Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Magician's Lie

A Novel

ebook
3 of 3 copies available
3 of 3 copies available

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

"This is a book in which storylines twist, spiral and come together again in an ending as explosive as a poof of smoke from your chimney...or a top hat."—Oprah.com

Master of historical fiction Greer Macallister weaves the tale of a notorious female illusionist who stands accused of her husband's murder—and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.

The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of the early 20th century, renowned for sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt in the audience, the magician swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden's husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless-and what she reveals seems unbelievable. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn the illusionist in or set her free... and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician's Lie, a spellbinding historical adventure of deception, fact, and the surprising number of truths in between.

Also by Greer Macallister:

Girl in Disguise

Woman 99

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 15, 2014
      This well-paced, evocative, and adventurous historical novel from Macallister, a poet and short story writer, chronicles the career of America’s preeminent female stage illusionist at the turn of the 20th century, who, as the Amazing Arden, created the lurid, controversial stage act known as the Halved Man. When Arden’s husband is found murdered following her performance in Waterloo, Iowa, she falls under suspicion, particularly after she goes on the lam. Later the same night, officer Virgil Holt, en route to his home in the nearby town of Janesville, nabs Arden and charges her with her husband’s murder. Holt escorts her to his office where she maintains her innocence and urges him to release her. The skeptical Holt compels Arden to relate her life’s story, from her birth as Ada Bates in Philadelphia to her growing up on a Tennessee farm. And so the tale begins, as Arden describes learning to dance and fearing her older cousin Ray, who self-mutilates and fancies himself a magical healer. Arden hires on as a laundress at the Vanderbilts’ Biltmore estate in North Carolina, where she befriends the gardener, Clyde Garber, and they run away to New York City. She begins work as a chorine before entering the magic business under the tutelage of the crusty, colorful Adelaide Herrmann. After Adelaide retires, Arden takes over the traveling magic show. She again crosses paths with Ray to set in motion the violent conclusion, bringing Arden’s rollicking life full circle and satisfyingly capping off this top-notch novel. Agent: Elizabeth Weed, Weed Literary.

    • Library Journal

      September 15, 2014

      What happens when a magician's illusion becomes real? Ada Bates, aka the Amazing Arden, is the most famous female illusionist in turn-of-the-20th-century America. Touring the vaudeville circuit with her company, Arden is known far and wide for her spectacular Halved Man illusion in which she saws a man in half. While performing in Waterloo, IA, Arden trades in her saw for a fire ax and completes the act with her usual aplomb. Policeman Virgil Holt is in the audience that night, and when the body of Arden's "husband" is found in the Halved Man prop after the show, Holt suspects that Arden has used an illusion to commit a very real murder. When the officer chances upon the fleeing Arden and takes her into custody, she tells him her version of what happened, and it is a story far more moving and spectacular than any of her stage acts. It will take everything Holt has to see beyond the magic to the truth hiding underneath. VERDICT In her historical fiction debut, Macallister, a poet and short story writer who has penned a contemporary novel under a pseudonym, has created a captivating world of enchantment and mystery that readers will be loath to leave. Fans of Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants may also enjoy this title as the exotic settings (circus, magic show) are more of a backdrop for a larger story in both cases than an integral part of the plot.--Elisabeth Clark, West Florida P.L., Pensacola

      Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading