‘The Great Deception’ by Syd Moore

Published by Magpie Books,
4 September 2025.
ISBN: 978-0-88154-965-8 (PB)

It is 1940 and the war with Germany is not going well for Britain as Hitler’s army sweeps across Europe, which includes invading neutral countries such as Denmark. Because of this, the British government have decided to take pre-emptive action and have sent troops to invade neutral Iceland, determined to prevent the territory from falling into enemy hands. Fortunately, the majority of the Icelandic people are happy to have the British soldiers in their country, in preference to the Germans.

Before the war Daphne Devine had been a magician’s assistant, working in London theatres, and had learned many of the tricks of the illusionist, including those of misdirection. This knowledge has already proved useful when Daphne was recruited to join a team of people who have a wide range of unusual skills, which they use to exploit Hitler’s belief in the supernatural. Daphne wishes to serve her country, but she has another more personal motive for stepping so far out of her comfort zone: her mother is Italian and has been interned as an enemy alien, and her father has gone to live on the Isle of Man in order to be near the internment camp. Daphne believes that if she does all that the British authorities require of her, she will prove her family’s loyalty and her mother may be released. Now Daphne has been sent to Iceland under the guise of Miss Daphne Dione-Smith, a journalist for The Times, who has been dispatched to cover the story of a psychic, Sindri Karlsson, who has shown remarkable abilities as a medium. In truth, Karlsson’s predictions have caused concern to the British Security Service because he seems to be predicting matters pertaining to the war, and if his knowledge does not come from communing with the dead, it seems probable that it comes from interacting with Britain’s enemies. Daphne has been sent to check on Karlsson because of her knowledge of the tricks he might employ in his stage act, and she knows this is well within her capabilities.

However, in other ways she feels out of her depth, painfully aware of the various lethal gadgets provided to her by the Security Service, such as blades in her shoes and coat lapels and a gun masquerading as a lipstick. Daphne has also been provided with a contact to assist her. Anna is tall, blonde and beautiful, with an authoritative manner, and, at first, Daphne finds it hard to get on close terms with her. Nevertheless, Daphne is grateful for Anna’s company when she attends a show in which Karlsson is due to display his psychic abilities. Karlsson’s act is impressive but Daphne knows how he could achieve his apparent communication with the dead. When they analyse Karlsson’s act, Daphne and Anna think that they can identify how Karlsson may be disseminating sensitive information.

As her mission progresses, Daphne finds herself changing and becoming more ruthless: when necessary, she will bypass her senior officer to send in reports that she considers important, and when attacked she utilises her concealed weapons in a way that leaves a man seriously injured. Soon Daphne, Anna and Anna’s cousin, a police officer, force Karlsson to accompany them into the mountainous north, travelling into dangerous terrain, in an attempt to retrieve an artefact that Hitler is determined to possess because he believes it contains immense power. This desperate journey leads into physical and psychic darkness, emotional turbulence and terrible danger. 

The Great Deception is the second in the series featuring Daphne Devine. Daphne is an engaging protagonist who is still discovering the extent of her powers and is becoming increasingly aware of the futility and horror of war. The historical and geographical details are excellent, describing in vivid detail life in Iceland in the first ears of the Second World War. The plot is complex and maintains the tension throughout the book. The Great Deception is a powerful and fascinating book, which I thoroughly recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Syd Moore is an author inspired by the history and legacy of the 19th Century Essex witch trials. She is also co-creator of Super Strumps, the game that reclaims female stereotypes through the medium of Top Trumps, and was founding editor of Level 4, an arts and culture magazine based in South Essex. She has worked extensively in publishing and the book trade and presented Channel 4's late night book programme, Pulp.  

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with The Fragility of Poppies. 

www.carolwestron.com