saving her career or defending her chance of happiness; Aviva Silverman who wants nothing more than to live happily ever after with her adored new family. Now she must place it all at risk to defend the family she left behind; Carol Aronowitz, dedicated social worker who prides herself on her professionalism . Now she must find a way to defend herself against clear evidence of incompetence that has had disasterous consequences; and Yair Silverman, Aviva's twin brother, who stands to lose everything as he takes a drastic decision to deceive everyone. Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s post-Mandela decline, Deceive and Defend is as current and thought provoking as today’s headlines.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 13, 2018
4 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Cohen de Villiers
5 books12 followersI was born and raised in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, the youngest daughter of an extraordinarily ordinary, happy, stable, traditional (rather than observant) Jewish family. After matriculating at Northview High School, I went to Rhodes University in Grahamstown where I served on the SRC, competed (badly) in synchronised swimming and completed a B. Journalism degree. This was followed by a “totally useless” - according to my parents - English Honours (first class), also at Rhodes.
With the dawning of the turbulent 1980s, I started my career as a reporter on a daily newspaper, working first in the news and later, the finance departments. During this period, I interviewed, among others, Frank Sinatra, Jeffrey Archer, Eugene Terre’blanche and Desmond Tutu. I caught crocodiles; avoided rocks and tear smoke canisters in various South African townships; stayed awake through interminable city council meetings and criminal and civil court cases - and learned to interpret balance sheets. I also married my then news editor, Poen de Villiers, who passed away on 15 March 2015.
After the birth of our two daughters, I ‘crossed over’ into Public Relations with its regular hours and predictability. My writing - articles, media releases, opinion and thought leadership pieces and so on – continues to be published regularly in newspapers and other media, usually under someone else’s by-line.
The unexpected death of a childhood friend and colleague in 2012 spurred me to take stock of my life. A few months later, I started writing A Beautiful Family. This was followed by
When Times Fails - and part three of the Alan Silverman saga will hopefully be released in 2016 or 2017.
With the dawning of the turbulent 1980s, I started my career as a reporter on a daily newspaper, working first in the news and later, the finance departments. During this period, I interviewed, among others, Frank Sinatra, Jeffrey Archer, Eugene Terre’blanche and Desmond Tutu. I caught crocodiles; avoided rocks and tear smoke canisters in various South African townships; stayed awake through interminable city council meetings and criminal and civil court cases - and learned to interpret balance sheets. I also married my then news editor, Poen de Villiers, who passed away on 15 March 2015.
After the birth of our two daughters, I ‘crossed over’ into Public Relations with its regular hours and predictability. My writing - articles, media releases, opinion and thought leadership pieces and so on – continues to be published regularly in newspapers and other media, usually under someone else’s by-line.
The unexpected death of a childhood friend and colleague in 2012 spurred me to take stock of my life. A few months later, I started writing A Beautiful Family. This was followed by
When Times Fails - and part three of the Alan Silverman saga will hopefully be released in 2016 or 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 16, 2018
Most of the time when I sign up to review a book, a few months pass between agreeing to do so and the actual time I get around to reading the said book. Usually, I've forgotten the blurb information and dive in blind. Then, there's a time like this one, when a coincidence and timing is poignant...My head was already filled with all things about South Africa after saying a final goodbye to a relative born and raised there. Picking up to begin reading Deceive and Defend the following day was a wonderful, welcome surprise...an opportunity to continue remembering happier times not only of a special person but of a country I am lucky enough to have visited more than once as I absorbed myself into the addictive narrative.
This is the third book in the Silverman Saga and my first. What really stands out is how the author enables a new reader to her work like myself to jump into the narrative running...especially impressive when I often struggle when trying to retain lots of new information, because I never once felt overwhelmed with either names or the plot threads. The prologue is shocking and hooked me in and I couldn't get enough. Told from five different points of view, each plot-line flows effortlessly as they intertwined with each other, offering a chance for the reader to enjoy a different perspective. Each person is dealing with life-changing issues which impact the others.
The author paints a rich landscape of life in Johannesburg and the Jewish community there. I'm a huge fan of learning anything new whilst reading a work of fiction and Deceive and Defend had me Googling facts I either wasn't sure about or simply because I wanted to gain more knowledge. In addition, I loved the inclusion of contemporary headlines to add sensationalism to the narrative. It definitely gave an unexpected 'wow' factor to an already enticing and intriguing novel.
To say I am dumbfounded after finishing this book is an understatement. The words flow effortlessly and I want more. In a year when I decided to branch out with my reading choices, this is one of the ones that will stand out on my favourites list. To sum up, a fabulous book in its own right, but I definitely want to read the first two; A Beautiful Family and When Time Fails to experience the back story of the Silverman Saga.
***review copy received courtesy of Mapolaje Publishing***
This is the third book in the Silverman Saga and my first. What really stands out is how the author enables a new reader to her work like myself to jump into the narrative running...especially impressive when I often struggle when trying to retain lots of new information, because I never once felt overwhelmed with either names or the plot threads. The prologue is shocking and hooked me in and I couldn't get enough. Told from five different points of view, each plot-line flows effortlessly as they intertwined with each other, offering a chance for the reader to enjoy a different perspective. Each person is dealing with life-changing issues which impact the others.
The author paints a rich landscape of life in Johannesburg and the Jewish community there. I'm a huge fan of learning anything new whilst reading a work of fiction and Deceive and Defend had me Googling facts I either wasn't sure about or simply because I wanted to gain more knowledge. In addition, I loved the inclusion of contemporary headlines to add sensationalism to the narrative. It definitely gave an unexpected 'wow' factor to an already enticing and intriguing novel.
To say I am dumbfounded after finishing this book is an understatement. The words flow effortlessly and I want more. In a year when I decided to branch out with my reading choices, this is one of the ones that will stand out on my favourites list. To sum up, a fabulous book in its own right, but I definitely want to read the first two; A Beautiful Family and When Time Fails to experience the back story of the Silverman Saga.
***review copy received courtesy of Mapolaje Publishing***
August 15, 2018
What is more important your future or your present?
This will be the main question the characters of this book will have to face, family or work, happiness or sadness, prison or freedom... Which one will you choose?
This is the story of Tracy, Aviva, Carol and Yair; all of them with their own decisions to make and of course, all of them connected. Are they involved in the two investigations of the two deaths? In their way, yes, but are any of them the killers? You will have to read the book to discover the answer!
I have to admit I started this trilogy on the last chapter, so for me the characters were new and I had to discover them in this book. But let me say that I didn't have any trouble following the story, even if the characters' story is a little complicated...!
It is not easy to write a book based in South Africa and the Jewish community, but the author, Marilyn Cohen de Villers, has done a great job describing the characters and making them real for the reader and with a complex plot to make the book interesting and addictive.
I would like to say that this is an interesting and original book, but if you want to read it, start from the beginning! ;)
This will be the main question the characters of this book will have to face, family or work, happiness or sadness, prison or freedom... Which one will you choose?
This is the story of Tracy, Aviva, Carol and Yair; all of them with their own decisions to make and of course, all of them connected. Are they involved in the two investigations of the two deaths? In their way, yes, but are any of them the killers? You will have to read the book to discover the answer!
I have to admit I started this trilogy on the last chapter, so for me the characters were new and I had to discover them in this book. But let me say that I didn't have any trouble following the story, even if the characters' story is a little complicated...!
It is not easy to write a book based in South Africa and the Jewish community, but the author, Marilyn Cohen de Villers, has done a great job describing the characters and making them real for the reader and with a complex plot to make the book interesting and addictive.
I would like to say that this is an interesting and original book, but if you want to read it, start from the beginning! ;)
June 17, 2018
What a great way to end the gripping Silverman saga trilogy! I thought this book even better than Marilyn’s previous two, A Beautiful Family and When Time Fails, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Deceive and Defend is a fitting finale to a fantastically interesting and compelling series. Marilyn includes so much contemporary history and news – there was so much that resonated with me as she wove key happenings in Johannesburg and South Africa into her story. As a journalist and writer she has a wonderfully tight writing style, so the story races along – and this book left me breathless more than once. Short chapters, told from the points of view of the different main characters, adds to the sheer pace of the novel. Marilyn characters are incredibly vivid and I learnt so much about Johannesburg’s Jewish community, and Judaism in general. The entire trilogy really resonated with me. While Deceive and Defend can easily be read as a standalone, it seems a pity not to read all three books… I recommend them all.
August 19, 2018
The conclusion to the Silverman trilogy was a very satisfying read.
Touching upon the lives of all those touched by the effects of what happened in the earlier two books, this one is mainly set in South Africa where a sudden death causes lives to go haywire.
Tracy Jacobs wants to achieve success as a journalist but cannot bury the ethical questions that rise in her mind. Also, is she throwing away her chance at happiness forever?
Aviva Silverman is settled far away from the tragedies that befell her but the family she left back home beckons and she has to return to help.
Yair Silverman has taken on something that will effectively end the life he had known so far, but not doing it will finish off the one person he has promised to protect.
As all of them battle to face the new challenges they have been given, social worker Carol thinks she knows something that will help.
I enjoyed the wiring and the conclusion.
Touching upon the lives of all those touched by the effects of what happened in the earlier two books, this one is mainly set in South Africa where a sudden death causes lives to go haywire.
Tracy Jacobs wants to achieve success as a journalist but cannot bury the ethical questions that rise in her mind. Also, is she throwing away her chance at happiness forever?
Aviva Silverman is settled far away from the tragedies that befell her but the family she left back home beckons and she has to return to help.
Yair Silverman has taken on something that will effectively end the life he had known so far, but not doing it will finish off the one person he has promised to protect.
As all of them battle to face the new challenges they have been given, social worker Carol thinks she knows something that will help.
I enjoyed the wiring and the conclusion.
June 29, 2018
Really enjoyed this final book in the Silverman saga. Read it in two days, as it was hard to put down. It zipped along as fast as the first book. Several characters familiar from the other books, with interesting new introductions, such as the beautiful, manipulative Tiffany and her stepson, Cecil Zaldain. Arno and Aviva's love story continues but journalist Tracy Jacobs is the real star of the book. Believing her lover, Yair, to have deserted her for Tiffany, she sets out to destroy him via journalism. Does this work? Does she regret her choice? Read the book to find out. A satisfying, unexpected conclusion to an epic series.
July 1, 2018
I absolutely loved the third book in the Silverman Saga. True to Marilyn’s writing the characters came to life! I felt her research on certain topics (without me giving anything away) was excellent! Thank you Marilyn I look forward to your next book.
September 9, 2018
Did you see the #Author #Interview with #South #African – #Marilyn Cohen de Villiers re Novel 3 in the #SilvermanSaga – #Deceive and Defend. Go check it out @ #WordPress http://ow.ly/uHu330lKa4M Or on #Blogger - http://ow.ly/3HIz30lKa64
January 5, 2025
A disappointing conclusion to the trilogy. Each twist and turn was painfully obvious from the moment of set up.
July 22, 2018
Deceive and defend by Marilyn Cohen De Villiers.
Like a pebble dropped in a pond, the effects of two deaths—one in the Johannesburg home of the wealthy Silverman family; the second, hundreds of kilometres away on a Free State farm—ripple across South Africa and the world, irrevocably changing the lives of four people:
Tracy Jacobs who desperately wants journalism’s highest laurels… and also yearns for love. Now she must choose between saving her career or defending her chance of happiness;
Aviva Silverman who wants nothing more than to live happily ever after with her adored new family. Now she must place it all at risk to defend the family she left behind;
Carol Aronowitz, dedicated social worker who prides herself on her professionalism . Now she must find a way to defend herself against clear evidence of incompetence that has had disasterous consequences; and
Yair Silverman, Aviva's twin brother, who stands to lose everything as he takes a drastic decision to deceive everyone.
Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s post-Mandela decline, Deceive and Defend is as current and thought provoking as today’s headlines.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Love Tracy character. A brilliant ending to the trilogy. 5*.
Like a pebble dropped in a pond, the effects of two deaths—one in the Johannesburg home of the wealthy Silverman family; the second, hundreds of kilometres away on a Free State farm—ripple across South Africa and the world, irrevocably changing the lives of four people:
Tracy Jacobs who desperately wants journalism’s highest laurels… and also yearns for love. Now she must choose between saving her career or defending her chance of happiness;
Aviva Silverman who wants nothing more than to live happily ever after with her adored new family. Now she must place it all at risk to defend the family she left behind;
Carol Aronowitz, dedicated social worker who prides herself on her professionalism . Now she must find a way to defend herself against clear evidence of incompetence that has had disasterous consequences; and
Yair Silverman, Aviva's twin brother, who stands to lose everything as he takes a drastic decision to deceive everyone.
Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s post-Mandela decline, Deceive and Defend is as current and thought provoking as today’s headlines.
This was a fantastic read with brilliant characters. Love Tracy character. A brilliant ending to the trilogy. 5*.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews