ISBN: 0-595-13894-2 Order from: Amazon.com
A suspense novel full of deception, both external and self-imposed, and the conflicts of greed, affection, honor and pride—with complex characters and a slow plot.
Reviewed by David on May 22, 2001
Genre: Mystery (Suspense, Religion)
Synopsis: Harry Botkin, an accomplished magician intolerant of the religious and mystical fakers deluding the pubilc, finally finds an outlet for his frustration more satisfying than writing books and debunking charlatans. Harry, using a charismatic student of magic, will start a new cult—and will reveal the illusion publicly after garnering large following.
Starting off well, the great scheme goes awry when deceptions multiply—Harry's, the young prophet's, the cult members. Suddenly, uncovering the truth becomes deadly serious. And sometimes even the illusion is an illusion.
Full Review: This book is clever in playing with deception—especially conscious self-deception. It portrays deep affection and disillusionment without going into excessive sentimentalism. The characters are extremely realistic, complex, and somewhat interesting. The plot is mostly well-paced, keeping up suspense and confusion throughout much of the book. However, little emotional development takes place over such a long book, and that tends to dilute the reader's attention. In addition, while the characters, patricularly Harry "the Great" Botkin are interesting and somewhat sympathetic, the emotional involvement with the mostly cerebral action remains slight.
The ending was less dramatic than justified by the long build-up. While skillfully written with excellent realism, the lack of emotional intensity or resolution detracts from the book's otherwise high entertainment value.
Overall: 5.5; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 6; Style: 5; World-building: 5; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 2000, iUniverse.com (Writer's Showcase), 2000, Trade paperback, 544 pages
ISBN: 0-595-13894-2 Order from: Amazon.com