Mystery. Murder. Intrigue. And magic! This store was, simply put, mesmerizing and filled with illusions. A wonderful book with wonderfully rendered characters– especially Arden.

Perfect for fans of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It is the perfect mashup of those two stellar books. Loved the unreliable narrator aspect and the story she told. Literally could not put this book down.

This was an excellent historical novel that kept me flying through the pages. I loved how it was told and the plot constantly kept you guessing - amazing story! I will be reading more of her books.

This is a great historical fiction. The fact that the entire story takes place in one night is unique and I loved it. The Amazing Arden, aka Ada, is the best character I have met this year. Her story is so believable and real, although I still wonder how much of it is true. I want to believe that it is all true; that there were no lies in the story. Although, I do realize that selling a story is what The Amazing Arden does for her lively hood. When a story leaves me wondering and still thinking about it I know that it is a great book.

I loved the different perspectives of the story being told. Officer Holt’s perspective was that of one trying to come to terms with where his life could be headed and if he was to believe Ada’s story of innocence. Ada’s perspective was of telling the story of her life and convincing Officer Holt of her innocence. I am not sure which I liked better, but I do believe that Ada is definitely the better story teller.

The love story in this book is not a typical love story. There was never a truly perfect love time in this story. It seemed that something was always amiss. I liked that it wasn’t predictable. Ada is a lovable person but yet found it hard to be loved. She believed that everyone who she came in contact with had an ulterior motive. I believe that she wanted to be loved and believed that she found that love, but was afraid to let that love grow.

This is a great book. The story was amazing. The writing flowed at the perfect speed. The descriptions of the towns, the train, and the magic tricks made the book come alive. I will happily recommend The Magician’s Lie.

This book kept my attention and kept me reading, wanting to find out the real truth to the story. Will recommend to readers at my library.

Last year I had read "Night Circus" and I had adored it. As soon as I saw that this book was very similar to it I immediately decided to read it. It has literally impressed me. Now I can not wait to read "Water to Elephants".
It all happens in one night: Arden is arrested by Virgil Holt and in the barrack are just the two of them. Arden is accused of killing her husband: he was her assistant and died during an exhibition of magic. She proclaims innocent and begins to tell her life hoping to convince the policeman of her innocence. The story is a continuous alternation of the story of Arden's past and Virgil's story of that night.
Arden is the most famous woman illusionist: it had cost her so much to get there. She grew up with her mother, has never met her father. The only thing she may have inherited from him is her healing gift. She dreamed of becoming a dancer but had to give up because of her terrible cousin Ray.
The atmosphere of this book is really magical and engaging, once you start reading it drags you in and you would not to leave it anymore. It's full of suspense and twists from cover to cover. The love story is very special and romantic. It's really well written, doesn't look like a debut writer, I hope I can read another piece of her work soon.
If you have loved "Night Circus" try reading this story and you will not be disappointed.

In The Magician’s Lie, Macallister writes a beautiful story of a female illusionist, something that was rare and provocative during the turn of the century, in this historical fiction debut. The story shows the reader things are not always as they seem even when it comes to the illusions we create in our own lives.

When a man is killed during her jaw-dropping act of sawing a man in half, The Amazing Arden is arrested and accused of the murder. The thing is, Arden has a story to tell about who that man really is and this murder just might be an illusion too. The story unfolds as she makes her confession to the officer who has arrested her as she confesses to the real crimes that have been committed in her life. There are some great plot twists in this one that kept me flipping the pages until the end and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Amazing Arden is held by an officer on suspicion of murdering her husband. This is her story.

Or is it?

I was pretty much engrossed in this book from start to finish. I read well past my bedtime and even read early in the morning before the baby woke. I was captured in this world that the author created.

Arden tells her story to Officer Holt who has captured her as she is fleeing. The story is mostly Arden's voice, but some chapters bring us back to the now where she interacts with the Officer. How reliable is Arden? What is she not saying? And will Holt fall under her spell?

The setting is so much fun, you can feel how Arden (original name Ada) moves through this world with her failed musician mother and her husband. How she feels threatened at a young age and flees, only to have the crazy boy obsessed with her, Ray, follow her. How she becomes an illusionist, travels with a company, tours and falls in love. I don't want to give a lot away. It's seductive, Arden's voice is so clear and rings through the novel. I liked her interactions with the officer as well. It showed how clever she was, the real danger she was in, and her humanity and vulnerability. She was, after all, just an illusionist. Right?

There is not only the danger of her being hung but the author does a magnificent job of instilling real fear whenever Ray enters the scene. I got goosebumps.

Fans of Water for Elephants will really enjoy this story, set in the perfect time and with some very creative and dangerous characters. I gladly relinquished my free time to sink back into this world, and Arden's story.