I am delighted to share my review today for Now You See Me by S. J. Bolton. This is the 1st book in the Lacey Flint series, but it is the 2nd one I have read!

One night after interviewing a reluctant witness at a London apartment complex, Lacey Flint, a young detective constable, stumbles onto a woman brutally stabbed just moments before in the building’s darkened parking lot. Within twenty-four hours a reporter receives an anonymous letter that points out alarming similarities between the murder and Jack the Ripper’s first murder—a letter that calls out Lacey by name. If it’s real, and they have a killer bent on re-creating London’s bloody past, history shows they have just five days until the next attempt.

No one believes the connections are anything more than a sadistic killer’s game, not even Lacey, whom the killer seems to be taunting specifically. However, as they investigate the details of the case start reminding her more and more of a part of her past she’d rather keep hidden. And the only way to do that is to catch the killer herself. 

MY REVIEW

This is the 1st book in the Lacey Flint series, but it is not the first one I have read. I recently read the 5th book, The Dark, and decided I needed to start this series at the beginning. Some of the things mentioned in The Dark have their origins in this first book and even though I was aware of future events it didn’t spoil the story at all.

Lacey Flint is a brilliant character, she isn’t one that likes to be the centre of attention, she prefers to stand back. Not much of a chance of that with this case though. She is the one that comes across a victim, the woman has been stabbed and dies in Lacey’s arms. What sets alarm bells ringing however is a note that is sent. It is something that looks similar to the historical Jack the Ripper letters. The day of the stabbing is also the same as one of the Ripper victims.

This is a brilliant story and it was great to start this at the beginning. Knowing what I know of Lacey, it was so interesting to see her first foray into an investigation. There is however something about Lacey that doesn’t quite sit right. While she is very good at her job, she is also holding something back. As she is a loner it takes a lot for her to trust others and she can be stand-offish and abrupt at times, and also just plain stubborn.

Her past will have some part in this present case. The author has left wonderful snippets and breadcrumbs along the way and finally more of Lacey’s past will emerge. As I have read The Dark I was aware of her past, but it was great to see this storyline from the beginning of the series. It means that I have seen a progression the wrong way around but it is still a fabulous read.

The story itself is gritty and dangerous, there are many twists and red herrings. Not all the clues are obvious and not everyone lets on what they know. This makes it suspenseful and so intriguing.

This is one for those who like a darker crime thriller, it is a police procedural and it is fabulous to read. I adored this and I would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.

She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.

She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx