A magician short on bookings; a rich banker with a secret; a woman missing for 20 years, come together as chaos erupts in Chicago's politics.
In ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC a rich and devious banker engages magician Nick Zetner to retrieve compromising photos. Along the way, Nick regains a love he thought he'd forever lost. As Chicago reels from the fatal wounding of its mayor by a bullet intended for Franklin D. Roosevelt, love and duty clash, the quest risks Nick's magic . . . then turns deadly.
Available on Amazon.com.
Excerpt
Although almost twenty years had passed since he'd last seen her, the shock hit him like a fast fist to his midsection. He halted, maybe six feet away, and stopped breathing, his heart thumping in his chest. Iris Jane Marker, supple in a silky dress with a V neck, didn't move.
Professional Reviews
ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC
"ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC, set in Chicago in early 19303, does a masterful job of telling the highly entertaining love story between an out-of-work magician and his old flame...Rivard creates a historically accurate background for his cast of fascinating characters, creating a moving novel..." --Dr. Willard Oliver, Professor at Sam Houston State University and co-author of KILLING THE PRESIDENT.
ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC
"ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC,a story of political intrigue in 1930s Chicago, is written in an informative, yet entertaining style. Rivard weaves into his narrative the true story of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak's murder and he does it with accuracy and complete authenticity...Each chapter powers along, insisting you read 'just one more' part. The taut writing ha a 'made for the movies' tension..." --Mel Ayton, author of THE FORGOTTEN TERRORIST and HUNTING THE PRESIDENT.
ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC
[The] attempted assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Miami in…1933…is part of the dramatic backdrop of Rivard’s fast-paced and punchy novel.…Nick Zetner’s adventures, part screwball comedy and part Dashiell Hammett, combine with the richly authentic atmosphere of the setting to create a quick and very enjoyable read that smoothly intermingles Nick’s love life with a challenging case he takes on for a corrupt banker. The book reads like a breath of fresh air – recommended. – Joanna Urquhart, Historical Novel Society
ILLUSIONS OF MAGIC Writing good historical fiction is a difficult trick… Rivard keeps the plot clicking… He also shows a hilarious knack for capturing old-time Chicagoan accents… Rivard comes up with a few new takes on the old city I have yet to encounter anywhere else. … In summary, Illusions of Magic is…a tale well told. – Third Coast Review.
Based on the memoirs of a Pearl Harbor survivor. Letters from two pen pals take the reader on a journey into the past, a past where nightmares came true, and when hatred reigned.
Tralee, Ireland. September 1948.
An arrogant, and highly agitated, priest arrives home after 40 years.
Days later he's dead. Suicide? Or did his past catch up with him?
A delightfully rare Historical Novel. 85% a biography of a spy, musician, mother and her neice trapped behind German lines in World War I. This background led to a diplomatic post in World War II. Aged 92, Vera disclosed her past life one year before
