M.E. Hilliard wraps up a four-book story arc with Smoke and Mirrors, but leaves a hint for the next book. Librarian Greer Hogan has been hunting for answers as to her husband’s murder four years earlier, a storyline that began with The Unkindness of Ravens. Now, with a temporary job in Manhattan, she has the chance to find her husband’s killer.
Greer had been living in upstate New York, but, now that she has a temporary job cataloging a collection at the Archive of Illusionists and Conjurers in Manhattan, she can ask questions of her late husband’s colleagues at New Leaf, where he worked when he was killed. Yes, a man was arrested for the murder, but Greer believes him when he says Danny was alive when he left their apartment, unconscious but alive. For four years, she’s felt guilty that she ignored Danny when he wanted to talk to her that day. Now, she only has rage left.
Greer gathers a small group of people to help her dig for answers, including one woman who worked with Danny, their two neighbors in the apartment building, and Grim. Grim is a mysterious figure, a magician who speaks Italian, so was hired to assist her with cataloging magic books written in Italian, and some of the magic props. He also has a few tricks to teach her for her own protection.
After Greer makes contact again with the management at New Leaf, someone tries to break into two places, the archive, and her parents’ home. They’re thwarted both times, but a man dies at her parents’. Greer knows she has stirred the pot at New Leaf, and a killer has something to hide.
Four books seems quite a few for an ongoing story arc, but the resolution will allow Greer and readers to move on. As I said, there’s a hint of a new mystery involving Grim and the archive. Readers who haven’t read the earlier books, or at least the first in the series, might find themselves a little lost with the ongoing story.
On a personal note, there are several scenes in The Hungarian Pastry Shop in New York, across the street from St. John the Divine. Since I’ve been there, I enjoyed those scenes.
Smoke and Mirrors by M.E. Hilliard. Crooked Lane Books, 2024. ISBN 9781639106196 (hardcover), 304p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley provided through NetGalley so I could review the book for.a journal.
