Review: Magic For Liars

Magic For Liars, by Sarah Gailey (Tor 2019)

First line: “The library at Osthorne Academy for Young Mages was silent save for the whisper of the books in the Theoretical Magic section.”

This genre mash-up seems like it was created for me: part private investigator murder mystery, part magical campus novel, part sister story… sign me right up. The Nerd Daily calls it “Veronica Mars with a bit of Harry Potter,” which, given that those are two of my most favorite series, can’t get much better.

Ivy Gamble hasn’t talked to her twin sister in years, ever since their mother died while Tabitha was away at magic school, not doing anything to help, and non-magical Ivy and her father had to watch her suffer alone. But when the principal of Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, the school where Tabitha now works, contacts Ivy to help solve the gruesome murder of one of their faculty members, Ivy can’t resist seeing what her sister’s up to now.

There was so much about this that I liked. Ivy, despite her hard edges and bitterness, is a character you can’t help but root for, in her mystery solving, her romantic life, and her relationship with her twin. The brand of magic here felt much more intellectual and academic than in other books I’ve read, in a way that felt interesting and unique. And the mystery kept me guessing the whole way through. There were plenty of convincing red herrings and dropped clues while the author laid the groundwork for the true resolution.

If you’re looking for a fall pick that feels a bit noir, at this one to your tbr stat! Fall is the perfect reading time!

Review: Mr. Kiss and Tell

Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell (Veronica Mars Mystery #2), by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham (Vintage Books, 2015)

First line: “It was raining in Neptune.”

This book was the perfect #quarantineread for me. As I mentioned previously, The Holdout got me in the urge to read more mystery/thrillery stuff than I normally want to, and this second installment in the Veronica Mars Mystery series has been sitting on my shelf for a few years, waiting for its chance.

I love me some Veronica Mars, and I’m certainly not alone in this. The first time I watched the whole original series, I think I checked out the DVDs from the library, before diving into the movie (which was funded by nearly 100k adoring fans raising $5.7 million on Kickstarter. See? Not alone in my love.). Then I rewatched the original series last year to prep for Hulu’s new season, and fell in love all over again. (My husband even watched the new season with me, and he was super impressed!) These two books (it doesn’t appear like there will be more, as Rob Thomas moved back into writing for the show) follow behind the narrative in set forth in the movie, each focusing on a new case.

In this one Veronica is hired by the insurance company for the Neptune Grand hotel, who are trying to get out of a lawsuit filed by a girl who was brutally assaulted by — according to her story — an employee at the hotel. Given her history, Veronica is not one to doubt the victim of a sexual assault, but as she begins her investigation, things do seem a little fishy. And the more she dives in, the more complicated things become.

Marshmallows (Veronica Mars fans) will eat this up right with me. We get our fair dose of classic Keith/Veronica banter, our swoony and at times heart-breaking Logan/Veronica romance, our lovable Detective Leo tension, the ever-sassy Cliff and best buds Mac and Wallace… it’s all there for the taking. And I think what makes this adaptation interesting, is that it’s adapting backwards from the page-to-screen adaptations we readers are used to. We picture Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni and Jason Dohring as these characters because that’s who they are! We can hear their voices in the written dialogue, see their expressions in the written descriptions. And the fact that one of the authors is in fact the show creator provides us with the authenticity we crave as consumers of this series. Most adaptations don’t fit quite so well, as they have different artists behind the mediums. In this one, it’s incredibly easy to fall back into the Neptune world and feel like you’ve never left. It certainly left me craving a season 5 and the need to rewatch the movie at least.

While it’s a compelling mystery all on its own, I’m not sure readers who are not VM fans will appreciate it nearly as much. While they do briefly remind readers of past scenarios and characters as they’re brought up, the writers expect the reader to know what they’re talking about, and I’m guessing most readers who pick this up will know exactly.

This was the perfect antidote to my quarantine blues.

From Death Eaters to Death Investigators

The Cuckoo’s Calling, by Robert Galbaith (2013)

Opening Line: “The buzz in the streets was like the humming of flies.”

I don’t read mystery thrillers too often (at least not adult ones), but everyone knows I can’t resist J.K. Rowling (the face behind the Robert Galbraith pen name). And she didn’t disappoint.

The plot revolves around the sudden death of supermodel Lula Landry, who fell from her apartment balcony one freezing winter night in London. Police ruled it a suicide, victim of depression and the wild whirls of fame. But when her brother comes calling at the offices of P.I. Cormoran Strike, he cries murder, and it’ll be up to Strike to prove it.

Strike is the character to pay attention to in this book. He’s the one who’s a mysterious mess, and while Lula’s death is certainly intriguing, she’s dead before the novel begins. We don’t get to know her hardly at all. Instead, we get to know Strike, the wounded veteran with a basically bankrupt detective agency and a woeful end of a love life, who — despite it all — is somehow a character I was instantly drawn to. Add to that, Robin, the assistant he can’t afford to pay, mistakenly sent to him from the temp agency. She’s the smartest and quickest assistant he’s ever had, and although she gets a permanent job offer from a different company before the week is out, she hesitates. Because working for Strike is the most exciting thing she’s done in a long time.

As happens quite a lot with me, this was an audiobook read, so I’m not sure if the clues to the Lula mystery were really there all along or not, but for me this one wrapped up much like an episode of Scooby Doo, with the mask ripped off and Strike explaining to the audience what really happened. To be honest, I kind of liked it that way, but this might be a turn off for some readers. If not, there are already two more Cormoran Strike novels waiting in the wings.

1.5 stars