The Art of Deception

The Art of Deception
Louise Mangos

The new must-read thriller from the author of Strangers on a Bridge, Louise MangosArt college drop-out Lucie arrives in a Swiss ski resort looking for work – but instead finds Mathieu.Handsome, charismatic and from a good family, Matt seems like the perfect man. But as Lucie soon discovers, he has a dark side – one which will drive their relationship to a dramatic conclusion, and tear the life she has built for herself and their son apart.Left fighting for her freedom in a hostile foreign prison, and starting to lose her grip on reality, Lucie must summon all of her strength to uncover the truth, and be reunited with her son before it’s too late.The clock is ticking . . . but who can she trust?Praise for Strangers on a Bridge:‘As well-plotted and high-anxiety-inducing as any Hitchcock flick. 5 stars.’‘GREAT read, fast, with a number of twists and turns that you don't see coming!’ Janice Lombardo

About the Author (#u6df6665a-37ff-51e7-b4c8-e44eba680c24)

LOUISE MANGOS writes novels, short stories and flash fiction, which have won prizes, been placed on shortlists and read out on BBC radio. The Art of Deception is her second novel. Her debut novel, Strangers on a Bridge, was a finalist in the Exeter Novel Prize and long-listed for the Bath Novel Award. You can connect with Louise on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMangos) and Twitter @LouiseMangos (https://twitter.com/louisemangos?lang=en), or visit her website, www.louisemangos.com (http://www.louisemangos.com), where there are links to some of her short fiction. She lives on a Swiss Alp with her Kiwi husband and two sons.

Also by Louise Mangos (#u6df6665a-37ff-51e7-b4c8-e44eba680c24)

Strangers on a Bridge

The Art of Deception

LOUISE MANGOS

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019

Copyright © Louise Mangos 2019

Louise Mangos asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © June 2019 ISBN: 9780008287955

Version: 2019-01-17

Table of Contents

Cover (#u775ea51f-96fb-590a-9697-ed7732925505)

About the Author (#u6590bc60-4920-550d-8859-01a300e29252)

Also by Louise Mangos (#u1f0a5c16-4eba-592b-86c8-59a006ba9897)

Title Page (#u18ae1c8a-09c8-5d58-8939-fa7b7a559682)

Copyright (#ud019474a-8e3e-50a6-8d15-32ec9aa89eec)

Dedication (#ud0ac836a-4697-5852-9467-aba28afdd185)

Prologue (#u9f73d26e-9f8f-58f4-8330-e96b57430183)

Chapter 1 (#u59c6e54d-ada1-523e-98ac-f02cd3f7202a)

Chapter 2 (#u73214e0a-d141-5cab-b46c-42deccc6fae0)

Chapter 3 (#u1b1bdcc7-8424-5460-8eb8-11f7e2324cdb)

Chapter 4 (#u695d7322-af25-5384-a3e7-1a793002c68c)

Chapter 5 (#u85f898d9-0893-573a-be41-7164abacdc33)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)