Book Talk with R and T: The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister (Review)

Title: The Magician's Lie
Author: Greer Macallister
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
ISBN: 9781402298684
Number of Pages: 320
How I Got It: NetGalley
Format: Kindle

NetGalley Description: 
Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in The Magician’s Lie, a debut novel in which the country’s most notorious female illusionist stands accused of her husband's murder --and she has only one night to convince a small-town policeman of her innocence.
The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.
But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician and takes her into custody, she has a very different story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to see through the smoke and mirrors.

My Review:
On my never-ending browse of NetGalley, I was stopped in my mouse-scrolling tracks! That cover! Then I read the description and my eyes started popping out of my head. The Night Circus (I looooved The Night Circus,) female illusionist accused of her husband's murder (I like a strong female lead,) and Waterloo, Iowa (close to where I grew up and worked.) This book sounded really good. I held my breath when I started reading it for fear I would be let down and then I continued holding my breath because I was so intrigued! Amazing Arden cloaked in heavy brocade skirts, with her dual colored eye, had me mesmerized by her story as if I were Virgil Holt and I was in that jail cell with her. Greer Macallister has given readers one of the best "love to hate" characters with Ray and one of the best anti-heroines with Arden. It is hard to believe that this is only her debut novel but it is exciting to think how this means there is more to come from her. 

Because it's a murder mystery, I won't give anything away here in my review, but Tamara and I will later this week on Friday's Book Talk with R and T.  

** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **