A great novel which held my interest, probably helped as it was set very close to my home. Good plot and some twists I wasn’t expecting

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

Really enjoyed this book and found it gripping. Definitely looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

This is the second book that I’ve read by Chris McGeorge and I have to say it was so much better than Guess Who. The characters were dramatic, the plot was good and it was well written.

Wow, what a way to start a mystery. Five go boating, but only one comes out on the other side? What a thrilling premise to a very well written mystery novel. I enjoyed the previous book by this talented author, and can recommend this one as well.

Oh wow this was a fantastic read !!!! It was creepy and very atmospheric. The descriptions of the tunnel made me shiver at times and I found I just couldn’t stop reading it.
It wasn’t a very long book to read so I completed it in two days which is quite fast for me. I know that this author has written more books and I will certainly be looking out for the in the near future.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in return for an honest review.

Hooked from the First Page

It seems that every single book I read is described as a 'page-turner', 'unputdownable' , few deserve the accolade, and fewer still hook me so well that I complete it in one sitting. I'm happy to report that this book was an exception.

As I write this, yesterday was Father's Day, and with my wife out of the country, I begged my kids to let me sit in the sun and read. A day of marvellous peace and quiet, with the excuse that since it's 'my' day, I can do as I please! If I'm completely honest, I wasn't actually supposed to read this book, the editor ran out of time and so threw it at me with one day to go. I'm glad she did.

The synopsis itself had me intrigued, which is once more unusual, as they're usually packed with accolades, and people clearly better read than me lauding the genius. For this book, you only need to know "six people went in, only one came out". They're talking about a canal boat, going through the country's longest tunnel, and I was fascinated.

We are introduced to Robin, an author, who had written about the disappearance of his wife. We are thrown right into the story from the very first chapter, and we have the childlike wonderment of a story told like an infinity mirror - we are both inside and outside of the story from the very first words.

The main character is wonderfully crafted as a grieving, never-give-up-hope widow who simply will not accept that he's a widow and we wander through all of his emotions as he throws himself into a story that is not his own, or so we think...Robin receives a phone-call from Matthew, currently awaiting trial for the disappearance of his five very best friends, demanding his innocence and urging Robin to help him. In exchange, Robin will get tantalising details about the disappearance of his own wife. For Robin, this gives him both hope, and as a journalist turned author, the necessary intrigue and distraction he craves to sideline his own grief.

In the last third of the book we start to time-hop, and at first I started to become very disappointed as many of the twists started to be wrapped up. Like the rest of the book though, we quickly learn that this is to leap-frog us through the rest of the story to get us to the final twists and it starts to make sense quickly why the author Chris McGeorge has done this. This is my only criticism of the book, the initial time-hop felt too abrupt, but after my initial disappointment, I quickly see why it had to be done, and it makes perfect sense.

The setting is a real town, and the spirit of the community is captured brilliantly. The characters are incredibly strong and we are drawn into the story of every single one. I have to admit that half way through I thought I had guessed one of the main plot points, and although I got it vaguely right (watch out for the group dynamic, it's critical), I was still shocked by the final turns and it was a book that kept me guessing until the very last page.

A highly recommended, genuine one-sitting-book, and a very well deserved five stars.

It was pretty good I have to say.
It was authentic, twisty, it had the salt and pepper of any good thriller.
I would recommend!

Six friends and a dog enter the Standedge canal tunnel and only one person (Matthew) and the dog exit. Matthew is accused of causing the disappearance of his five friends.

Robin Ferringham is a writer and has written about the mystery disappearance of his wife. He receives a telephone call from Matthew who needs help to prove his innocence in exchange for information about Robin's wife.

For me, this book seemed to drag and I found it confusing in the end with the tunnel entrances/exits etc.

I rate this book 2 stars 🌟🌟

Many thanks go to the author Chris McGeorge, NetGalley and the publisher Orion Publishing Group for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

Compulsive reading, this is an addictive suspenseful psychological thriller like no other.

The plot is unpredictable with lots of twists and turns along with solid engaging characters.
There is also a sense of dread as the story deals with the deep and dark corners of the human psych.

I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone!

4☆ Authentic, Twisty, Eerie Mystery Thriller!

NOW YOU SEE ME is a Twisty, Pacy, Eerie, Mystery Thriller that will draw you in from the start!

When Matthew and his Friends set off on an adventure to explore Standedge Tunnel, (which is actually real, it's one of the seven wonders of the waterways)
they could never of expected the tragedy that occurred that night when only Matthew made it out alone.

Now he faces the terrible ordeal of proving his innocence and solving the mystery of why he was the only one to make it out alive!

Matthew needs all the help he can get, so he turns to Robert.
Robert's wife also mysteriously vanished several years ago and he believes that between the two of them the might just have a chance of solving the mysterious disappearance and proving Matthew's innocence!
But just who is telling the truth? And who is trustworthy?

NOW YOU SEE ME is an Authentic, Enthralling, Pacy and Compulsive Mystery, it has perfectly plotted twists and a dark and eerie feel throughout that kept me hooked.
The Characters are complex and engaging.

If you get a chance Google Standedge Tunnel, I got breathless just looking at the pictures, so claustrophobic and to think they actually do canal boat tours through the tunnel just makes this story even more unnerving and enticing.

So if you are looking for a gripping story that will keep you guessing to the end, has an Authentic and Engrossing Storyline, that's dark and eerie in all the right places then you will love NOW YOU SEE ME!


Thank you to Compulsive Readers Tours and Orion books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Well, this was a first for me - a mystery set in a canal tunnel! Of course, the first thing I did was check Google and Standedge Tunnel does indeed exist. I wander what the tourist folk think about having a mystery set in their tunnel. Perhaps it'll encourage more visitors - I know I want to go!

Author Robin is desperate after the disappearance of his beloved wife Sam three years ago. She just seemed to disappear into thin air, without a trace. When Matthew, a young man in prison for murdering his five best friends, calls him out of the blue claiming to have spoken to Sam, he knows he must investigate further.

The local folk greet him with caution. For them it is clear - Matthew murdered his friends, who were all successful young people destined for great things. They don't , how he did it, but that doesn't seem to worry them. Only the person behind an underground online news site is willing to help him. And Robin must try to help Matthew to find out about Sam.

Robin is instantly likeable. We don't know why Sam is missing, but I couldn't imagine it was anything to do with Robin. He is clearly devastated, and more than a little lost. He can't help but cling to the hope that Matthew's words bring. But we see how strong and determined he is. The other character that stood out for me was James Sutherland, Edmund's father. Another heart breaking character. He believes different from the other parents of the 'Standedge Five' and most of the townsfolk in general, and has lost so much as a result.

The story is quite a complicated one, which was great for keeping my attention, although I have to confess to getting a bit lost with some of the engineering stuff! But it's all clearly well researched. And there are certainly some colourful characters here, some not very likeable at all.

It says on Chris' bio below that he likes 'weird and wonderful plots, with plenty of intrigue and twists.' Well, he has certainly achieved that with this! Starting with it's unusual setting and going on from there. I can't say much more for fear of giving something away, but I can say it's definitely weird, wonderful, twisty and intriguing! I didn't see anything coming, although I always knew everything wasn't quite as it seemed. It's also very dark in places, and very emotional in others. I'm very much looking forward to reading more by Chris McGeorge.

Six people went in. Only one came out...

Introducing Standedge Tunnel: the longest canal tunnel in England.

Last year six students went in but two and a half hours later, the boat reappeared on the other side with only one of the students, unconscious, and the dog.

The case of the Strangeedge Six was largely kept from the national media. The police investigation concluded that the only remaining student Matthew killed his friends, hid the bodies on the boat and returned later to move them to an undisclosed location.

Matthew is in prison....but maintains he is innocent.

Robert Ferringham is grieving for his missing wife, Sam. So when Matthew contacts him for help with the case, promising information on Sam, Robert has no choice but to help. But can he trust Matthew?

And how will he solve the insolvable case?

Well.........I absolutely loved this book by Chris, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, a very clever book full of mystery, doubt, thrills and spills with a bit of eeriness thrown into the mix and not knowing who to trust but once you read the blurb you'll be sucked in like I was. I would even go as far as to say I'd love to see this been made into a TV series. I don't want to say too much about this I case I may say something but buckle up for this ride and let's hope you don't have claustrophobia or a fear of tunnels.

Ashamedly I have his first book Guess Who here too which I will get around to reading as soon as I'm finished a few books for blog tours but after reading Now You See Me, I'm really looking forward to it.

Oh my… This is the first book I have read by Chris McGeorge and I must say I am very impressed. Now You See Me is a cleverly written and plotted story. It has a massive, unexpected, in your face twist. True shocker. It is gripping, thrilling, fast paced, mysterious and a real page turner which I easily devoured.

This book pulls you in from the start with that unexpected phone call is how it all begins… Can Robert and Matthew work together to solve each others mysteries?

Now I’ve seen a lot of the other bloggers have actually researched into the tunnels involved in this book, I haven’t but I will be sure too. Many bloggers have said claustrophobic and they wouldn’t go in the tunnels themselves. A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend. One you are bound to enjoy. A real mystery to solve. A puzzle.

Ooooh where do I start? Firstly I love a mystery and NOW YOU SEE ME certainly is a mystery. Secondly I love originality and once again NOW YOU SEE me is original both in the setting and the storyline.

Robin Ferringham is our main narrator. He is a grieving husband whose beloved wife Sam disappeared without a trace 3 years ago. He has written a book about her disappearance and is currently at a book signing when he receives a phone call from an unknown number.

Matthew is a young man currently in prison accused of killing his 5 best friends on a canal boat whilst travelling through Standedge – the longest canal tunnel in the UK. He maintains his innocence and contacts Robin to help him as he claims he has information about Sam which he will share if Robin looks into his case.

NOW YOU SEE ME is a fast paced thriller, guaranteed to keep the reader on their toes and turning those pages pretty quickly. I’m not an armchair detective and very rarely work out who/why/where and NOW YOU SEE ME kept me guessing right up until the big reveal.

It’s a really thrilling atmospheric and cleverly plotted story with some wonderful characters. Add in the creepy and claustrophobic setting of the longest canal tunnel and this kept me hooked until the final page.

If you have read Chris’ first book GUESS WHO you will spot a couple of references scattered in the book which always makes me smile …. it’s like a little in-joke with his fans. Definitely recommended.

Now You See Me is the kind of story I love. An apparently impossible mystery to solve, filled with intrigue and suspense, this is a book that kept me gripped from beginning to end. It’s like a cross between Jonathan Creek and Without a Trace, only in book form rather than on TV, which is the perfect combination for me as I loved both!

So what did happen to the Standedge Five? And how could six people go into the longest canal tunnel in England, but only one come out? Now Matthew has been charged with their murder and has asked for the help of Robin Ferringham, who is grieving for his missing wife, Sam. Matthew claims to have information on Sam, so Robin feels he has no choice but to help. But will he live to regret his decision? Or will he finally get the answers he is looking for? And what really did happen that night in Standedge tunnel?

What follows is a brilliant and eerie mystery thriller, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout. I connected with Robin and his story from the outset, feeling his desperation as he tries to find out what happened in the Standedge tunnel, all the time hoping that he will finally learn the truth about Sam’s disappearance.

As he gets closer to the truth, Robin begins to fear for his own life, the sense of danger and foreboding becoming more and more intense as we hurtle towards the surprising and devastating denouement.

Chris McGeorge has written a fantastic mystery thriller that once started I could not put down. It took me on a rollercoaster ride of intrigue and suspense, the story moving along at a cracking pace and the sense of danger building with every page.

A tense and moving book that took some unexpected twists and turns along the way, with a likeable protagonist who you couldn’t help but root for. The village of Marsden and the claustrophobic atmosphere of Standedge Tunnel were brought so vividly to life it actually felt like I was there. It wasn’t a place I’d heard of before, but after looking it up online it looks so intriguing that I’d love to visit there some time in the future.

A highly entertaining read that I would recommend.

I was quite excited to read Now You See Me, it sounded different and intriguing and like a book that I would enjoy reading.

The story focuses on Robin, a man who thought he was happily married until one day his wife disappeared. Years went by and he heard nothing about his wife until one day he got a phone call from a man in prison who said he had information about his wife.

Of course it wasn’t going to be so simple, he would only give the information in exchange for Robin helping him prove his innocence to a crime that he insists he did not commit.

Without pausing to think things through Robin went straight to Standedge, the town that Matthew was from and where the crime was meant to have happened. It doesn’t take long for Robin to discover that the town is still reeling from the crime and are suspicious of anyone asking about it.

But driven to find out what really happened in the Standedge canal so he can get the information he so desperately wants. This desperation gets him into a fair bit of trouble

I have to admit that I hadn’t heard about Standedge and the incredibly long canal tunnel that takes two hours to pass through, but having Googled some photos and read this book, I am pretty sure that I wouldn’t want to go on a boat tour through the tunnel! It certainly looks creepy and so provides the perfect setting for this spooky story.

It is definitely a tense read, and one that kept me guessing throughout. The writing is very atmospheric and I could visualise the tunnel and nearby village well. Would I want to visit the area having read the book? Hell no!

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Guess Who, the highly successful 2018 debut novel by author Chris McGeorge, I was delighted to receive a review copy of his new book, Now You See Me.

The blurb immediately captured my imagination - six students enter Standedge canal tunnel on a boat but only one emerges at the other end. What happened to the other five? No trace was ever found. The police conclude that lone survivor Matthew McConnell murdered his friends and somehow disposed of their bodies.

Two years after his wife's disappearance, Robin (Robert) Ferringham receives a phone call out of the blue from McConnell, who is currently on remand in New Hall prison. He claims Robin's wife Samantha asked him to make the call. Believing him to be a nutter, Robin almost slams the phone down. But then McConnell divulges information only Samantha would know and Robin is forced to accept that something very strange is going on. What really happened to the Standedge Five and how is Samantha connected? Robin needs to know the truth and sets off to the tunnel to solve the mystery.

What an addictive and absorbing read this turned out to be! Chris McGeorge certainly knows how to write a suspenseful and utterly gripping, twisty thriller. I was 'in the zone' from the outset. Just how could five people vanish into thin air? Were supernatural forces at work? Did Scotty beam them up!? Throughout the book I couldn't help but imagine all kinds of scenarios. Throw in a tight-knit community with plenty of secrets to hide and you know there's going to be trouble ahead.

If you get the opportunity to read Now You See Me, I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to seeing what Chris McGeorge conjures up next.

Oww yes, the whole idea of Now You See Me is so finger-licking good! Six went in, one came out... Abracadabra! Can it get any more intriguing than that? Why yes, believe it or not, it totally can. The start of the novel alone is filled with enough riddles and unexplained references to make your head spin. After the first two chapters I already had a million questions and I knew I was in for quite an adventure.

The main character is Robin, an author (woo!) who wrote a novel about his missing wife Sam(antha). He's left behind with many questions but then he receives a phone call from a total stranger who claims that Sam called him. Robin doesn't know why she would do that, or who the man is, but he doesn't doubt that she did. It's his only chance to find out more about his missing wife so he grabs the opportunity with both hands and sets out to meet the man at prison who promised to give him info about Sam if he helps to prove his innocence. I can't tell you which mystery is the most intriguing, both turn out to be very challenging.

I'm a real sucker for locked room mysteries and I found 'Guess Who' one of the best novels in the genre (I also listed it in my favorites 2018). I was more than excited to read Now You See Me and he really didn't disappoint with his second novel. The author used an original variation on the theme this time, it's not a locked room but a canal, and it works brilliantly too. It had the same feel for me and I was really on board too, I could easily imagine that dark, menacing tunnel and found my detective skills seriously lacking.

I try very hard not to compare Now You See Me to the author's debut novel but I think I still prefer the first one ever so slightly because the background story in that one touched me just a little bit more. I did feel a strong emotion at one point in this novel too, shock and horror more precisely, but overall I was more occupied following Robin's investigation than I was feeling things. It really was a baffling mystery and it was explained so well and so convincingly that there really didn't seem any possibilities left. And yet, there is ;-). I was quite dumbstruck in the end, not only when I found out how they disappeared but especially the big lead-up to their disappearance.

The author took his time for the big reveal and took me down a long and twisty road which took a while, but then it all became so exciting that I read through the final 30% of the novel in a big rush! Everything was tied together, it all suddenly made sense and it was sooo good!

Chris McGeorge has the title of a Mission Impossible-author from now on for me. I can't wait to see which new and exciting conundrum he will cook up in his next novel. I'm a fan!