NOW YOU SEE ME

4 stars out of 5

Of the 17 previous books in this series, I've read only two - the most recent two years ago. Here, lead characters Sheriff Jenna Alton and her hunky deputy David Kane are married, living and working in small-town Black Rock Falls. As this one opens, local bartender Maisy Jones goes missing and is feared to be yet another victim of a long-time and prolific serial killer. Jenna and David find her abandoned truck and a backpack, but there's no sign of Maisy and the backpack contents belong to a young teaching assistant who - wait for it - has gone missing as well. Uh, oh, this could spell double trouble (at least).

Other characters from other books quickly get involved - such as FBI agents Carter and Jo Wells and Medical Examiner Shane Wolf, along with lovable but skilled canines Duke and Zorro. And the team will need all the help it can get: There are virtually no clues and no actual bodies; then, the unthinkable happens and a couple of other prominent people go missing.

The action - and there's plenty of it - focuses on the investigation (which, at one point becomes a life-and-death situation for Jenna and her husband) as well as snippets from the perspective of one of the victims. Who is the kidnapper/killer? Where is he (or she) stashing the victims, and are they dead or alive? Those questions, and others, are answered as this edge-of-your-seat story unfolds. All in all, another satisfying addition to the series, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Now You See Me by D.K. Hood (Bookouture, March 2023); 305 pp.