The Illusionist

This was an interesting story. At first I thought it was about the aging father being accused of Nazi war crimes. As I read, the story changed to a dysfunctional family, particularly the mother-daughter relationship. A minor quibble: at times I thought too much discussion of the mother-daughter relationship went on. It became repetious without advancing the story. A major complaint: I found the ending unsatisfying. I alway find this type of ending unsatisfying. The rest of the book was good enough that I'd still recommend it to readers -- and many people are fine with this type of ending. Don't let this complaint turn you off.

I liked the story line and wished it was longer. I like reading longer books. Otherwise, it was good. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed all of them so far.

The Illusionist was a spellbinding novel that transcends standard genres of suspense, historical fiction, romance. The prose is magical, the characters practically breathe, and the plot is riveting. When I picked it up Saturday morning, I didn't put it down Sunday night. Buy it, and when you are done, you will be breathless, and maybe look at people a little differently.

Disappointed. Middle was good but ending was too much introspection and and little results. Here are six more words for you to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were very well written and believable. It kept my interest right to the end. This is the second book I've read by this author and look forward to more from her!

I had read 300 pages of this book before I took a sip of water in the glass sitting next to me. I was enchanted by the world, by the family, and by the mysteries of this novel. This book will have you up all night, waiting to see how it ends! A must read!

As a page turner this book does its job. A deliberate hook at the end of the chapter, forced if necessary. Hooks that are sometimes there for the sake of, completely against the flow of the piece. And that is the problem with this book. It is too workshopped and it sounds workshopped. There is no spark of originality, no unique voice, indeed no voice at all. It is bland bland bland!