Introducing Standedge Tunnel: the longest canal tunnel in England.
Last year six students went in, and two and a half hours later, the boat reappeared on the other side with only one of the students, unconscious, and the dog.
The case of the Standedge Six was largely kept from the national media. The police investigation concluded that the only remaining student, Matthew, killed his friends, hid the bodies on the boat and returned later to move them to an undisclosed location.
Matthew is in prison . . . but maintains he is innocent.
Robert Ferringham is grieving for his missing wife, Sam. So when Matthew contacts him for help with his case, promising information on Sam, Robert has no choice but to help. But can he trust Matthew?
On the heels of McGeorge's locked room mystery Guess Who comes another similar "locked room" type book. His storytelling and mystery unfolding keeps getting better, the whole "missing without a trace" trope is my absolute favorite--and this book has it covered!
There are two sets of mysteries in this book--what happened to Robin's wife Sam when she disappeared on a business trip, and what happened to the Standedge Five--a group of five young adults who entered a canal tunnel and disappeared before coming out the other side? Both seem unrelated, but Robin gets a phone call that indicates to him that they might be connected somehow.
Overall, this is a solid book. There are some clunky parts and it does drag a bit in the middle and requires a bit of suspension of disbelief. The setting is wonderfully described so I could clearly picture every part of the story as it unfolded. I couldn't even begin to puzzle out in my mind what had happened to the missing people, but when all was revealed, it makes perfect sense.
I look forward to seeing what Chris McGeorge comes up with next!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
‘As soon as the tunnel mouth started, the world was gone.’
Standedge:
1. The longest canal tunnel in England.
2. A fairly successful tourist spot.
3. Legend states that the ‘Standedge Monster' haunts the tunnel.
4. Bullies make little kids go and stand by the tunnel and look inside it for thirty seconds to prove they aren't cowards.
5. The site of a baffling mystery – the disappearance of the ‘Standedge Five'.
At 2:31pm on 26th June 2018, a group of six friends (on break from university) and a dog entered the tunnel in a narrowboat.
Two hours and twelve minutes later (the length of time it takes to travel the tunnel) the boat emerged, with only one of the students (knocked unconscious), and the dog (kudos to the author for not killing the dog). The 21 year-old, Matthew McConnell, claimed to have no memory of what happened to his friends. An extensive search of the tunnel and canal followed, but no bodies were ever found.
Now – Reporter turned writer Robin Ferringham receives a strange phone call from Matthew (now on remand awaiting trial) begging him for his help.
‘”We went through. All six of us. And only I came out.”’
Matthew tells Robin that he has information regarding his wife Samantha – who's been missing, whereabouts unknown, since 2015 – and that he will share it with him if Robin agrees to investigate. Robin has little choice, but to agree.
Back in May I read the synopsis for this and immediately pre-ordered it. I was relishing the idea of reading an original, eerie, puzzling locked room mystery, with an unwelcoming small village community wrapped in secrets, and Now You See Me delivered on all counts. A guaranteed page turner that grabbed me from the start which I read over a day. I was stumped over how five people could seemingly disappeared into thin air, whether Matthew was innocent or guilty, and what had happened to Samantha? And the answers I received were shocking, unexpected, emotional and convoluted.
Robin was an unforgettable protagonist I was rooting for – whose love for his wife was paramount, and I desperately wanted him to find her. He was the main narrator, but there were other’s dotted throughout (who shall rename nameless), and various flashbacks.
The layout of the village of Marsden (entry point of Standedge), the tunnel and canal, and various locations around town, The Hamlet – the Old English Pub/Hotel where Robin stayed, HMP New Hall Prison, etc, were intricately described, and I could completely picture how everything looked.
I was stoked to see a reference to And Then There Were None, my second favourite Christie. Chris McGeorge's previous work Guess Who was also mentioned a few times, which, given how amazing this one was, is now a must read for me. An instant add to my favourites list that I can't recommend enough. Drop everything and read it!
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 want to thank the publisher for providing a free copy for an honest review!
Robin's wife, Samantha, went missing in 2015. Three years later, Robin has written a book about her to help him with his grief. He misses her terribly, and especially wishes he knew what happened to her. At a book signing, he receives a mysterious call from a man saying he spoke with Samantha years earlier. The caller, Matthew, is a man who has recently been arrested for killing five of his friends. Matthew and his friends went through the Standedge Tunnel on a boat, but only Matthew came out of the tunnel. Matthew claims he is innocent and asks for Robin's help, promising more information about Samantha if Robin helps him. Robin is intrigued and heads off to Marsden, location of Standedge Tunnel. While Matthew maintains his innocence, there is still a big question about his friends - where are the bodies?
Robin is grieving for his missing wife and having difficulty moving on. With the hope of learning something about Samantha's disappearance, he jumps into investigating Matthew's claim of innocence. However, the townspeople of Marsden have already decided Matthew is guilty, and they are not welcoming to Robin and his inquiries about the Standedge Five. This makes Robin's task more difficult, but he presses on to discover what happened in the tunnel, and in turn, hopes to learn what happened to his wife.
The atmosphere of this mystery is fantastic. The claustrophobic tunnel and tight knit community of Marsden make for a dark and eerie setting. The characters are complex and not all that trustworthy. A compelling and suspenseful mystery.
I read Chris McGeorge's previous novel, Guess Who, and was amused to see it referred to a couple of times in this book. Both books are entertaining thrillers.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Whoever writes the blurbs for Chris McGeorge needs to get a raise. I read those blurbs and I immediately have to acquire his books. And those intriguing blurbs induce extremely high expectations, but he hasn't failed to deliver yet. I start reading his books and I see or hear nothing else around me until its over. A tornado could come through and I would happily be reading away in my own little world. If I had the talent and creativity to write a book, which I don't, but if I did, I would want my books to grab the readers attention a year before the book is even published and have that book in the back of their mind until they absolutely must spend some of their money to see what it's all about.
Needless to say, I loved the book but I'm not going to go into the plot. It's better that you read it and hopefully enjoy it for yourself as I did.
Now the wait begins to see what attention grabbing story and headline he comes out with next. I know I'll be stalking the author's fan pages until I see it.
*I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Orion in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Oh wow this was a fantastic read !!!! It was creepy and very atmospheric. The descriptions of the tunnel made me shiver at times and I found I just couldn’t stop reading it. It wasn’t a very long book to read so I completed it in two days which is quite fast for me. I know that this author has written more books and I will certainly be looking out for the in the near future. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free in return for an honest review.
Raise your hand if you love a good mystery! Me! I do! And this one is mind-boggling for sure.
Six friends and a dog travel through a canal tunnel on a boat. But when the boat reaches the other end, only one friend (who’s unconscious) and the dog (who’s absolutely fine) remain. The other five, now known as the Standedge Five, have disappeared. The community is able to keep this mysterious disappearance out of the national media and quickly moves to arrest the remaining friend, Matthew, for murder. Police is convinced he killed his friends and moved their bodies to an undisclosed location.
While awaiting trial in prison, Matthew contacts author Robin Ferringham. Robin’s wife went missing three years ago and Matthew claims to have information about her disappearance but he won’t divulge any of it unless Robin helps him prove his innocence. Can Matthew be trusted? Is he truly innocent? And how will Robin solve a case that looks utterly unsolvable?
Now You See Me isn’t just a whodunnit, it’s also a “how-dunnit” and it genuinely made my head hurt trying to figure it out. I have the frown lines to prove it. How do five people vanish from a canal tunnel?! Were they thrown overboard? Did they pull a Houdini? Did Scotty beam them up? What the hell happened?! I thought I had it all worked out but I was only half right and it was such a thrilling journey to go on.
Chris McGeorge has come up with an extremely clever plot here. Full of untrustworthy and not always likeable characters, the mystery surrounding the Standedge Five had me hooked from start to finish. This is such an addictive page-turner and there was no way I was going to put this book down until I knew what had actually happened. There were a few surprises I didn’t quite see coming, some of them quite shocking and devastating, and it all added up to a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and a truly compelling read.
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.
NOW YOU SEE ME is a Twisty, Pacy, Eerie, Mystery Thriller that will draw you in from the start!
When Matthew and his Friends set off on an adventure to explore Standedge Tunnel, (which is actually real, it's one of the seven wonders of the waterways) they could never of expected the tragedy that occurred that night when only Matthew made it out alone.
Now he faces the terrible ordeal of proving his innocence and solving the mystery of why he was the only one to make it out alive!
Matthew needs all the help he can get, so he turns to Robert. Robert's wife also mysteriously vanished several years ago and he believes that between the two of them the might just have a chance of solving the mysterious disappearance and proving Matthew's innocence! But just who is telling the truth? And who is trustworthy?
NOW YOU SEE ME is an Authentic, Enthralling, Pacy and Compulsive Mystery, it has perfectly plotted twists and a dark and eerie feel throughout that kept me hooked. The Characters are complex and engaging.
If you get a chance Google Standedge Tunnel, I got breathless just looking at the pictures, so claustrophobic and to think they actually do canal boat tours through the tunnel just makes this story even more unnerving and enticing.
So if you are looking for a gripping story that will keep you guessing to the end, has an Authentic and Engrossing Storyline, that's dark and eerie in all the right places then you will love NOW YOU SEE ME!
Thank you to Compulsive Readers Tours and Orion books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.
Well... where to start? The whole thing read as if it were set in an alternate reality, where there were different norms (town sheep for example).
1. There seemed to me to be no way Matthew would ever have been charged with five counts of murder. Apart from anything else there were no bodies.
2. I don't believe the whole town (other than Sally) would have turned on Matthew, and nor would they have been able to stifle news coverage. It would have been an international story, not just a local one.
3. The author seemed to be confusing the role of the prison service and that of the police force, as well as the distinctions between being arrested, being charged, being on remand, being bailed etc etc.
4. Surely the families of the missing teenagers would have been seeking for proper answers and bodies to bury, not just going along with the Claypath line.
In general the whole plot was preposterous, and not in a good way. Robin was very thinly characterized, and Sam was barely present for the reader to care much about her.
I admit I skimmed the second half, but should the name Rhona Michel (Sally's real name) mean anything to the reader?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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.
6 friends go into a tunnel along a canal and only 1 comes out. Matthew claims he has no idea what happened to his friends, but with no other possible leads, he’s charged with the murder of his friends and put behind bars. But Matthew maintains his innocence and will do whatever it takes to prove it.
3-years ago, Robin’s wife, Sam, went missing and he never found out what happened to her. Robin went from being a journalist to an author, writing a book about Sam called Without Her. One day he receives an incoming call from a prisoner named Matthew who claims that he spoke to Sam 3-years ago and it was she who gave Matthew Robin’s information. And that if he ever needed help, Robin would help him.
Robin is in disbelief, but Matthew says something that leads Robin to believe he’s telling the truth. When he learns about what Matthew has been involved in—the disappearance of his 5 friends—he goes to the scene of the crime to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Is Matthew responsible for the deaths of his friends or were their disappearances an act of magic?
Now You See Me is Chris McGeorge’s sophomore mystery novel. I love locked room mysteries, so after reading the premise of this book, I was hooked. Unfortunately, this story doesn’t take place during the disappearance of the 5 friends in the tunnel. Instead, we follow Robin uncovering the truth months later. I was hoping to be thrust into that claustrophobic atmosphere, but I felt a bit let down because the book wasn’t what I was expecting. The writing didn’t keep me engaged and it jumped around randomly in perspectives and time frames toward the end. 2.5/5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley, Hanover Square Press and Chris McGeorge for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ale to było dobre! Zaginięcie 5 studentów jest początkiem historii, która trzyma w napięciu, nie pozwala się odłożyć oraz sprawia, że czujemy się zdezorientowani i lekko zaniepokojeni.
Pewne aspekty mi troszeczkę zgrzytały, ale całościowo wypada dobrze!
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 puzzle to solve when six young people go through the longest canal tunnel in the UK. It takes approximately 2 and a half hours to complete their journey but when the boat emerges at the other side, only one person plus a dog remain 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 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 authors out there at the moment to do them well. 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.
Content/Trigger Warning: violence, mention of past animal abuse.
Six students disappear into the Standedge Tunnel on a canal boat - only one reappears. Most of the locals think Matthew is guilty of murdering his friends and disposing of their bodies and he is on remand in prison. Robin Ferringham is a true crime writer whose wife went missing around the same time as the students. Matthew contacts Robin and drops the bombshell that his missing wife left Matthew a phone message and he will pass the details on - if Robin helps prove his innocence.
This started off well as a twist on the 'locked room' trope and I was interested to find out what had happened. It was marred a little bit for me by mention of past animal abuse which wasn't really necessary. Generally, it was a good read but I wouldn't pick it up again.
The plot blurb sounded good but I had to persevere to get into this book as the timelines were a little confusing. I almost gave up but about a third of the way through it did grab me and I kept turning the pages as the mystery developed. But then it got somewhat ridiculous and there were a few clichés (the typical villagers' resentment towards a stranger). Some of the characters were like cardboard cut-outs, I couldn't see them as actual people and the dialogue wasn't strong in parts. I was a tad disappointed at the factual way the actual events which occurred were set out at the end of the book, a bit like a report. It was as if the author had run out of ideas and quickly decided to tell everyone how it all happened.
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.
Oww yes, the whole idea of Now You See Me is so finger-licking good! Six went in, one came out... Abracadabra! Can it get any more intriguing than that? Why yes, believe it or not, it totally can. The start of the novel alone is filled with enough riddles and unexplained references to make your head spin. After the first two chapters I already had a million questions and I knew I was in for quite an adventure.
The main character is Robin, an author (woo!) who wrote a novel about his missing wife Sam(antha). He's left behind with many questions but then he receives a phone call from a total stranger who claims that Sam called him. Robin doesn't know why she would do that, or who the man is, but he doesn't doubt that she did. It's his only chance to find out more about his missing wife so he grabs the opportunity with both hands and sets out to meet the man at prison who promised to give him info about Sam if he helps to prove his innocence. I can't tell you which mystery is the most intriguing, both turn out to be very challenging.
I'm a real sucker for locked room mysteries and I found 'Guess Who' one of the best novels in the genre (I also listed the novel in my favorites 2018). I was more than excited to read Now You See Me and he really didn't disappoint with his second novel. The author used an original variation on the theme this time, it's not a locked room but a canal, and it works brilliantly too. It had the same feel for me and I was really on board too, I could easily imagine that dark, menacing tunnel and found my detective skills seriously lacking.
I try very hard not to compare Now You See Me to the author's debut novel but I think I still prefer the first one ever so slightly because the background story in that one touched me just a little bit more. I did feel a strong emotion at one point in this novel too, shock and horror more precisely, but overall I was more occupied following Robin's investigation than I was feeling things. It really was a baffling mystery and it was explained so well and so convincingly that there really didn't seem any possibilities left. And yet, there is ;-). I was quite dumbstruck in the end, not only when I found out how they disappeared but especially the big lead-up to their disappearance.
The author took his time for the big reveal and took me down a long and twisty road which took a while, but then it all became so exciting that I read through the final 30% of the novel in a big rush! Everything was tied together, it all suddenly made sense and it was sooo good!
Chris McGeorge has the title of a Mission Impossible-author from now on for me. I can't wait to see which new and exciting conundrum he will cook up in his next novel. I'm a fan!
I was quite excited to read Now You See Me, it sounded different and intriguing and like a book that I would enjoy reading.
The story focuses on Robin, a man who thought he was happily married until one day his wife disappeared. Years went by and he heard nothing about his wife until one day he got a phone call from a man in prison who said he had information about his wife.
Of course it wasn’t going to be so simple, he would only give the information in exchange for Robin helping him prove his innocence to a crime that he insists he did not commit.
Without pausing to think things through Robin went straight to Standedge, the town that Matthew was from and where the crime was meant to have happened. It doesn’t take long for Robin to discover that the town is still reeling from the crime and are suspicious of anyone asking about it.
But driven to find out what really happened in the Standedge canal so he can get the information he so desperately wants. This desperation gets him into a fair bit of trouble
I have to admit that I hadn’t heard about Standedge and the incredibly long canal tunnel that takes two hours to pass through, but having Googled some photos and read this book, I am pretty sure that I wouldn’t want to go on a boat tour through the tunnel! It certainly looks creepy and so provides the perfect setting for this spooky story.
It is definitely a tense read, and one that kept me guessing throughout. The writing is very atmospheric and I could visualise the tunnel and nearby village well. Would I want to visit the area having read the book? Hell no!
I’m really torn on this book. I love the concept - 6 people go into a tunnel and only ones comes out. The idea of a small village not wanting a stranger turning up and digging around.
But I just find it so far fetched - would a teenage boy really be charged with 5 counts of murder when there’s no bodies and absolutely no evidence that even hints he murdered them?
The fact that these teenagers engineered a boat to fake their own deaths, when there was no need. The book kept talking about how they all wanted “bigger and better”, they all went to university and wanted successful careers etc. ... but then they decided to fake their own deaths for no reason?
The constant descriptions of the layout of the four different tunnels with the canal and the train track, the adjoining pathways etc. was just so confusing, I ended up skipping those bits.
Lastly, and what I felt was one of the most disappointing parts ... for the majority of the book it’s hinted that Sally isn’t “Sally” and she has a different name. So all the way through I was expecting a big plot twist and trying to work out how is Sally involved in this, who is she, why is she living in the woods? Then there’s the “big reveal” which makes absolutely no sense, because she’s from a completely different book - and I wouldn’t have even known that without reading the other reviews on here. So unless you’ve read the other Chris McGeorge book before reading this one it’s pointless and really confusing because I felt like I’d missed a massive part of the story when they revealed her name and I didn’t have a clue who she was! Maybe this should be advertised as a sequel or spin off so that people know before reading that it’s following on from another book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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!
Šauniai susiskaitęs trileris, su dideliu užmoju, bet jei suskliaudi norą, kad viskas būtų labai realistiška, tai puikiai veikia ir išties suteikia pramogą. Paslaptis atrodo didžiulė ir tikrai lauki nesulauki, kol ji iššsinarplios, o pakeliui sutinki tokių preposterous dalykų, kaip mergina - Lisbeth Salander variantas - gyvenanti kažkur urve, paslaptingos tatuiruotės ant penkių dingusių žmonių riešų, užuominos apie juodą šunį ir arklio galvą...
Manau, kad autorius patobulėjo nuo savo pirmos knygos Spėk kas? - šioje išliko to įžūlaus užmojo, bet jis nebe toks grandiozinis, kaip "Spėk, kas". Be to, puikiai kuriama atmosfera paskiromis scenomis - tiesiog taip ir įsivaizduoji šią knygą kaip filmą. (Pavyzdžiui, į miestelį atvykęs žurnalistas smuklėje nori nufotografuoti penkių dingusių jaunuolių įrėmintą fotografiją smuklėje, bet netyčia įsijungia blykstė ir visi prie kitų staliukų plepėję žmonės nutyla ir atsisuka į jį.)
Kita vertus, kai kurie anos knygos trūkumai, kad ir švelnesni, išliko, iš kurių pagrindinis yra turbūt motyvas. Pagal tai, kaip personažai apibūdinti, artodo tiesiog baisiai menkai tikėtina, kad dalis jų nuo problemos A galėjo peršokti prie sprendimo B, kuris skamba kaip bandymas užplombuoti dantį su cemento maišykle. Jei taip elgiasi personažas, prieš tai apibūdintas kaip psichopatas, gal ir ok (nežinau daug apie psichopatus, per kriminaliniuose trileriuose psichopatija taip naudojama, tai tebūnie), bet jei suprantame, kad tas personažas lyg ir nebuvo psichopatas?..
Yr dar viena vieta, kur man atrodo kaip skylė siužete, tai jei kas perskaitys šią knygą, galėsime apie tai paplepėti:)
This was a brilliant plot which left me flabbergasted.
Robin couldn't believe his wife had left him so he started his investigation about what happened in the tunnel. Mathew called him asking for help, he was the lone survivor, all his friends were killed when they took the ride through the tunnels. And he was blamed. Was he really innocent?
My first book by this author, and I loved every claustrophobic moment. The atmosphere of the tunnel and the community of Marsden gave it an eerie outlook. The characters all gave a dark aura as if they were hiding secrets.
The writing kept the suspense at its peak and I wanted nothing more than to get to end of the ride. It was wicked!! And so fun!!
“Wir alle sind zu Menschen herangewachsen, haben voneinander gelernt, sind unsere Wege gegangen, aber genau da liegt der Haken. Irgendjemand muss immer sterben.“
Leider war der Inhalt so überhaupt nicht das, was ich mir von dem Buch versprochen habe. Die Geschichte war vorhersehbar, der namensgebende Tunnel eigentlich Nebensache und der Hauptcharakter entweder wütend, bewusstlos oder plötzlich von nicht nachvollziehbaren Eingebungen gesegnet. Komische Geschichte ohne Tiefe oder Spannung, dafür voll mit Längen und Ungereimtheiten.
Ook dit boek snel uitgelezen. Het verhaal las makkelijk, maar toch raakte het mij niet heel erg. Ik vond het wel een verrassende wending hebben, maar het was niet het einde wat ik eigenlijk had verwacht. Desondanks niet een heel verkeerd verhaal.
After reading Guess Who, it was very hard not to become an immediate McGeorge fan and now he is back with another amazing thriller that will leave you shocked.
When six university students decide to travel through Stonehedge, the longest running tunnel in London, only one of them comes out and he is unconscious. He wakes up not remembering anything about what happened and since he was the only one who came out, he is no trial for the five missing students. The tunnels have been searched and they cannot be find anywhere? What happened to them?
But author Robert Ferringham gets a call one day from the prison in London from the only survivor and he tells him something that makes him come running to figure out the mystery of their disappearances. But how is he connected?
There was never a time in this novel where I was bored. McGeorge knows how to keep his readers engaged and writes his novels at a masterful level. The plot was so interesting and original and it’s only something that someone like McGeorge can pull off. He takes us on a trip to London and makes it seem like we are the ones that are there with the author trying to figure out what happened to the five students.
I really really enjoyed this one. You can’t really know for sure what happened to them because you really don’t know. You can make guesses as to what you think did happen, but even if you’re right, there’s so much more to the story than we think. A nice complex plot with some twists and turns along the way.
The characters were so well thought out and you don’t know who to trust because everyone has a secret. But the way the storylines connect with one another was so smooth and again intricately panned, that I have to give a huge kudos to McGeorge on that one.
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada and Hanover Square Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Can’t wait to see what McGeorge has in store for us next!