Thanks to Netgalley and Orion for a copy of Now You See Me for an honest review.

I found Chris George’s first novel “ Guess Who “ so enjoyable and absorbing that I’ve recommended it to many.
Perhaps because I’d been anticipating reading””Now you see me “ it had a lot to live up to. I was intrigued by the book description of unexplained disappearances and suspense.
I enjoyed the first half of the book but found the latter part to be quite far fetched, a little rushed and a bit confusing.
An ok read but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations

My thanks to Tracy Fenton for the invitation to take part in the tour and to Orion for providing a copy of the book to review via Netgalley.

One of the first things I did when I started reading this book was to Google ‘Standedge Tunnel’ located in Huddersfield. Oh my goodness, just looking at the images of the inside of the tunnel was scary enough. I did look at one You Tube video of a time lapse journey of the full 2+ hours and there is no way you would get me in that tunnel even for a few minutes.

Author Robin Ferringham’s wife Sam has been missing for 3 years. He has had a book published about Sam and dealing with his loss, and it is at a book signing that he first has contact from Matthew McConnell, in prison awaiting trial accused of killing 5 of his friends during a canal boat journey in the tunnel. Matthew says he has information about Sam if Robin will help him. Against his better judgement and because he is desperate for any information, Robin feels compelled to help him prove his innocence and travels to Standedge.

This is one of those mysteries where the impossible appears to have happened, the police are convinced that Matthew killed and somehow disposed of his friends because despite extensive searches there can be no other answer. They have never been found. If the authorities can’t find any other solution how on earth can an inexperienced man like Robin be expected to fare any better?

Robin’s determination to find out what really happened drives him on, despite the local community making it quite clear that he is not welcome, in particular the local Chief of Police, who happens to be the father of two of the missing victims. Some of the locals are quite intimidatory and very unwelcoming however he does have some help although not everyone is as they appear to be and I was never quite sure who was trustworthy as they all seemed to have their own agenda. Robin is a likeable main character and I was so hoping that he would find the answers he was seeking.

This book had me from the beginning and I didn’t want to put it down. The story moves along at quite a pace and as it progresses, you form a clearer picture of what the characters involved are really like. You do get the full story from all sides and it’s not always a pretty one.

That closed community feeling comes across very well, almost like a ‘Wicker Man’ vibe and I had absolutely no idea which way the story was going. There are times, especially towards the end when you have to suspend belief just a little but the story is an intriguing one with well-crafted characters around a suspenseful mystery filled with secrets and lies. I enjoyed it very much.

Intriguing, fresh, and eerily tense, NOW YOU SEE ME by Chris McGeorge is the perfect read to curl up on the couch with on a dark evening and get lost in the mystery.

Matthew McConnell is in trouble. Himself and his friends went into a tunnel but only Matthew emerged. The police and the town are convinced that Matthew is a killer even though there seem to be so many unanswered questions. Matthew needs help so he reaches out to Robin, an author whose wife disappeared three years ago. A man whom he was told that he could trust.

Robin's book may be a success but he is struggling with life ever since his beautiful wife disappeared. When he receives a phone call from Matthew begging for his help, he is ready to ignore it as a crank call. Until Matthew mentions Sam, his wife. How does this stranger know so much about Sam? Could he be the missing link in finding her? And as Robin delves into Matthew's case who knows what secrets may come to the surface.

NOW YOU SEE ME by Chris McGeorge is the kind of story that lures you into the mystery and gets you fascinated with the characters just as quickly. With some twists and turns along the way, the drama and questions are deftly handled and I enjoyed the journey of the story even though I wasn't always surprised by it.

NOW YOU SEE ME by Chris McGeorge is an appealing thriller and I found it entertaining from start to finish.

Now you see me is a perfectly paced tantalizingly distorted thriller that will have you sitting tensly on the edge of your seat as it delivers a cleverly unravelling storyline with firework revelations and spine chilling narratives.

Thriller fans would love this read, speckled with a ‘who dunnit’ theme, as well as cleverly entailing multi-plots. Just don’t start it at bedtime because it will not help if you have an early morning the next day!

Having thoroughly enjoyed Chris McGeorge‘s debut, Guess Who, I was delighted to be able to join the tour for Now You See Me.

The premise is fantastic and I really liked the set-up: having Robin – and his own mystery – as our lead character gave the book a great structure. The story has surprising twists and turns and, at each possible point, Chris McGeorge took the plot in a direction I could not have predicted.

I sympathised with Robin and I was intrigued by his sad tale and gripped by the unique central mystery. It is a completely compelling set up and you do get swept away by Chris McGeorge‘s descriptions of the creepiness of the location and the small-town-with-secrets vibe. The plot keeps you reading and you really do want some answers. When they come, they are pretty heartbreaking.

The ending is clever but, personally, I was not convinced by the motivation and/or need for the actions described (being deliberately vague here) and a couple of the reveals at the end felt a little flat, rushed or unexplored.

Really though I am only being picky and this is another great and original mystery thriller from Chris McGeorge. I highly recommend it as a thoroughly readable caper, and am really keen to see what he writes next.

This is the first book that I have read by Chris McGeorge but it won’t be the last! I absolutely loved this “locked room” thriller. In place of a locked room we have a long, creepy AF, claustrophobic tunnel; Standedge Tunnel in Marsden, West Yorkshire to be precise which is Britain’s longest, deepest, highest canal tunnel and one of the seven wonders of the waterways. Since reading Now You See Me I’ve added this attraction to my list of local places to visit – fingers crossed the rest of my family see it through to the other side!

The novel revolves around the case of The Standedge Six – six students entered the tunnel, two and a half hours later the boat reappeared on the other side with only one of the students on board, unconscious. The remaining student Matthew is immediately under suspicion, the police investigation concludes that he killed his friends, hid their bodies and returned later to move them but Matthew insists he is innocent. In desperation he reaches out to Robert Ferringham, a man who is grieving for his missing wife, Sam. Matthew contacts Robert for help with his case on the promise of revealing information about Sam.

Now You See Me is a book of many layers involving friends, secrets and lies. I was gripped the whole time that I was reading and didn’t predict any of the reveals. The small town mentality of the locals really adds to the tension; they are loathe to rake up the murky events and resent Robert’s appearance. The truth when it is revealed is jaw dropping, to say any more would spoil your enjoyment so just go read it!

Highly recommend!

Right well, do I start? Do I talk about a twist I did not see coming? How the story was exquisite and the writing gripped me? How I was so drawn into Robin and Matthews plight to find out the truth? How did one person survive the most claustrophobic ordeal?

Now You See Me absolutely blew me away! I had no idea where this story was going until I got to the point the “story” was unfurling and then I was like OMFG!! How did I not see this!! The premise for this story was so claustrophobic in the Standedge tunnels! I have been googling the tunnels and as much as I am freaked out I want to visit them! I loved the setting, I loved the twists and turns, I love how the obvious really was not obvious (don’t worry it’s not a spoiler alert)

This is an introduction to McGeorge for me, and already I want to catch up with Guess Who and I am dying for a follow up to Now You See Me. Maybe the Red Door and Sally could have a feature! I think so!

This story then, Robin who is not ready to accept that his missing wife Sam could have left, or worst. Given a lifeline, is it one he can trust? Does someone know what might have happened that fateful night she disappeared? Matthew, heeding Robin to help him, but is he as innocent as he protests? I spent half the book wondering what the hell was going on and the other half wondering how I didn’t know what the hell was going on!! It just had me completely enthralled and I didn’t want to stop reading it!

The close-knit community is always one that fascinates me. I love stories set like that, and this one emphasised how close-knit this was. Even though the Standedge five were missing presumed dead, they wanted to move on with their lives and regain composure in the community and not to become a circus. However, with outside influences this is not the case, everyone is heavily invested in the outcome of this case, and some not for the right reasons.

I really can not express how exceptional I found the writing and the plotline to be. Upon reflection, I can’t believe I missed everything shown to me right in my face. I took the book for face value and enjoyed the ride. How wrong was I not to scratch more of the surface to see what was shown to me!

I really do recommend this to everyone it! I found myself pacing through the book rapidly and then when the intensity and the actions died down for a bit I took a breath before I became rampant at reading this book again! How the author describes the surroundings and the tunnels really drives home how claustrophobic it is, how dangerous it is but also how magical these tunnels could be in the right hands. Seriously, please go and read this!

Have you read Guess Who? I did, I read it last year and I loved it and since then I have been waiting for a new novel by Chris McGeorge. Once again, he proved he can masterfully create a plot so intricate and full of twists that I didn’t figure out what really happened and who was guilty until it was all revealed. At the center of the story is Robert Ferringham. He is an author and journalist who is looking for one thing: the truth. The truth about what really happened to the woman he loved and the truth about the mysterious case of five students who disappeared into thin air while crossing a tunnel on a boat while Matthew, the only one to come out of the tunnel, is accused of having killed them and hidden their bodies. Can solving the case of the Standedge Six really lead Robert to discover what happened to his wife?

NOW YOU SEE ME is gripping, beautifully written, and sinister. There were moments that kept me on the edge of my seat, moments where I said “I knew it!”, moments when I I thought “this is such a fantastic twist!”, and some emotional moments when the author explores in details the different levels of grief and how people react differently to losing someone they love.

The characters feel very realistic, some likable, others not so much, but all perfectly crafted and well-developed. Add a self-paced and addictive plot, a dark atmosphere that creeped me out and gave me goose bumps, and a small town setting where everyone is keeping secrets and I can honestly tell you that NOW YOU SEE ME is a fabulous page-turner!

Now You See Me is the first book I've read by Chris McGeorge. I do own Guess Who and plan to read it (hopefully soon). What appealed to me about this book was the fabulous blurb. What happened to the five people that went into the tunnel and then disappeared? Matthew was the only one that got out of the tunnel (and the dog Amy), but he says that he doesn't know what happened to them and he was unconscious. Not that the police believe him. Now he needs a miracle and what he does is reaching out to Robert Ferringham. Robert has also lost someone mysteriously. His wife disappeared some years ago. And, now Robert gets the first clue to what happened to her. Because Matthew knows something about Robert wife Sam. Could Robert find out the truth about what happened to Sam, and will he help free Matthew?

I LOVE reading mystery books and Now You See Me felt like just my kind of book. Missing people and a village that has pretty much condemned Matthew, despite no bodies ever found and lacking evidence of him being the murderer. Why is everyone so hellbent on it just being Matthew, especially the police chief? And, who is the young woman that is stalking Robert? Personally, I liked the first of the book the best, when everything was still a mystery. And everyone in the village was introduced as Robert tried to figure out whom to trust. As for the ending, well I found that part less interesting and sadly not that thrilling. And, I think it's because I just felt that I had hoped to be truly surprised. I was not shocked about the truth's that were revealed. Rather, it felt pretty much logical how it all was connected. You know "aha" kind of moments followed by "that makes sense". Yes, it's a satisfying ending, no loose threads. I just can't help wish that had been some really surprising twist. However, I read a lot of thrillers and mystery books and I feel nowadays that it's hard to be surprised. I do recommend reading the book and I look forward to reading Guess Who and see if that book will rock my socks!

I was intrigued about this novel immediately after reading the synopsis. There is nothing that would make me go through a tunnel like this. But I love to read about them, to imagine that I am brave enough to go in.

I hadn’t read the authors debut novel so didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t expect to read a book that was both creepy and full of intrigue, hatred towards somebody trying to find out the truth but also hatred towards the five whose bodies had never been found.

The small town personalities were perfect. Outsiders regarded with suspicion, people who lived there thriving on gossip or secrecy and a few who were afraid to say what they really thought.

I suspected many and had plenty of theories about who was responsible and why. Some outlandish, some sinister. Most incorrect.

A great story with some fascinating characters, including the sheep, and a brilliant set up.

Now You See Me by Chris McGeorge

Standedge Tunnel is the longest canal tunnel in England. It’s something of a tourist attraction in the summer and one season tour guide Matthew took his five friends into the tunnel. Six went in and only five came out. Matthew was found unconscious on the boat, no trace of the other five was found. So what happened to the Standedge Five? The local police chief has a good idea. He’s the father of two of the missing people and he’s adamant that Matthew killed them and everyone agrees with him. But when author and former journalist Robert Ferringham receives a call from Matthew, begging for his help, strangely suggesting he has a message from Robert’s wife who is herself missing, Robert feels compelled to go to Standedge to find answers. Because, while everyone is convinced that Matthew is the killer, not one person can explain how how he did it.

I loved Chris McGeorge’s thriller Guess Who and so I grabbed the chance to read Now You See Me. This author is proving himself to be the master of irresistible plots, puzzles and tension. Now You See Me Has such a fantastic premise. It’s almost like the locked room concept – someone is murdered in a room but no-one could have got in – but, instead of a room we have a creepy, black tunnel that takes hours to travel through on a boat, and which, rumour has it, is haunted. Robert tries to stare into the darkness through the gate that locks the tunnel away through the winter and he is terrified. There are parts of this novel that are genuinely frightening.

The thriller’s setting is excellent. It’s set in a small community, where most people congregate in the pub and/or in the church. Many people have been affected by the tragedy in the tunnel and nobody wants to talk about it, even while they grieve. The Standedge Five, all students, are almost regarded as saints, as the best that this village could offer to the world. The anger towards Matthew is palpable. And here’s Robert stirring things up. I did enjoy Robert’s character. He suffers moments of excruciating embarrassment but this soon turns into something much worse. Plus there’s the fact that he’s haunted by his missing wife. Robert is in limbo every bit as much as the parents of the missing students are. He’s a sympathetic character and we warm to him.

I must admit that I thought the novel would progress in a different way to the one in which it did and this did rather affect my reading of the second half of the book but, clearly, this is my problem! While I did find elements of the novel a little implausible, and I questioned some characters’ behaviour, I was thoroughly entertained by Now You See Me and I think that the character of Robert Ferringham is drawn so beautifully. The author is also a master of creating atmosphere and the menace of the tunnel is a brilliant concept. I look forward to reading anything that Chris McGeorge writes in the future. He’s now one of those whose novels will go straight to the top of the pile.

Other review
Guess Who

A big thank you to Tracy Fenton, the publisher and Netgalley for issuing me with my review copy of the book and for inviting me to participate on the blog tour.

I was really eager to read this book and I'm glad to see it didn't disappoint! I absolutely loved the premise of this book as it sounded like the type of book that was just up my street. How can six people seemingly disappear......in a tunnel?!

We are introduced to Robert Ferringham who is still trying to cope and process the disappearance of his wife and has written a book about his grief. He is in a state of limbo but this all changes when he receives a mysterious telephone call from someone who claims to be able to help him. The mysterious caller is however in prison and maybe not the most reliable of people to help Robert. As Robert gets more involved with Matthew, he becomes interested and almost obsessed with what happened to Matthew and the Standedge Six.

Chris McGeorge has written an absolutely gripping tale of mystery, deceit and everything inbetween. I became completely invested in Robert and his mission and loved that is wasn't a predictable story. The storyline veered off in a direction I wasn't expecting and I raced through trying to figure out what had really happened. The author is so good at misdirection, mainly with his characters and kept me guessing until the end. I kept changing my opinion which he has cleverly hoped to do!

The setting of the book is suitably creepy and fits in with the storyline perfectly. The closed village and its residents with their secrets really adds to the atmosphere and you really pick up on the animosity that Robert feels.

I'm really eager to read what Chris McGeorge has in store for us next!

Having enjoyed McGeorge's debut, Guess Who, a thriller he wrote for a university thesis I was excited to read this, his follow-up and it met my expectations perfectly. He is fast becoming a master of the locked room or impossible crime subgenre where it seems there can only be a finite number of possibilities yet they somehow still don't fit. His books definitely have the touch of the Golden Age of Crime and classic mystery writers such as MC Beaton and Agatha Christie, so if you enjoy detective fiction with less of the brutality and gore and more about the mystery and investigation then this is a fantastic option for you.

There are twists and turn-y surprises aplenty and complex, elaborate plotting you can tell has been well thought out. It's an intelligent read with an underlying menace running the entirety and a real sense of creeping claustrophobia. Although it's really more of a plot-driven mystery the characters' development is not neglected - they are an engaging cast with intriguing backstories. Now You See Me is highly unpredictable with a conclusion that will make sense to you but only in retrospect; I read a tonne in this genre and even I didn't guess the outcome. Simply superb! McGeorge knows how to take a classic mystery type plot and add his own unique spin on it. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

This was a very elaborate and thrilling mystery. Quite a good read and I would happily read more by this author.

Another twisty mystery from Chris McGeorge who's debut was one of my favourite books of last year. 

Now You See Me has the benefit of some beautifully intelligent plotting, executed brilliantly with a huge dose of creepiness and a tendency to cause claustrophobia. The characters are highly engaging, this author is fast becoming a true genius of the locked room mystery. Well in this case creepy canal mystery but still highly unpredictable with that "ohhhh THAT'S what happened" outcome where it all makes sense but you'd never have guessed it.

I loved it. Agatha Christie given a run for her money. 

Recommended

This was a very well plotted mystery thriller. From the outset I was drawn in and did not want to put it down.!

Chris McGeorge has taken the “locked room” mystery and run with it! After the twists and turns of Guess Who, he returns with another seemingly impossible mystery to solve when six young people go through the longest canal tunnel in the UK. It takes 2 and a half hours to complete their journey but when the boat emerges at the other side, only one remains onboard. Divers and crime scene investigators can’t find any trace of the missing friends so obviously the survivor is about to go to jail for their murder. But if he killed them how did he do it? And more importantly, how did he dispose of the bodies in a way that leaves no clues. Could one man do away with 5 people on his own? It’s up to author Robin Ferringham to save Matthew McConnell from jail! Yes I know this sounds like a very odd choice of detective for such a high profile case! But when Robin gets a call from Matthew, he’s intrigued enough due to a personal connection to head straight to the scene of the crime.

I have to admit to being totally flummoxed by Now You See Me! So when the twisty tale finally delivered its payoff, I was shocked to my core. Chris McGeorge has very cleverly taken an impossible situation and woven a brilliantly gripping storyline around it. Matthew and his friends weren’t a particularly likeable or interesting bunch of characters so it’s to the credit of the author that I remained as invested as I was in the mystery of their disappearance. Robin I found much more interesting especially due to his background story plus we all love an author don’t we?!

The “locked room” mystery seems to be enjoying a revival at the moment and Chris McGeorge is certainly one of the best creators of the genre out there at the moment. His books are incredibly addictive and difficult to put down so if you have the sort of brain that enjoys solving puzzles then this is definitely the book for you.

Now You See Me is a mystery wrapped in a conundrum.

Firstly the plot is well constructed. It will keep you engaged and guessing. Throughout the book, you are unsure who Richard should trust. Every person he interacts with has there own motive. It is interesting in the end to find out who he could trust.



The only issue I had with the story is that 2 of the people went missing father is a Detective Chief Inspector. DCI Claypath is involved in the case and has access to Matthew the prisoner. The person he believes killed his children. In real life, this would not happen. Claypath relationship with the victim would mean his removal from the case. Every time he appeared and talked about the case, it pulled me away from the story as all I could think is that this wouldn't happen.



Now You See me contains little easter eggs that mention the case and show featured in Guess Who. You don't have to read Guess Who, but it did make me smile seeing them.

Finally, if you like interesting crime thriller mystery I would advise picking up Now You See Me.

My rating for, Now You See Me is 3.8 out of 5.

Now You See Me is an addictive page-turner by Chris McGeorge. We meet Robin, a struggling writer who has just released his new memoir about how he has coped with the disappearance of his wife. While at a book signing he receives an anonymous call from a man claiming to have had contact with his wife, a man who is in prison, about to be put on trial for the murder of five people. He is desperate for Robin’s help, and Robin can’t help but be drawn into the mysterious situation. But why would his wife contact a soon to be convicted criminal and not him? Why is this man so desperate for Robin’s help?

Right from the opening, I had questions that I needed to know the answers to. Who was the man who called Robin? Would Robin agree to help him? Chris McGeorge has created an utterly brilliant mystery to follow. I love a mystery where the spotlight shines on a small group of people, in this case, the Standedge five. You know that someone knows the answers to what happened to them the day they went missing in the tunnel, and I kept questioning if the police did, in fact, have the right person.

There’s a claustrophobic feeling as Robin gets closer and closer to the truth and he can sense the residents of the town where the five went missing from, becoming angrier and angrier. They are keen to put the case to bed. The person responsible for the crime was found. They don’t want anyone raking it up again. I really wanted to know if there was anything that the people in the town were hiding, especially those who were closest to the case.

This is the first book I’ve read by Chris McGeorge, and it won’t be my last. Full of mystery and suspense and with a cast of characters who will keep you gripped, this is a really good read; I flew through it. You won’t be disappointed.

Well I do love a good thriller or mystery, and having read the blurb for this book I knew it was one that was going to get me all intrigued. I wasn't wrong. And the best thing about this story is that it is set in a real place, somewhere that, should you be so inclined, you can go and visit and therefore understand just how the twisted mystery that unfurls in these pages came to be.

Robin Ferringham, our main protagonist in this story, is a writer. His book, dedicated to his wife Sam who had gone missing a while before this story begins, is doing moderately well, but is well known enough that when he receives a call from someone who says that his wife has asked him to pass on a message, he could easily dismiss it as a crank. But the man, Matthew, knowns something that no-one but his wife could have known, something Robin has never made public. Matthew wants his help, proving his innocence in the disappearance and suspected murder of his closest friends. Robin is a reluctant participant in investigation but perhaps helping Matthew will bring him closer to discovering what happened after his wife left home for a work trip but never came back.

This book, for me, had a perfect balance of mystery, atmosphere and intrigue, alongside characters that you could never quite fully trust. Of all of them, Robin is the only one with pure motive. Even the police in this story are on the shady side, the Chief being the father of two of the missing people. Everyone that Robin speaks to is holding something back, adamant that Matthew is the only person who could have been responsible for the disappearance of his friends, and each time Robin butts up against a new brick wall it just adds to the suspense.

I loved the setting for this book, the countries longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel, Standedge. Running parallel to road and rail tunnels, you do get that kind of sense of claustrophobia as you read, the feeling of people being swallowed up by the one end with the chance of never making it out the other side. It is prime for folklore and legend, for tales told by small children and dares that are only for the strongest of spirit amongst them. Even regular travellers are accompanied by vans so that if they suffer a panic attack during the 2.5 hour trip between the two ends of the tunnel. It's one of those. I could really feel the walls of the tunnel closing in on the few forays inside that Robin managed to achieve during the story, the author doing a brilliant job of creating setting, if not necessarily selling it as a great tourist destination for those afraid of the dark. Creepy and atmospheric, it gave the story a real edge, as well as a kind of howdunnit angle as the alleged incident seemed almost impossible.

The characterisations in this book were great. From Robin, who was both scared but determined, his protective sister who would rather he stayed safe at home, through to the many locals who would also rather he returned nome and let sleeping dogs lie, the author really brought them all to life. You got that sense of the closed community, the grieving families, the friendships which have been torn apart. I particularly liked the character of Sally, the woman who runs 'The Red Door', a website dedicated to unmasking coverups and conspiracy which persuades Robin that it may pay to visit Matthew and hear what he has to say. She is no nonsense and quirky, a real computer nerd, but very likeable and a good counter to Robin's nervous uncertainty.

It is only really later on in the book that you get to understand the nature of the friendship between the six who entered the tunnel that fateful night, but the way in which the story is fed to the reader is spot on, keeping me hooked and focused right to the end. The ending may surprise a little, but it does fit and with clues dotted throughout the story, all obvious with the benefit of hindsight, you may pick up on what is happening before the big reveal. It is still a very enjoyable story, one that I found myself completely caught up in.

A kind of locked room mystery, but a tunnel, atmospheric, full of lies, secrecy and threat, that hid the truth from everyone in plain sight. It reminded me of the Kiefer Sutherland film, The Vanishing. Edgy and laced with superstition and suspense, it is sure to keep mystery fans very happy from first page to last. Definitely recommended.