Smoke & Mirrors
A Novel
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
An exciting and twisty middle-grade debut mystery novel—perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and The Parker Inheritance—about the disappearance of a famous magician, and one boy’s quest to find the truth
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
***STARRED REVIEW***
"Ransaw’s fast-paced debut offers an introspective look at dealing with racism and ambiguous grief through the eyes of a preteen. Through an intriguing mystery, the story explores biases and preconceptions. A fast-paced, adventurous journey in search of the truth."―Kirkus Reviews
***STARRED REVIEW***
"Debut author Ransaw has done something extraordinary here in building a mystery that is as satisfying to adults as it will be to middle-school readers. Black readers in particular will feel empowered by Ransaw’s message of self-advocacy, emerging from the novel stronger and more confident. A worthwhile read for any mystery fan or anyone in need of a little magic."―Booklist
With a gripping combination of hidden doors, shocking twists, and deep emotional heart, Smoke & Mirrors asks the question: How much of the truth is what you can get people to believe?
Spending the summer with his aunt as the only Black kid in a small Midwestern town was bad enough, but now Andy Carter’s summer has been effectively ruined.
His dad’s parole hearing is postponed, he misses his friends, and—when an old barn burns down—he’s stuck taking the blame. Andy is sentenced with helping the barn’s owner, a cantankerous old man, renovate his crumbling mansion—a mansion that hides a mystery.
It was once owned by the famous magician the Red Knave. In 1954, the Knave was a wanted suspect in the town’s most infamous murder before disappearing without a trace.
The whole town is sure the Red Knave is guilty, but to Andy, things just don’t add up. Investigating a mystery from the ’50s isn’t the same as spending time with his dad, but Andy can’t help but be drawn into the Red Knave’s exciting world of magic and illusion. To solve the Knave’s final vanishing act, Andy teams up with another boy he doesn’t quite trust.
Secret by secret, they try to uncover the Red Knave’s identity and learn why his last performance came to such a tragic end.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Twelve-year-old Andreus "Andy" Carter isn't thrilled to be spending the summer in fictional Bryville, Ohio, with his aunt Nonie. The only Black kid in town, he endures frequent racism, experiences that worsen feelings of loneliness stemming from his incarcerated father's postponed parole hearing. Then Andy is apprehended for the purported arson of curmudgeonly neighbor Mr. Gilbert's barn. Rather than have Andy sentenced to juvenile detention, elderly Mr. Gilbert offers an alternative consequence: helping the barn owner restore his dilapidated home, which local kids call the "murder house." Andy learns that the house was owned by infamous magician the Red Nave, who disappeared in 1954 after he was implicated in the murder of a prominent Bryville resident. The tween decides to strike a new deal: if he can close the Red Nave's unsolved case, Mr. Gilbert will release Andy from his renovation duties. Intertwining plotlines regarding the mystery of the Red Nave and Andy's struggles navigating prejudice shed light on how preconceived assumptions can strain friendships and communities. Andy's journal entries, presented as letters addressed to his father, appear throughout Ransaw's thoughtful debut about second chances. Ages 8–12.
