Ivy Gamble is a private detective who is also kind of a mess. She drinks too much, she has trouble forming lasting relationships, and she is tired of following cheating husbands and uncovering insurance fraud; Ivy wants to prove herself as a real investigator. So when the headmaster of the Osthorne School for Young Mages appears in her office and wants to hire her to investigate a mysterious death at the school, Ivy jumps at the chance. But Osthorne isn’t just a magic school, it’s also where Ivy’s sister Tabitha teaches. And their relationship is fraught, to say the least. Because Tabitha has magic, and Ivy – well, Ivy doesn’t. And that has defined their relationship, and Ivy’s sense of self, since they were kids. And now Ivy needs to blend in at a school full of mages while she investigates a death that could have just been a magical accident, but also could have been murder. Ivy has to sift through the motives and relationships of the professors and the students, because anyone and everyone is a suspect – including Ivy’s own sister.
Magic for Liars is excellent. Sarah Gailey did something really interesting with the magic system. We’re not really shown how much works, but we’re given quick glimpses of complex works, or partial explanations of already completed magic, or more in-depth explanations during Ivy’s investigation and interviews. As the mystery continues we start to understand how and why magic could have been involved in the death that Ivy is looking into. The relationship building is also complex and surprisingly moving. There were a few sections of the book that genuinely moved me to tears. (When Ivy mentions a mirror, grab your tissues!)
Ivy isn’t perfect. She’s resentful, drinks to escape her problems, and puts on a façade in front of others rather than expose any vulnerability. But she is infinitely relatable, and intelligent, and fascinating to accompany on the investigation.
This would have been five stars except for the ending, I wish there’d been a bit more denouement. But overall the book was really good, and I highly recommend it!
