Barbara's rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Angus Brodie and Mikaela Forsythe #4
Publication Date: 8/8/23
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 295
How can you not love a book that has mystery, mayhem, madness, magicians, and murder? I found the first book of this series by a new-to-me author as a 'free' read through Amazon Prime and I was instantly hooked and have read each subsequent book. Mikaela Forsythe is a very smart, feisty, free-thinking woman who supports herself through writing adventure novels – and many of those novels are based upon her own real-life experiences. Angus Brodie is a straight-laced, dour, over-protective, Scot who was formerly an Inspector with the Metropolitan Police. He left the police under circumstances that have not yet been revealed to us, but I suspect it is a case of Brodie being right about something the mucky mucks wanted him to be wrong about it. The supporting characters are a varied and interesting lot from an actress with a 4-foot iguana to a chemist (pharmacist) with a penchant for dissection and an octogenarian aunt who is indomitable, enlightened, and planning a safari to Africa for herself.
Mikaela's actress friend, Theodora Templeton, invited her to attend a one-night-only performance by illusionist Jean Luc Betard at the Crystal Palace. Betard was the premier Illusionist of the time and he was unveiling a never-seen-before illusion before leaving on tour to the continent. Pragmatic and practical Mikaela knows it is all trickery – drawing your attention to one place while the action is happening in another. However, this illusion defies logic. How could this beautiful young woman possibly disappear from one box and reappear in another? Magic surely. Until – the body – right on stage – Oh! My!
Chief Inspector Abberline is a total twit and when he declares it a tragic accident, Mikaela sends word to Brodie. Mikaela could plainly see it wasn't an accident. When Betard hires Brodie and Mikaela to find out what really happened, they are thrown into a world of illusions where nothing and no one is what they seem. As more bodies turn up and threatening notes promise more to come, they know the answers lie in deeply kept secrets. Once they unearth those secrets, they'll know who the murderer is – and why. But, even with the answers, will they be able to keep the murderer from striking again? You'll just have to read the book to see.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can definitely recommend it. The mystery is excellently done, the pacing is quick and keeps you flipping from page to page, and there is finally some movement in the relationship between Brodie and Mikaela. My only complaint about the book is that it almost makes Mikaela appear to be an alcoholic as often as she has a drink (morning, noon, and night) of her "aunt's very fine whisky". That is the other thing that bugged me – I think that phrase appeared at least once in every chapter – including the epilogue. Those two things are why I rated it at 4.5 stars but rounded it up to 5.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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