Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Harry Houdini s one-time apprentice holds fantastic secrets about the greatest illusionist in the world. But someone wants to claim them . . . or silence her before she can reveal them on her own.
Boston, 1926. Jenny Wren Lockhart is a bold eccentric even for a female vaudevillian. As notorious for her inherited wealth and gentleman s dress as she is for her unsavory upbringing in the back halls of a vaudeville theater, Wren lives in a world that challenges all manner of conventions.
In the months following Houdini s death, Wren is drawn into a web of mystery surrounding a spiritualist by the name of Horace Stapleton, a man defamed by Houdini s ardent debunking of fraudulent mystics in the years leading up to his death. But in a public illusion that goes terribly wrong, one man is dead and another stands charged with his murder. Though he s known as one of her teacher s greatest critics, Wren must decide to become the one thing she never wanted to be: Stapleton s defender.
Forced to team up with the newly formed FBI, Wren races against time and an unknown enemy, all to prove the innocence of a hated man. In a world of illusion, of the vaudeville halls that showcase the flamboyant and the strange, Wren s carefully constructed world threatens to collapse around her. Layered with mystery, illusion, and the artistry of the Jazz Age s bygone vaudeville era, The Illusionist s Apprentice is a journey through love and loss and the underpinnings of faith on each life s stage.
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Synopsis
Not all illusions happen on the stage.
Wren Lockhart, apprentice to master illusionist Harry Houdini, uses life on a vaudeville stage to
escape the pain of her past. She continues her career of illusion after her mentor's death, intent on burying her true identity.
But when a rival performer's act goes tragically wrong, the newly formed FBI calls on Wren to speak the truth--and reveal her real name to the world. She transfers her skills for misdirection from the stage to the back halls of vaudeville, as she finds herself the unlikely partner in the FBI's investigation. All the while Houdini's words echo in her mind: Whatever occurs, the crowd must believe it's what you meant to happen. She knows that if anyone digs too deep, secrets long kept hidden may find their way to the surface--and shatter her carefully controlled world.
Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel of illusion, suspense, and forgotten pasts is perfect for fans of The Magician's Lie, challenging all to find the underpinnings of faith on their own life's stage.
-Prepare to be amazed by The Illusionist's Apprentice.- --Greer Macallister, bestselling author of The Magician's Lie and Girl in Disguise
Synopsis
Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel of illusion, suspense, and forgotten pasts is perfect for fans of The Magician's Lie.
Wren Lockhart, apprentice to master illusionist Harry Houdini, uses life on a vaudeville stage to
escape the pain of her past. She continues her career of illusion after her mentor's death, intent on burying her true identity.
But when a rival performer's act goes tragically wrong, the newly formed FBI calls on Wren to speak the truth--and reveal her real name to the world. She transfers her skills for misdirection from the stage to the back halls of vaudeville, as she finds herself the unlikely partner in the FBI's investigation. All the while Houdini's words echo in her mind: Whatever occurs, the crowd must believe it's what you meant to happen. She knows that if anyone digs too deep, secrets long kept hidden may find their way to the surface--and shatter her carefully controlled world.
"Prepare to be amazed by The Illusionist's Apprentice. Wren Lockhart, the talented magician at the heart of Kristy Cambron's spellbinding tale of Jazz Age Boston, is the fierce, brilliant, guarded headliner you've been waiting for. This novel will have your pulse pounding and your mind racing to keep up with reversals, betrayals, and surprises from the first page to the last. Like her characters, Cambron works magic so compelling and persuasive, she deserves a standing ovation." --Greer Macallister, USA TODAY bestselling author
- Historical fiction with a dash of suspense
- Stand-alone novel
- Book length: 99,000 words
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs