Synopsis

A contemporary crime thriller perfect for Louise Penny and Robert Dugoni fans, Illusionist presents PI McPherson with an impossible dilemma: kill an author at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest, or let a college student die.WHEN AN ILLUSIONIST joins the Pines & Quill writing retreat, one of the owners vanishes without a trace in the middle of everyone—but the surrounding would-be witnesses don’t see or hear a thing. That’s when crime boss Georgio Gambino makes a checkmate move against his nemesis, Sean McPherson—he attempts to blackmail a writer in residence into killing another writer and framing McPherson. In a video call, Gambino warns the writer, “If you don’t follow orders, your daughter will die.” Then he pans the camera to prove his access to her college dorm room.As he begins to investigate, McPherson discovers that Carmine Fiore, Gambino’s second in command, covets his boss’s role and is staging a coup. As Gambino’s soldiers traffic drugs, weapons, and humans, Fiore plants incriminating evidence against the notorious Sureños gang. Can McPherson leverage that knowledge for a temporary truce and the gang’s help?Even if he can, the Sureños gang won’t be enough alone. As the clock ticks down, McPherson gathers Pines & Quill’s writers in residence—a former NASCAR driver, a professional triathlete, an architect turned house flipper, and a world-renowned magician who may not be who she appears to be—to create the illusion of a lifetime.

About The Author

Laurie Buchanan writes the critically acclaimed Sean McPherson novels—pulse-pounding crime thrillers with heart-stopping twists that plunge readers into the depths of malice, the unwavering quest for justice, and high-stakes consequences. A cross between Dr. Dolittle, Nanny McPhee, and a type-A Buddhist, Buchanan is an active listener, observer of details, payer of attention, reader and writer of books, kindness enthusiast, and red licorice aficionado. Her books have won multiple awards, including Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner, International Book Award Gold Winner, National Indie Excellence Awards Winner, Crime Fiction/Suspense Eric Hoffer Awards Finalist, PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence, and CLUE Book Awards finalist Suspense/Thriller Mysteries. Laurie’s writing studio is in the hayloft of a historic carriage house in the Pacific Northwest. Her husband, Len, a private pilot, and Henry, their not-so-standard Standard Poodle, join her on daily walks. She always carries a camera because sometimes the best word choice is a picture.

This is a standard paperback/soft cover version.