For my first book tour review of the day, I checked out Hedi Perk’s new novel Now You See Her. Upon reading the blurb initially, the novel put me in mind of Shari Lapena riveting thriller The Couple Next Door, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
After all, both feature the disappearance of children and the lies people tell when they’re in hot water. In the case of Now You See Me, the little girl in question is named Alice; she’s staying with her mother’s best friend and her children when she unexpectedly disappears.
Her devastated mother Harriet can’t bear to speak with or see her former friend, however, just weeks later the pair are both being questioned about the child. Lies and deceits are bought into the glaring light of day, leading both friends to question everything they thought they knew about the other.
High on suspense and quick to twist, the novel packs the narrative thrills, although at times I am not entirely convinced by the characters. Perhaps it is my own personal lack of experience with suburban mothers, but I find myself wondering if peoples’ friendships and behaviors towards each other are quite the way they are here.
That being said, the novel is definitely a page-turner, with some tense standoffs and gripping dialogue. Perk really captures the desperation through her portrayal of Alice’s mother and her unfortunate friend, and the reader is constantly on a knife-edge as they try to keep one step ahead of the narrative, which speeds away just as you feel you’ve got a grasp on what’s happening and who’s telling the truth.
Overall an gripping tale, I am impressed with Now You See Her, and am certain that, given a few weeks, the novel will be snapped up by some Hollywood studio, and Reese Witherspoon will have snagged herself a key role.
The Dorset Book Detective 