Title: Deciphering Invisibility
Author: Ida Smith
Series: Neil Gatlin
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Publishing Date: December 26, 2017
About the Book:
Robbery, murder, extortion, threats…Neil Gatlin learns there’s nothing quiet about the small farm town of Cleavemont.
Released from prison, but nowhere to go, Neil accepts a job from his only ally, Leonard Black. But not everyone is happy to see Neil free. Vilified by townsfolk, under suspicion by police, tracked by prison nemesis J.R.’s gang, and hated by others, Neil soon wishes he were invisible.
Then, secret messages appear, trapping him between prison and death. While Neil struggles to hide his troubles, his seemingly bizarre behavior erodes his girlfriend, Sunshine’s trust and raises doubt in everyone’s mind of Neil’s innocence.
As threats increase and tensions rise, Neil and Sunshine’s tenuous relationship unravels. Neil’s attempts at deciphering the clues behind the poor choices. Tim is running out as he fights against surmounting odds for a second chance at freedom and love with sunshine.
“In Deciphering Invisibility, author, Ida Smith, quickly pulls you into the troubled lives of Neil Gatlin and his girlfriend, Sunshine. Through a series of bad choices, Neil descends deeper and deeper into a pit that threatens to destroy his most precious relationships. The plot flows naturally and the dialogue is believable. This fast-paced novella will keep you reading!”
—Pam Thorson, Author of Song in the Night and Out from the Shadows
My Review:
Deciphering Invisibility was a suspenseful, blood-pumping sequel to The Invisible Cipher. Just as with the first book, I was quickly sucked in and easily read through the book in one sitting. Another novella, it comes in at just under 100 pages but has plenty of action to fill the pages.
I ended my review of the first book discussing the faith element and the author’s goal for the series. The first book was more of a “before faith” book, but this one started to slip it in more, and it was obvious to see the tugging that God was doing on Neil and Sunshine’s hearts. I think it was tastefully inserted without being “cheesy” and in a way that would hopefully tug on the unbeliever’s hearts as well.
I liked how I felt like I got to know who Neil was as a person more in this story, as he was no longer behind bars. I empathized with him over his desire to support his new family while still having to ward off the troubles that started in the first book. His struggle to do the right thing while feeling the pressures of the world, are certainly feelings that people can related to (both believer and unbeliever).
I have to say that I wish these two stories were able to be combined into one mainly for what I talked about in the beginning. Faith wasn’t very active in the first book, but it was introduced in a powerful way in this one. When trying to reach unbelievers, it’s important they hear the full story, but there’s no guarantee someone will read multiple books in a series.
I really enjoyed this series, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it. If you like suspense and Crime Fiction, I would definitely recommend it.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
Rating: 
Age Appropriateness/Content Warnings:
*PLEASE NOTE: This section may contain mild spoilers but I do my best to reveal the difficult and/or triggering content without giving away the story.
I would say this one was a bit cleaner than the first as far as content goes. The action in this one is more about threats and fear. I’d recommend to older teens and up
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