Deep Fake

Sarah Ridgeway has the life she always wanted: a devoted husband, a loving daughter, and a comfortable home. Getting there was not easy. Her husband, Bryce, spent twelve years in the Army, deployed to some of the most dangerous places in the world, and a combat injury ended his service and left their future uncertain. With Sarah's support, help from his wealthy family, and an exemplary service record, he won a seat in Congress. Then everything changes at a dull fundraiser in Washington. The junior congressman steps in during a terrorist attack and barely escapes with his life. Videos of his bravery spread online, and he becomes a national hero almost overnight. The timing is remarkable, because the presidential primaries are heating up and his party badly needs a fresh candidate to take on a vulnerable incumbent. In the middle of the whirlwind, Sarah feels that something is wrong. Since the attack Bryce has been forgetful and strange. She wonders whether it is stress, or whether the explosion has stirred up his combat trauma. For the first time she doubts the man she has always trusted. She confides in her closest friend, and the two quietly start looking for answers. What they find is that the man who may soon be president is hiding a secret that could ruin Sarah's life and the country along with it. Deep Fake is a political thriller by Ward Larsen, who is also the author of the David Slaton series, which begins with The Perfect Assassin, and of Cutting Edge. The story plays on the idea that the Cold War has returned, and that for some people it never ended.