Charlie Cosby and Bill Beasley have been friends since their first day of college, though their lives are nothing alike. Bill is genius-level smart, performing classified research on the properties of laser beams, while Charlie is an average guy enduring an unremarkable job as an insurance adjuster. Where Bill enjoys success and respect, Charlie bumbles through life out of touch and overlooked. Despite their differences, the two share an unbreakable bond that is challenged to the edge of their friendship. Though not a part of his sanctioned research, Bill discovers a portable force field, a groundbreaking invention that effectively renders the user invisible. The implications are profound and unsettling, opening the door to alarming possibilities. Well aware of the potential, Bill makes the difficult decision to conceal the discovery and entrust the device to Charlie, reasoning that a power of such magnitude should stay out of the wrong hands. Charlie is given carte blanche to utilize and test the invention, and he soon yields to some unscrupulous temptations. “A door once opened can let in surprises for the one who unlocks it.” Between Charlie’s invisible escapades and Bill’s continued research, the gadget they are trying to keep secret attracts the worst kind of attention. To protect the device and save themselves, the friends undertake an adventure that is as zany as it is dangerous.
Armed with an invisibility machine and a knack for disastrous schemes, Charlie Cosby is a perfectly believable antihero. His most, and possibly only, noble quality is his loyalty to Bill. The men are put through their paces by greedy adversaries, hostile governments, and one especially obsessive agent. Charlie morphs from an out-of-touch, directionless man to a homemade vigilante with a purpose. As new antagonists and secondary characters enter the story, the writing style maintains a detached tone, forcing emotional distance. While readers may not feel a keen attachment to the characters, this reserved approach enhances the narrative’s suspense, allowing staccato action sequences to take center stage and entertain audiences. Whether a high-speed escape, a high-stakes diversion, or a high-seas rescue mission, the relentless pace of the book’s second-half never falters. In a world where technological fears are escalating at an alarming pace, the author’s lighthearted take on science fiction is a welcome break from reality. Quirky characters navigate increasing dangers with wit and wisdom in Aaron T Knight’s jaunty adventure, Deception.
