“Beneath this buoyant tale of down-market entertainers in Victorian London rumbles a heavyweight novel . . . Intricate and thrilling” (The New York Times). A young, beautiful woman of limited means, Eliza is modern before her time. Not for her the stifling—if respectable—conventionality of marriage, children, domestic drudgery. She longs for more. Through her work as an artist’s model, she meets the magnetic and irascible Devil—a born showman whose dream is to run his own theater company. Devil’s right-hand man is the improbably named Carlo Boldoni, an ill-tempered dwarf with an enormous talent for all things magic and illusion. Carlo and Devil clash at every opportunity and it constantly falls upon Eliza to broker an uneasy peace between them. And then there is Jasper Button. Mild-mannered and a family man at heart, it is his gift as an artist that makes him the unlikely final member of the motley crew. Thrown together by a twist of fate, their lives are inextricably linked: The fortune of one depends on the fortune of the other. And as Eliza gets sucked into the seductive and dangerous world her strange companions inhabit, she risks not only her heart, but also her life, which is soon thrown into peril. “Love, seduction, magic and illusion collide . . . A spellbinding journey through an extremely shadowy world.” —Daily Express “A brilliant Gothic mix of glitter and grime.” —Daily Mail “Thomas’s sprawling follow-up to The Kashmir Shawl . . . A story of a theater company, a thriller, and, most successfully, a portrait of a woman trying to create an equal partnership with a man.” —Publishers Weekly

Two brothers, Azim and Azlan, find themselves pitted against each other in a looming election. A civil war is imminent irrespective of who wins. The only solution? One must compel the other to shoot himself

Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel tracks Houdini's assistant in a world of misdirection, suspense, and forgotten pasts to remind us that not all illusions happen on the stage. Wren Lockhart, apprentice to master illusionist Harry Houdini, uses life on a vaudeville stage to escape the pain of her past. She continues her career of illusion after her mentor's death, intent on burying her true identity. But when a rival performer's act goes tragically wrong, the newly formed FBI calls on Wren to speak the truth--and reveal her real name to the world. She transfers her skills for misdirection from the stage to the back halls of vaudeville, as she finds herself the unlikely partner in the FBI's investigation. All the while Houdini's words echo in her mind: Whatever occurs, the crowd must believe it's what you meant to happen. She knows that if anyone digs too deep, secrets long kept hidden may find their way to the surface--and shatter her carefully controlled world. Historical fiction with a dash of suspense Stand-alone novel Book length: 99,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

How magicians exploit the natural functioning of our brains to astonish and amaze us How do magicians make us see the impossible? The Illusionist Brain takes you on an unforgettable journey through the inner workings of the human mind, revealing how magicians achieve their spectacular and seemingly impossible effects by interfering with your cognitive processes. Along the way, this lively and informative book provides a guided tour of modern neuroscience, using magic as a lens for understanding the unconscious and automatic functioning of our brains. We construct reality from the information stored in our memories and received through our senses, and our brains are remarkably adept at tricking us into believing that our experience is continuous. In fact, our minds create our perception of reality by elaborating meanings and continuities from incomplete information, and while this strategy carries clear benefits for survival, it comes with blind spots that magicians know how to exploit. Jordi Camí and Luis Martínez explore the many different ways illusionists manipulate our attention—making us look but not see—and take advantage of our individual predispositions and fragile memories. The Illusionist Brain draws on the latest findings in neuroscience to explain how magic deceives us, surprises us, and amazes us, and demonstrates how illusionists skillfully “hack” our brains to alter how we perceive things and influence what we imagine.

A thrilling, seductive and electrifying new adventure set in the world of FEARSOME DREAMER A shocking new world. A dangerous choice. Two futures preparing to collide . . . Having left her soulmate White behind her in Angle Tar, Rue is trying to make sense of her new and unfamiliar life in World. Its technologically advanced culture is as baffling as is it thrilling to her, and Rue quickly realises World's fascination with technology can have intoxicating and deadly consequences. She is also desperately lonely. And so is White. Somehow, their longing for each other is crossing into their dreams - dreams that begin to take increasingly strange turns as they appear to give Rue echoes of the future. Then the dreams reveal the advent of something truly monstrous, and with it the realisation that Rue and White will be instrumental in bringing about the most incredible and devastating change in both World and Angle Tar. But in a world where Life is a virtual reality, where friends can become enemies overnight and where dreams, the future and the past are somehow merging together, their greatest challenge of all may be just to survive.

Have you always wondered how to be an illusionist? Do you wish to perform on a large stage for thousands of people? Maybe you are a working magician specializing in close up or stage magic and are looking to put together a bigger show for a special event? "How to be an Illusionist" is a first-of-its kind introductory reference guide on performing a modern illusion show in today's entertainment & pop culture market. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn step by step how to put an illusion show together, regardless of whether you perform illusions for fun, as a hobby, part-time or professionally. You will receive a goldmine of information that will empower you with practical knowledge to take on the world of grand illusions; including a primer on over 100 well-known illusions performed today with credits. The reference guide consists of 10 modules of information that is worth thousands of dollars' to the performing illusionist and has taken years of experience to learn and develop. It features over 80 full-colour photographs of a dozen international illusionists in performance including David DaVinci (USA), David & Abi Haines (USA), Kyle Knight & Mistie (USA), Miguel Gavilan (Spain), Hector Ruiz (Spain), Remy Savary (France), Adeline Ng (Singapore), Daniel Ka (Spain), Sam Powers (Australia), Jason Bishop (USA), Jay Mattioli (USA) and Sean Alexander (U.K.)."

A New York Times bestseller and USA Today bestselling book! From award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris comes the magical first book in a new series with plenty of tricks up its sleeve. When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on. After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series. (Psst. Hey, you! Yes, you! Congratulations on reading this far. As a reward, I'll let you in on a little secret... This book isn't just a book. It's a treasure trove of secrets and ciphers and codes and even tricks. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll discover more than just a story--you'll learn how to make your own magic!)