History Literature / DeceptionPoint

* EngineeredPublicConfession: [[spoiler:How Sexton gets his comeuppance: he gives to the press what he thought was the evidence of the meteorite cover-up but Gabrielle switched the envelope with one containing pictures of the sexual tryst between the two which he has vigorously denied to the press much earlier.]]

* DanBrowned: Obviously:
** The novel mentions special "Improvised munitions"- weapons that are capable of firing water at sufficient speed to shatter bones or turn sand or ice into bullets. In reality, "Improvised Munitions" in military jargon means something else entirely, and of those possibilities mentioned, only the first one is remotely feasible: turning sand into glass bullets would require a power source too big to conveniently carry and ice bullets were shown to be ineffective by Series/{{Mythbusters}}.
** Director Pickering addresses Rachel as "Agent Sexton". Intelligence analysts are not law enforcement officers and the NRO does not have clandestine field operatives.
** NASA sets up a huge camp in Ellesmere Island and does all its business unhindered. Ellesmere Island is part of Canada, who would presumably also want to take part in this.
*** It gets worse when you consider Canada has a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFS_Alert military base]] there... and said military base is specifically a '''signals intelligence intercept facility''' that is jointly run with CSEC (Canada's equivalent of the NSA) [[spoiler:that would have detected strange radio transmissions like the one that led NASA to the meteorite]]
** Japan's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Lucky_Gods Seven Gods of Good Fortune]] (''Shichi-fukujin'') are misidentified as "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shichi-Go-San Shichigosan]]'', which is pretty hilarious.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:Senator Sexton might be a {{Jerkass}}, but William Pickering serves as the conspiracy's true mastermind, orchestrating the conspiracy [[WellIntentionedExtremist in order to keep NASA afloat]], having. anyone who finds out the truth killed.]]

[[quoteright:313:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deception_point.jpg]]

-->''Norah Mangor’s final legacy.''

--> "But what Norah had never expected to see was the hazy grayish outline of a humanoid form floating halfway down the shaft… the GPR had captured a faint trace of the victim’s heavy coat, what could only be a familiar, long, dense camel hair. 'It’s… Ming,' she said in a whisper. 'He must have slipped.'"

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Senator Sexton is a misogynist and a homophobe whom thinks that "if it were up to me, the faggots wouldn't even have the right to vote" to himself while simultaneously agreeing to tone down condemnation of same-sex marriage in his campaign. Later on, he tells his daughter "you're just like your mother: idealistic and small. Women cannot grasp the true meaning of power" after Rachel called him out on ''[[spoiler:leaving her to die.]]''
* PrayerPose: Lampshaded, the main character notes that the others might think she's doing this when they're left for dead on an ice flow but [[spoiler: is actually preparing to tap out morse code since she knows that the organisation she works for has a listening post (although they're actually saved by a passing submarine that was investigating all the activity that lead to said stranding)]].

One day, straight out of the blue Rachel is summoned by the President and then sent to Ellesmere Island in the Arctic, all in utmost secrecy as to why. There she meets Michael Tolland, a celebrity oceanographer and documentary host; and Corky Marlinson, a highly respected astrophysicist. Both are members of a special civilian scientist team assigned to investigate an "amazing find". Said "find" being a meteorite embedded in the ice containing fossils similar, but not identical, to species found on Earth; in other words, conclusive proof of extraterrestrial life. NASA is incredibly excited, and hopes this will serve as proof that NASA deserves its continued existence...

...However, Michael then notices an irregularity in the meteorite's extraction pit. He, Rachel, Corky and experienced glaciologist Dr. Norah Mangor venture into the Arctic wastes to survey the extraction pit with a ground penetrating radar and make a shocking discovery: the meteorite was actually ''drilled into'' the shaft, after which the salt water under it froze. The discovery is actually a fake!

Before they can tell anyone of this, they are immediately attacked by a Delta Force team apparently sent to prevent this from coming to light. What follows is a struggle to survive the ordeal and find out the truth: did NASA fake the discovery to prevent its potential dismantlement in case Sexton wins the election? Or was it the current administration, going to extreme lengths to stay in office? Meanwhile Senator Sexton sends his assistant, Gabrielle Ashe to investigate the matter after noticing some inconsistencies himself. What she finds however, will not only cause her to doubt NASA's integrity but also that of her employer...

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Senator Sexton. "If it were up to me, the faggots wouldn't even have the right to vote". And he thinks this to himself while simultaneously agreeing to tone down condemnation of same-sex marriage in his campaign. Later on, he tells his daughter: "You're just like your mother: idealistic and small. Women cannot grasp the true meaning of power." And this after Rachel called him out on ''[[spoiler:leaving her to die.]]''

* TheDogBitesBack: Sexton [[spoiler: fires ([[WouldHitAGirl and punches]])]] Gabrielle when she calls him out on [[spoiler: letting his daughter die for the sympathy vote]]. She exposes their affair in retaliation.]]

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Lawrence Ekstrom and Marjorie Tench.]]

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Senator Sexton. "If it were up to me, the faggots wouldn't even have the right to vote". And he thinks this to himself while simultaneously agreeing to tone down condemnation of same-sex marriage in his campaign.
** Later on, he tells his daughter this charming line: "You're just like your mother: idealistic and small. Women cannot grasp the true meaning of power." And this after Rachel called him out on ''[[spoiler:leaving her to die.]]''

* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:William Pickering. He orchestrated the meteorite forgery and the attempted silencing of Rachel, Michael and Corky so NASA's sensitive data wouldn't end up in the hands of the private sector and potentially in those of the USA's enemies.]]
** [[spoiler:He's so dedicated to his country that he goes to these lengths to save NASA despite its incompetence being indirectly responsible for his only daughter's death. What a trooper.]]