The Illusion of Murder
- 448 pages
- 16 hours of reading
Escapist fiction in the style of Jed Rubenfeld, ideal for enthusiasts of historical mystery novels.
Carol McCleary Books
Carol McCleary's formative years were shaped by a global upbringing, experiencing life in Seoul, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines before finding a home in the United States. She now resides on Cape Cod, embracing the atmospheric setting of her antique house, which she shares with its spectral inhabitants.
Paris 1889. The Alchemist is how I've come to think of him; he has a passion for the dark side of knowledge, mixing murder and madness with science. Nellie Bly - reporter, feminist and amateur detective - is in Paris on the trail of an enigmatic killer. The city is a dangerous place: an epidemic of Black Fever rages, anarchists plot to overthrow the government and a murderer preys on the prostitutes who haunt the streets of Montmartre. But it is also a city of culture, a magnet for artists and men of science and letters. Can the combined genius of Oscar Wilde, Jules Verne and Louis Pasteur help Nellie prove a match for Jack the Ripper?
Paris, the capital of Europe and center of world culture. People have gathered to celebrate the 1889 World's Fair, a spectacular extravaganza dedicated to new industries, scientific discoveries, and global exploration. Its gateway is the soaring Eiffel Tower. But an enigmatic killer stalks the streets, and a virulent plague is striking down Parisians by the thousands. The world's most famous reporter - the intrepid Nellie Bly - is convinced that the killings are connected to the epidemic. Hot off another sensational expose, she travels to Paris to hunt down the mysterious man she calls "the Alchemist." Along the way she enlists the help of a band of colorful characters: science fiction genius Jules Verne, notorious wit and outrageous rogue Oscar Wilde, and the greatest microbe-hunter in history, Louis Pasteur. This dazzling historical adventure pits Nellie and her friends against one of the most notorious murderers in history. Together they must solve the crime of the century.
