Reviewed by annieb123 on
Now You See Them is the 5th mystery in a series by Elly Griffiths. Released 3rd Dec 2019 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
I've enjoyed all the previous books in this series as well as the author's other series. This one is a little different. It's set 10 years after the occurrences in book 4, with Max back in England for a funeral after moving to Hollywood. When a local girl goes missing, his friend Inspector Stephens (now a Superintendent) is drawn into the case along with his (the inspector's) wife, a former detective sergeant.
This is (as all her other books) an intricately plotted, technically adept book. It's a large ensemble cast and I wonder if it might be difficult to keep track of the characters if the reader weren't already familiar with the earlier books. I'm not sure how well this one would read as a standalone. The plot is certainly self contained, and the denouement is satisfying, but I think I would've had difficulties sorting out the characters' interrelationships if this were my introduction to the series. That being said, this is a supremely entertaining read and I heartily recommend it.
I like the nostalgia aspect. There aren't that many series set in that time period (post WW2 up to the 60s) with the same light humor, intrigue, and show business/magic circuit characters.
Five stars, but I'd read the others in the series first.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 7 December, 2019: Reviewed