Magic for Liars: A Novel

An Amazon Best Book of June 2019: Ivy Gamble is a no-nonsense PI who pays her rent by tracking down cheaters of all kinds. So when a school hires her to solve a murder, she jumps at the chance to solve a big case, even if it means working at the Osthorne Academy for Young Mages where her estranged sister, Tabitha, happens to be a teacher. Ivy has a complicated relationship with her sister and with magic itself, since Tabitha was born magical, while Ivy was born without. Once Ivy gets to Osthorne’s, she’s forced to reckon with her sister, magical high-schoolers who hamper her investigation at every turn, and her budding relationship with the Physical Magic teacher, Rahul. To make matters even more complicated, Ivy decides to keep the fact that she isn’t magical under wraps. Gailey focuses their attentions on Ivy and the murder more than sorcerous mechanics, but also creates a fully realized magical world, making this a perfect read for fans of mystery and fantasy alike. —Alison Walker