A GRIEVING WOMAN’S QUEST — A REVIEW

In a captivating tale of what can happen to someone whose daughter has presumably died, but whose body was never found—like a cruel twist of the saying “now you see her, now you don’t”—Marcy Taggart’s journey toward finally resolving what happened to her daughter Devon is a convoluted one at times.

It’s a story about grieving when you don’t really believe your child is dead. It’s a story about new beginnings when you don’t really want to begin again.

Because, after the tragic canoeing accident that presumably took her daughter Devon, Marcy’s husband left her for another woman. Blindsided again, she seems to be treading water when she decides to take the long-awaited trip to Ireland…the trip that was supposed to be the Taggarts’ twenty-fifth anniversary celebration.

Ireland is lovely and lush, and sitting in a pub to catch her bearings after she decides to leave the tour group, Marcy catches a glimpse of someone passing by…she is sure it is Devon. So she is off in pursuit, and over the next few days and weeks, we see Marcy hurtling in one direction after another, finding “clues,” accepting associations with strangely helpful people, and discovering herself again and again in the police station for causing disturbances, loitering, etc.

Through it all, two men seem determined to help her. But who can she trust? Is the ubiquitous Vic disturbing in his constant presence, or does he just care for her? Does Liam Flaherty, the kindly bartender from the pub, have her best interests in mind, or is he playing some game? And why does her sister Judith, who keeps calling and trying to get her to seek help, arouse all of her frustration? Does anybody understand her at all?

In her quest for the truth, Marcy will finally resolve these issues, but at what cost? How will she finally learn what happened to her daughter?

Now You See Her was a fast read, primarily because I felt very excited by the pace, the characterizations, and the whole idea of finding the long-lost daughter. I could relate to Marcy’s dilemma in some ways, even though these specific things have not happened to me. But loss arouses similar feelings in each of us, and for these reasons, I could identify in some ways with Marcy and her situation. There was an aura of predictability that hovered over the situations and characters, which is why I decided on four stars. But I loved the story and would recommend it to Fielding fans and everyone who loves a good suspenseful tale.