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A review by jacki_f
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths
3.0
This is the fifth book in Elly Griffith's "Magic Men" series. While the first four were set close together in time, this one jumps forward 11 years to 1964. Superintendant Edgar Stephens has now been married for ten years and has three children. Max Mephisto is also married to a US actress but is back in the UK for a funeral when the book opens. The jump forward in time was a good move: the characters have developed and have new issues in their lives. However if you haven't read any of the others in the series, this also works as a standalone.
Elly Griffith's books skirt the middle ground between crime and cosy crime. They are not literary but they are very readable with engaging characters, interesting settings and intriguing plots. In this case the story is about the disappearance of a local schoolgirl which is then linked to two other recent disappearances. The central mystery unfolds at a good pace with the occasional clue and plenty of red herrings. But I was more interested in the issues faced by the female characters. Edgar's wife Emma had to retire from the police force when she married and acutely misses the stimulation that detective work brought. There are limited options for married women in 1960s Brighton who don't find housekeeping and childraising satisfying.
Another interesting character is Meg Connolly, aged 19 and a new recruit to the Police Force. She is bright and eager but also feels like her options as a woman are somewhat limited. There is also a female journalist who is desperate to do investigative journalism but keeps getting assigned to softer, female-focused pieces.
I prefer Elly Griffith's "Ruth Galloway" series, but I did like this and the ending of this book implies that this series is heading in an interesting direction.
Elly Griffith's books skirt the middle ground between crime and cosy crime. They are not literary but they are very readable with engaging characters, interesting settings and intriguing plots. In this case the story is about the disappearance of a local schoolgirl which is then linked to two other recent disappearances. The central mystery unfolds at a good pace with the occasional clue and plenty of red herrings. But I was more interested in the issues faced by the female characters. Edgar's wife Emma had to retire from the police force when she married and acutely misses the stimulation that detective work brought. There are limited options for married women in 1960s Brighton who don't find housekeeping and childraising satisfying.
Another interesting character is Meg Connolly, aged 19 and a new recruit to the Police Force. She is bright and eager but also feels like her options as a woman are somewhat limited. There is also a female journalist who is desperate to do investigative journalism but keeps getting assigned to softer, female-focused pieces.
I prefer Elly Griffith's "Ruth Galloway" series, but I did like this and the ending of this book implies that this series is heading in an interesting direction.