In Darren Dash's Now You Don't!, Ranald Rose is a talented stage magician until, one day, during a performance, a young boy disappears, ruining his career. Despite his guilt over the missing youngster, Ranald travels from village to village, earning a living by performing magic at hotels, pubs, and on the streets. He settles in a small remote village. Strangely enough, there are no children in the village. During this time, he satisfies his sexual appetite by juggling multiple women at once. However, strange and unexpected incidents occur in the midst of the village's orgies. Also, the villagers appear to have magical abilities. Ranald discovers he has true magic beyond stage illusions. He attempts to use this magic for good, but his powers are an evil force that he cannot control. The power may be wondrous, but it is also extremely dangerous, and Ranald must face a grave challenge.

Darren Dash’s Now You Don’t! blends dark fantasy, erotic content, and magic. The clever plot draws you into a disturbing yet curious ride. This steady-paced storyline explores the interrelationship between sex and magic. The character-driven story offers a diverse cast. Ranald is a likable guy. Despite his sexual antics, you can sympathize with his anguish about inadvertently losing the youngster in his magic show, as well as his ongoing efforts to use his new powers to rectify his wrongdoings. The novel features explicit sex scenes, which are necessary for fully realizing the thematic depth of the story. Readers who are open-minded about sex scenes, violent descriptions, and horror will find this book an intriguing read.

Now You Don't! by Darren Dash revolves around a stage magician, Ranald Rose, who looked ready to ascend to stardom until the climax of his standard performance, the disappearing boy, went wrong, and he failed to bring the boy back. Pretending all was well, he escaped both scrutiny and investigation. He moved often and, by performing wherever opportunity presented itself -- a hotel, a pub, or even outside on the street -- he'd erased the unresolved, disappearing boy trick from deed and memory. Years later, arriving at an isolated village, Ranald expected a one-night stand before moving on, until he was offered a longer stay and caught the eye of an uninhibited lady who offered him an exciting place to repose. Unbeknownst to him, an unidentified group is evaluating his performances, and their decisions will change his life forever.

I was completely absorbed and excitedly turning the pages for what I considered the first act up to and including the disappearing boy trick, assuming the story would continue with a hunt for, and eventual verdict on, what went wrong in the trick, where the boy was, and why he failed to reappear. Instead, the story jumped over and away from part one into the lead character's life. But Now You Don't! picked up interest and speed when Ranald Rose learns that he, as a magician, isn't human... Bottom line: Now You Don't! by Darren Dash maintains and delivers the headline: "a disturbing dark fantasy about magic and sex."