Gold Medal for Best Suspense Fiction 2013
— Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards)
Silver Medal for Fiction
— 2014 Nautilus Book Awards
[A] gripping thriller with a provocative premise….a fast-paced, intelligent read.
— Arts ATL
"Small’s latest novel (The Breath of God, 2011, etc.) expertly blends cutting-edge neurology and religious identity in a kinetic, engrossing thriller….A must-read for thriller fans, featuring well-defined characters and thought-provoking concepts."
— Kirkus
Its a page turner. It's one of those books that you pick up and by the time you finish you feel you have had a wonderful experience….I enjoyed it so much….I can see the movie now.
—James Taylor, Writers in Focus TV
" The Jericho Deception spins out a brilliant, plausible premise into a ripping good novel, brimming with excitement, imagination, vivid settings and personable characters. Highly recommended."
— Douglas Preston, #1 best-selling author of The Monster of Florence
"This one pushes the envelope to the edge and beyond, captivating with plausibility and imagination. A gritty thriller — with plenty of meat on its bones."
— Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author of The King's Deception
" The Jericho Deception is a blisteringly original, wondrously structured descent into a literal and figurative hell. Jeffrey Small's stellar tale of murder, treachery and international daring-do breathes new life into the moribund religious thriller genre as it blends science seamlessly with superstition. A high-tech Da Vinci Code on steroids, only better written."
— Jon Land, bestselling author of Pandora's Temple
"Chock full of fascinating insider detail, The Jericho Deception is a thrilling roller-coaster ride into the beauty and darkness of the human mind. With muscular prose and a high quotient of believability, you'll be riveted watching scientists, politicians, and spies vie for control of the Logos machine. Send out for food. You won't want to stop reading."
— Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Spies
"[A] fascinating look at the influence religion has over humanity. Small has taken a deeply divisive subject and weaved a fascinating novel that is well-written and compelling."
— Mysteries Galore.com
"..lauded as “a ripping good novel” by #1 bestselling author Douglas Preston. And I have to say, having read it myself, Doug knows what he’s talking about."
— the big THRILL
" The Jericho Deception is a super thriller......exhilarating tale. Readers will enjoy this taut religious suspense while looking up those factual entities that make Jeffrey Small's saga superbly fresh."
— Midwest Book Review
"Totally riveting! A fast-paced thriller filled with secret operations, greed, deception, and more.."
— FreshFiction.com
"This mystery thriller will have you turning pages until the very last....a hold-your-breath thrill."
— Arab Vistas Today
2013-09-01
Small's (The Breath of God, 2011, etc.) latest novel expertly blends cutting-edge neurology and religious identity in a kinetic, engrossing thriller. In a crowded lab at Yale University, Dr. Ethan Lightman and his research team work on a machine that can induce mystical experiences in experimental subjects using noninvasive methods. Lightman's research is rooted in his longtime struggle with his own mystical childhood experiences, which have long haunted him. Despite promising initial results, his project is struggling to stay afloat, until a mysterious agency swoops in with bounteous funding. Soon, the project makes significant progress, thanks in part to the contributions of grad student Rachel Riley. But Lightman and his colleagues soon discover that some of their research backers have sinister motivations and plan to misuse Lightman's work for their own ends. Soon, kidnapping, murder and other crimes ensue. Small ably weaves his many plot threads together; he never lets the story drag, and he never allows his major characters to languish. He also manages to get across a number of complicated concepts--from magnetic induction to neurophysiology to near-trance states--without bogging down the story. At all times, he gives readers a clear idea of where the action is, who the characters are, what they're doing and why, despite a hugely ambitious narrative than spans continents. Readers will appreciate the author's consistent clarity of thought, which they'll find in abundance here. There are a few flaws, however, such as a tendency toward pedestrian dialogue, particularly between Lightman and his faculty mentor. There's also an occasional odd emphasis on a secondary protagonist, a Jordanian doctor. However, these minor issues pale in comparison to the story's many strengths. A must-read for thriller fans, featuring well-defined characters and thought-provoking concepts.
