The Amazing Arden is an illusionist,
one of the best in the field, and unlike other illusionists working the circuit
she is a woman. The road that led her to
a life on the stage doing fire dances and cutting people in half is a strange
one that she recounts while being held on suspicion of murder. Someone killed her husband. He was found hacked in his midsection by an
axe in a prop box below the stage. It
looks just like the illusion of the Halved Man she performed that evening in
front of a sellout crowd. Officer Holt
apprehends her as she flees and takes her to his small town jail/police station
for questioning. There, over the course
of the evening, she tells her story in hopes that Holt will see the truth in
her words and set her free.
Best part of the book? The title.
The entire book I wondered if Arden was to be believed. The book is two stories in one: Arden telling
the story of her life to Holt from her childhood up until earlier that evening
and the conversations Arden and Holt have in the jail as she tells her
tale. Since the past is recounted
vividly in prose it’s hard to remember that we are only getting Arden’s
remembrances, so the sections of Holt and Arden talking are helpful. It’s a reminder that we’re only getting her
version of events and you can’t help but wonder what is real and what is a lie.
This book is released on January 13th
so get your holds placed now!
