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Book Review of The Illusion of Murder (Nellie Bly, Bk 2)

The Illusion of Murder (Nellie Bly, Bk 2)
eadieburke avatar reviewed on + 1635 more book reviews


Book Description:
History, mystery, murder and magic accompany Nellie Bly â Victorian Age detective, reporter, and feminist â as she takes up a challenge by Jules Verne to beat the eighty days it took his fictional hero Phileas Fogg to race around the world. Nellie tackles the journey--alone, with a single change of clothes--against the wishes of her publisher, Joseph Pulitzer, who felt it was âtoo dangerous for a woman to attempt.â

In her official account of the journey, Seventy-Two Days Around the World, Nellie leaves out one riveting event: a mysterious death. In the bustling harbor city of Port Said, she witnesses an event that makes her a target for a killer and involves her in international intrigue with the fate of nations at stake.

On board the ships that take Nellie from the Land of the Pharaohs to the exotic Orient and across the Pacific are the most famous magicians in the world... but a killer also stalks the decks. As magicians conjure the fantasy and a spiritualist raises the dead, Nellie wonders if Mr. Pulitzer had underestimated the danger.

My Review:
I enjoyed reading about Nellie Bly's trip around the world which she did in 72 days in 1889 to beat the record of Jules Verne's fictional hero Phileas Fogg in the novel Around the World in 80 days. The book has lots of history, mystery, murder and magic which makes for a fun thrilling adventure. I found all the characters to be well-drawn and the murder plot kept the pages turning all the way to the surprise ending. I look forward to reading the 3rd book in the saeries and I highly recommend this series to those who like historical mysteries.