The Illusionist's Apprentice

The Illusionist's Apprentice
Kristy Cambron
(Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-0718041502
March 2017/368 pages/$15.99

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.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KRISTY CAMBRON has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the bestselling author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists for 2014 & 2015, and received a 2015 INSPY Awards nomination for best debut novel. The Illusionist’s Apprentice (HarperCollins, 2017) is her fourth novel. Her first Bible study (DVD and study guides), The Verse Mapping series, will release in 2018.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University and has 15 years experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She loves storytelling from the stage and travels to speak about her love for Bible Verse-Mapping throughout the year. Kristy lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

The last and most important thing? Jesus Christ is everything — let her tell you about Him sometime.

Learn more at her website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.


MY THOUGHTS

Kristy Cambron writes compelling stories, and The Illusionnist's Apprentice is another spell-binding tale. I was drawn in from the opening pages and mesmerized until the closing scene. I have always been uncomfortable with so-called "magic shows," and was fascinated by and appreciative of the distinction between illusion and magic. Cambron deftly combines history, intrigue, and a hint of romance in this captivating novel, with faith a subtle but sure thread woven into the fabric of the story. Don't miss this gifted author's latest offeringing. Grab your copy of The Illusionist's Apprentice before it vanishes!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson and Fiction Guild. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”