From the BC shelf at work. Registering for tracking purposes.

Off to charliewendy as a surprise.

Received from bookworm-BNE along with a bookring. Thanks bookworm!

Sending this off to alinci-g with a bookring.

What a great surprise! This arrived with a bookring. I am looking forward to reading it. It looks fascinating although the size puts me off a little! :-)

Sent to catsalive with a bookring. I hope she enjoys it.

Thanks alinci-g.

An excellent read! I really had no idea what to expect & I could hardly put it down. My eyes are hanging out of my head in weariness as I finished it in 2 days. It is quite a dense book but very easy reading. Much, much better than Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, to which I have seen it compared.

It is about magic - stage magic, that is -, & mystery & romance. Loosely based on magician Charles J. Carter & the magic performed through the 1890s to the 1920s, & the death of & scandal surrounding US President Harding. The characters are delightful & human. The blending of fiction & fact is seamless, & by the end I didn't know nor care what the difference was, I just loved the story.

Charles Carter, dubbed Carter the Great by Houdini himself, was born into privilege but became a magician out of need: only when dazzling an audience can he defeat his fear of loneliness. But in 1920s America the stakes are growing higher, as technology and the cinema challenge the allure of magic and Carter's stunts become increasingly audacious. Until the night President Harding takes part in Carter's act only to die two hours later, and Carter finds himself pursued not only by the Secret Service but by a host of others desperate for the terrible secret they believe Harding confided in him.

Sent to jubby for the October 2016 SCBE.

Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness Catsalive for posting this book and a few others from my wishlist (and as part of The Southern Cross Book Exchange, over on www.bookobsessed.com).

This looks like a big read and I plan to jump into this these summer holidays.

When it rains, it pours.

I have received two copies of this book, so releasing one for others to read.

Plan to release at the bus stop near Sydney Town Hall.