Thursday, June 4, 2015

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

His friend takes him to a magician's performance at the local theater.  He's not fond of magic but it's something to do.  He's a bit taken aback because the magician is female.  And when she cuts the man in half, it's even worse.  He knows it was a trick but with the illusive lights and colors, you can't tell.  When the stage hands find a dead man inside the box after the act, he figures the magician actually killed him this time...

Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can find it at your local bookstore now.  I was so impressed by this story I am buying a copy to go in my own personal library.  You're going to want one, too.

She begins life as a young woman that lives at home and practices dancing.  She makes the mistake of catching her cousin Ray harming a horse.  He likes to heal things, but he hurts them before he helps them.  He's also fond of cutting himself.  She eventually runs to get away from him but he hasn't forgotten her...

The policeman who watched the performance finds the magician on the road and takes her to his police station.  It's a small room, he's the only employee, and he's going to take credit for capturing her.  It may save his job.

What I liked best about this story is that the woman tells her story step by step.  She won't hurry it, she won't talk about the murder.  She wants him to understand why she's walked the road she has in life and how it has made her what she is today.  She tells a most fascinating tale.  How she was injured by Ray, how she escaped home and then the job that had saved her.  How she hid from Ray but he still found her.  And how she found what might be love on the way. She was a successful illusionist and very good at dramatic effects. 

Since she can heal herself, the policeman hopes she can heal him.  He has a bullet near his spine that could kill him.  She reluctantly tells him no, her skills only work for herself.  But he learns from her lessons of life that you can still survive and make the most out of the life you have, even if it might not have been the life you chose. The ending is great.  I found myself sitting here cheering them on!

Finding out about magical tricks was fun, but it was the love story that held me.  I really enjoyed this one. 

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