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Title details for The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron - Available

The Illusionist's Apprentice

by Kristy Cambron
Amy Rubinate
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel tracks Houdini's assistant in a world of misdirection, suspense, and forgotten pasts to remind us that 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.

  • Historical fiction with a dash of suspense
  • Stand-alone novel
  • Book length: 99,000 words
  • Also by author: The Paris Dressmaker, The Italian Ballerina, and The Ringmaster's Wife

    • Creators

    • Publisher

    • Release date

      March 7, 2017

    • Formats

      • OverDrive Listen audiobook

        • ISBN: 9780718095284
        • File size: 298379 KB
        • Duration: 10:21:37

    • Languages

      • English

    • Reviews

      • Publisher's Weekly

        Starred review from January 9, 2017
        Cambron (Butterfly and the Violin) brilliantly weaves a tale of intrigue and history, using Houdini’s disdain for debates about magic vs. illusion as her premise. Stapleton, a vaudeville performer, debunked by Houdini as a fraud several years earlier, decides to restore his reputation by publicly bringing a man back to life 20 years after the man’s death. The performance, which takes place in the months after Houdini’s own death, is attended by Jenny “Wren” Lockhart, Houdini’s trusted apprentice and protégé. Stapleton summons the man to rise from the coffin, but shortly after he rises, before he is able to speak, the man promptly keels over dead—again. In the background watching this incident stand FBI agent Elliott Matthews and the wealthy widow Amber Dover, a colorful character who married into society but comes from a vaudeville background. Suspicious of both Wren and Amber, Elliott’s instincts lead him to investigate their potential involvement in the bizarre resurrection and potential murder. Wren unwittingly becomes entwined with FBI agent Elliot, initially to solve the case of what exactly happened to the “dead” man but eventually to pursue her budding affection for Elliot. Cambron’s lithe prose pulls together past and present and her attention to historical detail grounds the narrative to the last breathtaking moments.

      • AudioFile Magazine
        Kristy Cambron's story of illusion and faith in the roaring '20s will engage listeners with its well-plotted mystery and intriguing historical details. Amy Rubinate narrates the novel with mixed success. Despite the work she does to make the main character, a vaudevillian named Wren, such a relatable character, her staccato delivery frequently distracts from the story, interfering with the listener's complete enjoyment of the book. On the other hand, Rubinate differentiates voices in a way that makes conversations easy to follow. She also inserts the perfect amount of emotion into the characters, especially Wren, who once apprenticed for Harry Houdini and now must try to prove the innocence of a fraudster Houdini once debunked. J.L.K. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
      • Library Journal

        March 15, 2017

        Illusionist acts contain many secrets, and no one knows this better than Jenny "Wren" Lockhart, unconventional assistant to the famed Harry Houdini. After Houdini's death in 1926, she finds herself in the unexpected position of defending one of the fake spiritualists whom Houdini had debunked during his lifetime. After a public illusion goes fatally wrong, performer Horace Stapleton is charged with his client's murder. When another victim turns up, Wren teams with FBI agent Elliot Matthews to find the killer. Cambron's extraordinary attention to historical detail creates a 1920s Boston setting that is as real as the characters who inhabit it. The twisty plot's palpable tension rises to an almost unbearable level before the surprise ending. VERDICT Cambron (The Ringmaster's Wife) has written a gripping tale of suspense that will please her growing fan base.

        Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

    subjects

    Languages

    • English

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