The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

The Amazing Arden, a magician at the turn of the twentieth century, has just finished chopping a man in half with an ax, a new twist on her most spectacular illusion. Shortly after, the man in the illusion, Arden's husband, is found murdered below stage, and Arden is nowhere to be found. By pure luck, a local policeman, Virgil Holt, apprehends the magician later that night at a rural diner and takes her into custody.

Virgil accuses the magician of murder, but Arden vehemently denies it. For the remainder of the night, Virgil questions the mysterious Arden hoping she will eventually confess. Instead, Arden relays the mesmerizing and incredulous story of how she became a famous illusionist. Before morning arrives, Virgil must sift through her story to determine lie from truth and decide whether she is a cunning murderess or a tortured victim that should be set free. But even handcuffed, Arden is no ordinary helpless woman.

Can a woman who lives a life of deception ever be truly innocent? Or is she a clever killer? What exactly is the magician's lie? Arden's bewitching tale draws you in, while answers to whom the murderer is remain elusive until the very end. The Magician's Lie is a combination of Water for Elephants and The Night Circus, and consequently, readers who enjoy historical fiction combined with healthy doses of mystery, suspense, and romance will relish this book.