I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked how it flipped back and forth between the present and flashbacks of Arden's life. If you're not one for that sort of thing...get over it and read the damn book. Also, before you read any further...it's a murder book...I tell you who died and who did it...so SPOILER ALERT.
The story begins with a magic act of sawing a man in half...followed by a real man actually having been beaten and sawed in half...well that grabbed my attention from the get go. I do love a good murder story after all. The magician, it must be told, is a woman by the stage name of Arden. We don't start out knowing the identify of the dead man, but given the magician is so skilled in seemingly knowing how to saw a man in half, she becomes the immediate suspect. She is seen and captured by a small town police officer who has his own demons. He was shot in the line of duty not too long ago and has just received some very disturbing news from the doctor about the bullet lodged in his back. Not trusting Arden, but knowing if he can get her to confess his career will be set, officer Virgil Holt handcuffs her to a chair for the interrogation. Arden is adamant that she is innocent and knows nothing about the murder, but Virgil insists on knowing what happened so Arden begins her story at the beginning.
Once upon a time, Arden was known by her government name of Ada Bates and she lived with her mother and grandparents in quite the lap of luxury. However, that all changed when her mother met a man of meager means and he promised her the world. Like a typical woman in love, she left behind the riches of her family and moved with him to a farm...and on this farm was a boy named Ray. Ray was the son of her new step-father's brother...yeah...follow that flow chart. He was a cousin by marriage only. Ray was a twisted sort who believed he had the magic to heal people...when really he was just a sadistic freak who liked to hurt animals and people. Ada coped with the drastic changes her life had taken by taking up dancing...ballet in particular. And she was good. She was graceful and she worked hard. She worked so hard and progressed so quickly her mother was able to get her an audition for a prestigious dance teacher that would be visiting the Biltmore Estate. Her mother, Ada, and Ray set off to Biltmore for the audition. Once they arrived at Biltmore, Ada went out to the barn to clear her head before her big audition and to work through her steps. Ray found her and forced himself upon her. When she fought back and would not succumb to her advances, he picked her up and threw her from the hay loft, crushing not only her leg but also her dreams of leaving the wretched farm and wretched Ray.
After she recovered and once she was 16, Ada was out like a fat kid in dodge ball and went to Biltmore to try and find work. She didn't know where else to go to find work but she knew how to clean house and she figured she could just sneak in. It surprisingly worked and by that I mean the head cleaning lady let her stay. Ada got along well and during her stay she met a gardener named Clyde who was 2 years older than her. The two were immediately smitten with each other but when they were caught by Mr. Biltmore himself they decided to leave the estate and travel north. At the same time, Ada got a letter that Ray was on his way so to continue outrunning him, she traveled with Clyde. Whilst staying with Clyde's relatives, unbeknownst to Ada, he proposed in order to get happy engagement money from the family. He should have clued Ada in because she was legitimately heart broken when she learned he had only asked her for the purposes of milking money from his family and had no real interest in marrying her. I say she's legit in being pissed. Ada, being all up in her feelings, split from Clyde when they made it to New York. She got a job as a dancer in a chorus line production and was approached by a woman, a female magician, to be in her show. The money was too good and Ada decided to join the traveling magic show. At first she was just a helper but more and more she was taken under the tutelage of Adelaide, the magician. Eventually it was time for Adelaide to retire so she turned the show over to Ada, on the condition that she worked with the manager of her own choosing...that manager just so happened to be Clyde. Well hello plot twist. It takes some time but eventually the two just can't help themselves and they realize they are right for each other and the romance begins again.
In the midst of things going well, both personally and professionally, Arden travels to Chicago to check out a theater for where her show could potentially be held when a fire breaks out. Someone saves her but she wakes up in a basement surrounded by people covered by white sheets...obviously those that perished from the fire. Upon waking, who's face does she see? Ray. Mother fucker. Just die already. Ray, always with his handy straight razor, does his psychotic routine but Arden, now older and stronger, gets his razor and slits his throat. However, Arden is never really the same again because of the blood on her hands. She never tells a soul of what happened but she has a hard time reconnecting with Clyde after the incident of the fire and the throat cutting. She and Clyde eventually work through things and carry on with the traveling magic show...until Ray shows up once again in her life. He threatens Clyde's life so she sends a telegram (he's still in New York) and tells him it's over. For weeks Ray holds her prisoner in her own train car only letting her out to do the shows. He beats her and does his usual psycho routine.
Now...skipping a whole lot and a lot of detail that really is worth reading, that brings us up to her being handcuffed to a chair in the police station. Turns out the dead guy is.....RAY!! Holy shit balls...fucking finally! Believe me...once you reading everything this fucker did, you'll feel like I did. However, it really wasn't Arden who killed him......it was...DUN DUN DUNNNNNN....
CLYDE! Yes! He knew that mother fucker was hurting his woman and had been for some time. He also knew they were in love and she wouldn't just send a telegram to break up with him. The good news is too...they don't get caught by the police! Which in all honesty, it was self defense that Ray ended up dead.
Now...I have left a whole lot out because there are some things about Virgil that add to the story and make a little subplot going on with him. He's a good man but he knows his career is over. He eventually comes around to Ada's side though...he sympathizes with her after hearing her story. I liked this story a lot and found switching between the past and present really helped keep the story from getting boring or from dragging on for too long at one particular time. I would definitely read anything in the future from Greer Macallister. Well done.
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