Now you see by Max Manning

It starts with the murder of Lauren Bishop, a young woman who dies publicly - a before and after picture splashed across the screens of users all over the world thanks to the social media power of Instagram and a clever username of @IKiller.  For Detective Chief Inspector Dan Fenton the murder is shocking, because not only did the killer take a life, they shared the murder through social media.  The Police race to shut down the account, but with anonymous emails the norm, tracking the killer themselves is going to be tricky.  When a second victim is murdered, and the death is shared through another social media platform it becomes clear that they are not dealing with an ordinary killer, they are dealing with a serial killer who is trying to engage with the world through popular social media platforms.

Lauren's former boyfriend is an obvious suspect for the murder, especially as they broke up, but he has an alibi for her murder.  That doesn't stop the Police from keeping him on the suspects list - especially when the second body, and then a third body appear.  For DCI Fenton it is the worst kind of case, not only is the killer clever and seemingly intent on taunting the Police, the killer also seems on step ahead of the Police.  As the body count continues to grow Fenton is under increasing pressure at work and at home - and as the killer becomes bolder he finds himself making choices he never thought he would make.

Now you see me is an intriguing read that raises some interesting questions for the reader - if a killer like IKiller existed would you look at the images online and become part of the story?  This is a story that could have been taken from the headlines, a shocking story of a calculating killer and the Police team that seems to be constantly one step behind - a story that challenges you to figure out what is happening before the conclusion.  This is a well crafted story with a clever premise and some very punchy chapters that keep you hooked from the first page - and one of those stories that is a nightmare to review because of the things that make the story so good are the little twists and clues dropped along the way.

If you like this book then try:

• Mercy killings by Lisa Cutts
• Cut short by Leigh Russell
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• The slaughter man by Tony Parsons
• The girl in the ice by Robert Bryndza
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
• What was mine by Helen Klein Ross
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• One step too far by Tina Seskis

Reviewed by Brilla