The Magician’s Lie

I LOVED this novel. The Magician's Lie is a historical novel that merits comparisons to books like Water for Elephants, and The Night Circus. The story centres on a female illusionist who is suspected of murdering her husband, as she tells her story to a young policeman in order to convince him of her innocence. What unfolds is a captivating mystery, with more than a hint of magic, and I loved every second of it!

The setting for the novel is what drew me in - the idea of a troupe of performers on the road in early 20th century America, delivering shows full of spectacle and magic to receptive audiences lacking some of the cynicism of the modern day. At the centre of the group of performers is Arden, a young woman who has escaped a poor and quite tragic childhood to become the headline magician in the stage show, gaining her place after being trained up by a formidable female illusionist. One night, Arden's 'halved man' trick seems to go wrong, a corpse is found in the theatre and Arden, the obvious suspect for the crime, is forced to tell her story.

There was so much about this book that I loved, especially the twists and the suspense in the plot. I also enjoyed the sense of light and shade - Arden's interrogator is portrayed with as many flaws and human touches as the woman herself, making this more than a simple whodunit. Additionally, I love a story about women with power and agency, especially when they are going against societal expectations, so a lot of this was a winner for me!

There were a few niggles though. Some of the motivations of characters seemed a bit undeveloped, plus I felt something was missing from the ending (although I can't put my finger on what). Still, these are just small flaws in what is an engaging and page-turning read.

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction, although I'd warn that the mystery element takes more of a back seat than I expected. Alongside the expected crime story, the reader is given an interesting portrait of a strong women making her way in a man's world and the book is all the better for that.

When the famous illusionist, the amazing Arden, is apprehended, apparently fleeing the site of her husband’s murder, by a lone police officer she protests her innocence and insists she will tell the officer everything in a bid to convince him to let her go. What follows is the narrative of her life, a life filled with danger, obsession, passion and magic.
There have been several touring circus novels of late – Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, etc – but for good reason. The setting holds so much promise for adventure and intrigue, whilst detaching itself from the social limitations of the time, allowing for strong, free female characters in historical novels. The rich detail makes it a very easy story to get into. The reader breathlessly awaits the revelation of whether Arden is guilty or not just as much as the police officer, who finds himself won over by her tale completely against his will. It’s a hugely compelling read that will mesmerise you as much as one of Arden’s illusions.

Loved this book!
The writing, the style and the story.....magical!!!!

This book takes place over one night although the whole story is over many years. The Amazing Arden is the greatest illusionist of her age. The climax to her show is when she saws a man in half. (It was fine when this illusion was done by a man to a woman but with the roles reversed it is considered scandalous!) This has helped her fame.

Virgil Holt, a young lawman, witnesses the performance when Arden uses a large axe in the illusion instead of a saw. Later the body of her husband is found under the stage. Arden is on the run.

Quite by chance Virgil comes across the fleeing Arden & takes her into custody. Through the long night Arden tells him her story to attempt to gain her freedom.

I found the whole book fascinating and absorbing. Arden tells her tale well and Greer Macallister captured the era beautifully.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this terrific book.

Magician’s Lie is an interesting book which tells the story of a strong woman in the turn of the century who is a master of illusion. A female version of Houdini who was coming into his own around this time.

Greer Macallister is a master story teller who sets the scene and then is able to expand on this from the murder mystery at the beginning to the flashback sequences that tell the story of Arden which leads up to the events of the opening paragraph. The trials and tribulations of Arden are very well told and Macallister is able to keep the plot firmly on the ground but at the same time, given us a moment in time what it is like for woman during this time period.

The narrative is very well handled and her style of writing lends itself within the framework of the story. The police inspector is very well handled and has that turn of the century police feel that gives believability to the murder proceedings without becoming heavy handed. The story is rich in detail but doesn’t get bogged down in overt detail which is the talent behind this author.

The only complaint is the payoff at the end fell a little flat and did give me the overall feeling of satisfaction that I was expecting from previous 260 pages that I read. Saying this, this did not ruin my enjoyment of the book. It has left its mark within my subconscious which I have turned around in my head over and over for the past 48 hours since first finishing the novel.

This is a gripping novel that deserves to be read and cherished. It’s mood, plot and poetic narrative are very well handled and the America of the turn of the century is great to delve into. This is a definite must read and we have placed this on Summer Reads for 2017. This is highly recommended.

Set in the early 1900s, The Amazing Arden is captured by a Police Officer while she is running away from a crime scene at her last magic show. While handcuffed to a chair 'Arden' vehemently protests her innocence and begins telling the Officer her life story in the hope that he will believe her tale and set her free. Arden's story begins with her childhood dreams of becoming a ballerina and continues through to her becoming a truly amazing magician/illusionist. It also details the torture she suffered at different times throughout her life at the hands of a truly evil and twisted individual. Plus there is an absolutely heartbreaking romance.

Arden's story is fascinating and incredibly detailed. I loved the detail of the travelling magic act and all the tricks and illusions and different characters. The book is told from two points of view, Arden's and Holt's (the Police Officer). I got totally lost in Arden's life story but I wasn't so keen on the scenes in the Police Station. To me these seemed to drag on a little and were not so, I don't know, believable, maybe? Saying that, my feelings on this point may be that I was simply so enthralled by the magical story of Arden's life that I kept almost forgetting that she was actually handcuffed to a chair in a Police Station, suspected of murder.

This is a sumptuous historical thriller with a little bit of magical realism thrown in. A fantastic piece of escapism.

The Magician's Lie is an excellent read if, like me, you're fascinated by anything magic-related - even when the magic is just a trick. This is one of those books that always left me wanting more: more time with the characters, more time to read it. My only regret is that I picked this up in a fairly busy period, and so I couldn't dedicate as much time as I wanted to reading it. But, in the time I had available, it kept me glued to the page from the very beginning!

The Amazing Arden, or Ada, was a most intriguing character. She is an incredibly strong-willed and gifted young woman, and the abuse she endures as a child only makes her resolve greater. I really admired her ability to build her own life form scratch and to a way out of any difficult situation. Her story completely captured Virgil's attention, and mine with him.

Up until the very end, I kept wondering whether she had actually done what she was accused of - was this the magician's lie or was she being truthful? I liked the conclusion, but most of all, I liked the journey to discovering what had happened. The writing was excellent and the characters were wonderfully complex, even though some of them (like Virgil) feel merely instrumental to Arden's storytelling. My only complaint is that some passages detailing how Arden set up her show were a bit too long and slow for my taste - but that's only personal taste!

If you like a captivating thriller/mystery in a wonderfully detailed historical setting, this book is definitely for you. The Magician's Lie will keep you wondering right up to the end: what is true, and what is just an illusion?

The Magician's Lie is an interesting novel about Arden, an illusionist, held in custody for her husband's murder, and retelling her life-story to a police officer during one night. I really liked the plot, and the main character, the Amazing Arden, and her story was very fascinating, and a bit mysterious. The novel is simultaneously told in two narratives, the fist being at the police station, during that one night in 1905, Iowa, and the other one is Arden's life-story. I really enjoyed her story, but not so much the police station parts, and I disliked the police officer. Besides that, the only other thing I didn't quite like was the ending, as I was expecting a huge turn of the events, based on the title, but didn't get one. If it weren't for those two things, I would have given this 5 stars.

Iowa, 1905, in a small town theatre, the female illusionist, The Amazing Arden performs her most notorious illusion of sawing a man in half, swapping the saw for an axe. Hours later her husband is found dead and all suspicion falls on Arden.

As she flees the scene she bumps into young police officer Virgil who promptly arrests her and takes Arden back to the station, handcuffing her multiple times to a chair, and begins questioning her, trying to coax out a confession that might well help to save his own career.

As night flows into morning, it is not a confession Virgil hears but the story of how Arden, real name Ada Bates became one of the most revered and successful female illusionists in America.

This is a novel that will surprise those who read it. Like Virgil I was waiting for Arden’s confession but instead found myself drawn into this wonderful story of a young girl discovering her growing talent for magic.

Arden or Ada is a tenacious, determined character who found the courage to run away from her family farm and her cousin Ray’s indecent advances. Taken in by Madame Herrman, herself a magician, Ada grows in confidence as she learns the tricks of the trade. I was worried that the actual mechanics of the illusions would be overbearing or even boring, but I need not have worried. Greer handles them extremely well fitting them seemlessly into the narrative, in a timely and relevant fashion.

Whilst Ada’s story was captivating and highly entertaining, what stood out for me was the relationship between Virgil and Ada. Stuck in a small room both are wary of the other giving little away about their personal circumstances. Yet, as the night progresses their defences slowly fall and a mutual respect for each other emerges. As Virgil probes further he begins to understand more about Ada and begins to question her guilt, slowly unlocking each set of handcuffs as trust slowly builds between them. He also becomes quite introspective, looking back on his own life and gains some perspective on his marriage and his current issues.

The novel is not fast paced but the narrative is full of imagery and the settings beautifully staged by Macallister. It perfectly conveys the excitement of the theatre and the drama of the magical illusions, holding your attention and drawing you in.

This novel has a bit for everyone, murder, history and a love story. It may not be to everyone’s liking but i loved it and cannot wait to read the next novel by Greer McAllister.

A beautiful enchanting read. Ada/Arden's rise to fame is a spectacular bewitching tale. Highly recommend.

This book reminded me of the Night a Circus, but I enjoyed this one more. From the moment we start learning about Ada's past we are sucked into a riveting tale of suspense, danger and magic. The author was able to successfully go back and forth in time without it becoming confusing and served to explain how Ada got herself into the trouble of being accused of murder. A great read for anyone who loves historical fiction and the slight of hand .

If you love magic then this is the book for you. Totally loved it.

This book was not what I was expecting, the description hints at a magical fantastical story, which this is not, but it is still very charming.

It is the early 1900s, the Amazing Arden, a female illusionist, is fleeing, accused of her husband’s murder, when she is captured by a lawman, Virgil Holt.
He takes her to his office, and over the course of a night she tells him her story, which may, or may not, be true.
Virgil has his own problems and insecurities, and in return he tells about his life.
The air of intimacy of two people in a small room during a dark night sharing their lives, and coming to trust each other is beautifully evoked.
Arden’s story makes compulsive reading, and I enjoyed the background of the theatre circuit at that time.
However, the ending fell flat for me, not what I expected, and disappointing, so 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for the opportunity to read this book.

This book tells the story of the Amazing Arden, a female illusionist in the 1900s. It opens dramatically with Arden plotting the death of her husband before going on stage to perform her show stopping Halved Man illusion ( I nearly said “trick”, but the Amazing Arden would take offence at that.) Watching in the audience is a young police officer, Virgil Holt who plays a pivotal part in the story.

When Arden’s husband is in fact found dead, it is Virgil who single handedly apprehends Arden and takes her back to the police station to question her.

What ensues is a tale of love, obsession, trust, adventure and magic.

We are told Arden’s story, from her childhood as Ada and the trauma that shapes her, to her first love and her rise through the illusionist ranks to become the Amazing Arden and ultimately what led her to be in the position she now find herself in.

I have nothing but praise for this book. I loved it and am a little sad that it’s over. The characters are well drawn, the plot crackles along nicely and the reader is kept in suspense as the revelation of whether Arden is guilty or not reaches it’s climax.

A five star read, and I’ve just received this authors next book as a Christmas gift. Greer Macallister is going on my must read author list.

Thank you Net Galley and Legend Press for the chance to read this.

The Magician’s Lie is a spellbinding mystery with a heroine, an illusionist by trade, giving the performance of her life - one where her life lies and her freedom lies in balance.  Did she murder her husband? The answer seems clear to Virgil Holt, a young policeman who by chance captures the fugitive Arden.  What he wants is a confession - what he gets is a mesmerizing tale of a woman surviving against the odds.  If he turns her in, her innocence or guilt doesn't matter, but if she can convince him and work her magic….

Arden is Scherezade reborn.  The tale she tells is powerful and captivating. But is it true?  Or does the truth matter?  I was swept away, first by the premise of The Magician’s Lie, then by Arden’s storytelling.  I couldn't bear to put the book down.  Like Holt, I had to know what happened next and how she arrived at this crossroads.

The Magician’s Lie is a magnificent novel that will easily appeal to a wide range of readers.  Greer Macallister is a skilled and imaginative storyteller who deserves to be recognized.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Magician’s Lie from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Good interweaving of present narrative in Iowa in 1905 and life story of protagonist, a female illusionist arrested for suspected murder of her husband. Enjoyable read.

The Magician's Lie is a book driven by a strong female protagonist and a mystery story. She's an illusionist, who is known for her trick of sawing a man in half. When her husband is found dead in the very coffin where her trick is performed, the policeman Virgil Holt takes her into custody. There she begins to tell the story of her life, which can lead to see her hanged, or set her free. Ada was an interesting character. She pulled me in the story. I was really curious if she's innocent or not. The book's pace is slow, but it didn't bother me. I really enjoyed the suspense building, and pulling me even more because I wanted to know the truth. I really enjoyed my journey through the book, and would definitely recommend if you like slower suspense that's built on characters and their life stories.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2376501963

Wow.

The Amazing Arden is a famous illusionist, who is well known for her trick 'the halved man', where she saws (or hacks) a man in half, with blood and gore and drama and then he reappears whole again. But when a dead man is found amoungst the props for the the halved man, Arden is the main suspect.

Virgil Holt is a small town policeman with a secret of his own. WHen he sees the main suspect for the murder on the run, he catches her and takes her to his local police station, which is a tiny single room, to hold her until he can hand her over to the authorities. In that time, he wants to get to the truth of her story.

The book tells two parallel stories - one of the single night where Arden tells Virgil what happened to her. The other story is the one Arden tells Virgil. It's the story of her life. Virgil (and the reader) doesn't know what to believe. As unreliable narrators go, Arden is brilliant and in the tradition of The Usual Suspects.

This is a desperately compelling book. Beautifully written. I raced through it. I got a review copy from Netgalley on a whim. I'm so glad I did.