A review by enchantressreads
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Ivy Gamble is a private detective, following cheating spouses and people who owe money. When a mage shows up asking for her help with a murder, she has to delve into a new world—the world her sister was born into. The world she’s resented her sister over.

Sarah Gailey has a certain way of writing that just *gets* me. The way they write just sucks me in from page one, on all three of their books I’ve read so far. If anyone knows how to write a good opener, it’s Sarah Gailey.

Magic for Liars seems, on the outside, a murder mystery. But it is so much more than that. It deals with grief, trauma, relationships, love. Tough decisions for both teenagers and adults. It was really nice to see a world in which adults don’t treat the kids as useless, and the adults themselves are not useless. 

The .5 reduction is because I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship with Rahul. The story would have flowed well without it. Otherwise, I really loved it.
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