‘Now You See Me’ by Sharon Bolton

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

Finding herself on the scene of a savage murder, DC Lacey Flint is keen to be involved in the hunt for the suspect. When another body is found, police quickly realise they have a serial killer on the loose. Hoping to use her as bait, Flint is pushed to the forefront of the investigation, especially as her pet subject – the Jack the Ripper murders – appear to be influencing the murderer. But what is it about Lacey that is attracting his attention, and could the young copper’s mysterious past have a bearing on the killer’s motives?

I first read Now You See Me shortly after it came out, when the author was still calling herself SJ Bolton (thanks to silly ‘gender-neutral’ advice from her publisher). I’d forgotten most of the plot, so it was like reading it for the first time. The heroine is a headstrong young cop with a history she likes to keep to herself, but her sharp intelligence and quirky lifestyle soon have us rooting for her. I did pick up on a few clunky sentences here and there, but as the plot is an absolute cracker, they weren’t much of a distraction. What I love about this book is you never quite know what’s going on, who’s telling the truth and who might be hiding the identity of the killer. Unlike some authors, Ms Bolton is smart enough to bring the loose ends to a satisfying conclusion without rambling on about stuff that has no bearing on the story. Which is nice.

There are some horribly gory bits that could put sensitive readers off, but aside from that, Now You See Me is a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns.   

Back to the Blog