Book Review: Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton

Despite her life-long fascination with the infamous Jack the Ripper, young London policewoman Lacey Flint has never worked a murder case or seen a corpse up close. Until now...

As she arrives at her car one evening, Lacey is horrified to find a woman slumped over the door. She has been brutally stabbed, and dies in Lacey's arms. 

Thrown headlong into her first murder hunt, Lacey will stop at nothing to find this savage killer.

But when Lacey receives a familiar letter, written in blood, pre-fixed Dear Boss and hand-delivered, it is clear that a Ripper copycat is at large. And one who is fixated on Lacey herself.

Can this inexperienced detective outwit a killer whose role model has never been found?

I read S.J. Bolton's last book Sacrifice for The Great Transworld Crime Caper and loved it so I jumped at the chance to review her latest one.
Now You See Me follows Lacey Flint who is first on the scene at a viscous murder. Feeling as though she could have done more, Lacey throws herself into the investigation. She had no idea just how much she would become involved, she receives a letter pre-fixed Dear Boss and realises that they have a Jack the Ripper copycat on their hands.
Dana Tullock is heading up the investigation and takes Lacey under her wing. The pressure is on Dana as the bodies start piling up and the finger is pointed at police incompetency. DI Mark Joesbury is helping with the investigation , the tension between him and Lacey is palpable and when it becomes clear that Lacey is a target, it only intensifies.
The police believe that the killer is copying the pattern of Jack the Ripper but then events happen out of sequence or have the wrong hallmarks. How are they meant to draw comparisons between the present and a Victorian serial killer whose identity has never been revealed?
S.J. Bolton does not hold back in her descriptions of the murder victims and this makes for gritty and extremely realistic reading. You could feel how terrified these victims were, just like those murdered by Jack the Ripper.
There is a delicious twist at the end of the book that I didn't see coming at all and I love it when that happens. I can't recommend this book enough, Now You See Me has murder, suspense, sexual tension, drama, blood and guts. I really enjoyed the Jack the Ripper element as it had clearly been well researched and executed
Now You See Me kept me up late into the night and I can't wait for S.J. Bolton's next offering.

Many thanks to the lovely people at Transworld for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now.

Book Review: Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton

Moving to remote Shetland has been unsettling enough for consultant surgeon Tora Hamilton, even before the gruesome discovery she makes one rain-drenched afternoon...
Deep in the peat soil of her field she uncovers the body of a young woman. The heart has been removed, and marks etched into the skin bear an eerie resemblance to carvings Tora has seen in her own cellar.
But as Tora begins to ask questions, terrifying threats start rolling in like the cold island mists...

This is the first book that I have read for The Great Transworld Crime Caper and it's been a brilliant start. S.J. Bolton grabs you and literally does not let go, I just felt that the story got better and better.
Tora Hamilton discovers the body on her land in the first few pages of the book. The gruesome discovery is a shock but she could not have imagined what would happen next. The body which is a young woman has it's heart missing and symbols etched into the back. Tora alerts the police immediately but she cannot leave it alone and begins doing her own investigations. A whole can of worms is opened and Tora believes there are several more bodies buried on Shetland and that the local police, some of her medical colleagues and possibly her own husband are all in on it.
Setting the book on Shetland just adds to the overall atmosphere. The island is steeped in mythology and Tora has to question what is true and what is terrifyingly possible. The island setting also adds to Tora's desperation and isolation. Shetland is tiny and remote, Tora has no where to hide and no one to trust and now plenty of people would be quite happy if she disappeared.
Sacrifice is part thriller, part murder mystery. The pace is relentless, I was completely involved from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book and will definitely be looking up S.J. Bolton's others.

Many thanks to Transworld for sending me a review copy.