Reviews

The Magician's Angel by Jordan L. Hawk

Only show reviews with written explanations

tetiana's review

5.0

After reading several uninspiring books in a row I suddenly remembered I had this novella by one of my fave romance authors tucked away especially for a time like this (and because I’m a weirdo who hates reading holiday stories during actual holidays).

And what a treat it was! Intriguing mystery and a fulfilling romance and overall a very lovely story. Fantastic little pick me up which rescued me from a reading slump.

sarful's review

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4.0

Nice little historical novela about a vaudeville magician and an accountant. Hoping to save the local theater, Edward allows his little brother to bring in a big show for the Christmas season. During rehearsals Edward sees the dashing magician Christopher, who also wears the telltale green carnation.

The two hit it off in Christopher’s dressing room during intermission. So too does a murder, that becomes known halfway through the magic show. The rest of the book is Christopher and Edward searching for the culprit. They also, and it’s actually quite sweet, fall in love.

I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed the recall of the angel and a bit of its mysterious qualities.

roxanamalinachirila's review

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3.0

A fun, Christmas-y read, with a bit of a mystery thrown in over the romance.

Twelfth Junction is a small town - it was meant to be bigger, but then things happened and it just never grew. Hell, it never became a real junction, even, and there's only a single train line running through it, so it's basically the back end of nowhere.

The theater is slowly dying, too, and the owner calls what will probably be the last performers to ever come there. The owner's brother and the town accountant, Edward, doesn't really want to be anywhere near the theater, but there are numbers to be crunched there, and he's the only one to crunch them, so he ends up meeting Christopher, the magician, who is planning on making it big in Chicago very soon, with a once in a lifetime opportunity. There's instant attraction between them, but they both have lives to go to.

But everything goes awry when one of the performers in murdered and everyone else is kept in town until the mystery is solved, which can be a long while, considering the fact that the local police is pretty incompetent. Christopher and Edward team up to find the killer, to clear their names, ensure their freedom (in Christopher's case, so he can go to Chicago) and keep the theater going.

While there's nothing I disliked about it (there's very little to dislike in this novella, it's well written and the mystery's good), and while it's nice and comforting, somehow it failed to impress. Maybe I'll be able to pinpoint what didn't work for me with a re-read at some point (or maybe I'll realize I wasn't in the right mood for it, who knows?).

mommasaystoread's review

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4.0

3.5 stars
The Magician's Angel brings us to early 1900's Iowa for a Vaudeville show and a mystery. I really liked the tidbit about where Christopher found the angel, tying it in to the previous story, but I was a little disappointed in the lack of her magical presence here. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book - I did. Christopher and Edward are both likable characters and the story has a cozy mystery feel as they set about solving a murder. There is some romance and even some steam - what I would call steamy light - but this pair felt more like good friends with benefits than a couple finding true love. All that aside, this addition to the series is entertaining and the mystery made for a fun read.

josy's review against another edition

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4.0

eemms's review against another edition

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3.0

A fun mystery romance with a bit of Christmas cheer. I haven't read the others in this collection but it does stand alone. The set up was right out of Midsomer Murders (not a bad thing, I'm on season 16 of that show and still enjoying it) with stage magician Christopher Fiend opening his prop cabinet mid-performance to reveal a strangled body. The romance is fine but didn't quite hit the right note for me. It starts as a hookup which is kind of a nice change, but Edward spends most of the rest of the book telling himself there's no way someone like Christopher could ever have FEELINGS for him, which just isn't my jam right now. Of course he does have feelings, the murderer is revealed, and everything ends happily ever after. I recommend it if you like American midwest settings and mystery romance, and don't need a slow burn.

suze_1624's review against another edition

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4.0

Pacy, short story that delivers. 3.75*
We have Christopher, the travelling magician trying to make it big but currently stuck i the Iowa backwaters.
Then Edward an accountant whose brother runs the familt theatre that is dying on it’s feet.
Add a dose of attraction and a number in the theatrical company to get a satisfying cosy mystery (though I did guess the murderer the second time they went through where everyone was), a nice encounter and then more domesticity which was alien to both men and the lure of the big time. And of course the angel - liked the link back to the previous story.
And in the end we got a bit more than just the hfn the times may have really allowed!

millah's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

More holiday spirit in February! I loved this novella and I'm starting to realise that I'm really weak for the cozy-murder-mystery-romance-genre. Especially when I get a little hint of magical realism, like with this wooden angel. This was sweet, charming and intriguing and it made me smile. Perfect for the holidays. Btw, I missed book 2 in this series, but since the books are standalones, I suspect that didn't matter much.

omnibozo22's review

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3.0

This classic "stage magician involved in an onstage murder" trope gets run around the wings again, entitled after an angel figure which plays nearly no role in the story. The magic routines are routine, but the story is spiced up with several explicit scenes of gay male sex. Just know that going in. cough.

marsali's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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