The Magician's Lie

The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

The art of illusion. Magicians continue to fascinate and intrigue us with their effortless ability to do the impossible. Even the most skeptical audience can't explain the trickery right before their eyes.

This debut novel by a most talented author will hook you from the very first page. The main character isn't real, but the historical research behind the story is; I highly recommend you put this one on your list for the New Year and enter the mesmerizing world of magic.

It's the turn of the 20th century and patrons are filling venues far and wide to witness the magical talents of  The Amazing Arden. As one of the few female illusionists in the country, her fans watch this particular night as she plunges an ax into a coffin-like box, splitting a man's body in two.  Blood gushes onto the stage. Minutes later, the victim is whole again much to the delight of the audience. But later, after Arden makes her exit from the theater, the mutilated body of another man is discovered under the stage. There's only one conclusion. Arden is indeed a cunning murderess.

Virgil Holt is the local sheriff in Janesville, Iowa. By now, news has spread that the famous Arden escaped after murdering her husband during a thrilling show in Waterloo. Virgil is nursing wounds of his own; his life is on a downhill spiral. By a stroke of luck, he encounters the disheveled Arden and takes her into custody. Maybe this is his lucky break.  He can make a name for himself with her arrest.

Confined to a chair with three sets of handcuffs, Arden begs Virgil to listen to the sordid details of her life before he brings her to justice. As her story enfolds, he struggles to draw a line between fact and fiction. Should he believe her claim of innocence or is this the tale of an accomplished woman born to deceive?

Suspenseful, fast-paced, and enlightening, this novel may leave you with many unanswered questions.

Is it real or all a magician's lie?