Now You See Me by Jean Bedford

[Jax14]

This is a suspense/thriller novel aimed at adults due to the graphic violence descriptions.

As a journalist, Noel has read her fair share of violent police reports. A suspect has just been arrested for the abuse and murder of his step-daughter, but something seems off to Noel. The evidence just fits too neatly. On a hunch she combs through similar cases and finds what she thinks is a pattern. Can she convince the police that a serial killer is on the loose and that so many other closed cases may have convicted the wrong suspects?

This story really hits you in the gut. Journal entries are scattered throughout the book by the actual killer, and you shudder as the person recounts the abuse they suffered as a child and the ramifications from it. The clues throughout the book point you to a certain person in a group of friends who were previously at university together, and as you think you are joining the dots in your mind, you are pointed in another direction. The idea behind the story is interesting in that we as a society are prepared to believe the worst about someone based on their previous deeds. The level of abuse on so many of these children, so graphically described, was horrific. Horrific to think that this happens every day and people get away with it.

I didn't enjoy the amount of editing mistakes-misspelled words and lack of spaces between words cropped up constantly.

It's a difficult book to read as it deals with a lot of taboo, but makes you realise that sometimes we put on blinkers against the evil in the world and we actually need to stand up for the victims. A well-written book where the ending will leave you feeling very uneasy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review.