Theater of Illusion

Spirit of the River #3

by Kathy Steffen (contributor)

Combining elements of mystery, history, and romance, this compelling narrative explores the river frontier of West Virginia to the Midwest in the 1900s. Unconventional for her time, Sarah Perkins is driven to excel and be successful in a mans world despite her traumatic childhood under an abusive father who strictly enforced traditional gender roles. Dreaming of one day being a riverboat pilot, Sara embarks on an adventure aboard the Spirit of the River, a premier paddleboat on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Shes spent hours behind the wheel under the supervision of the captain, Jeremy Smithher friendly rival and romantic interestand longs to prove her worth. When a traveling troupe of entertainers, Le Theatre dIllusion, discovers that a cast member has suspiciously disappeared while a mysterious and deadly illness afflicts the rest of the passengers, Sarah will find herself tested in unimaginable ways. Suspenseful and thrilling, this dynamic novel of hidden secrets offers an unflinching look at serious issues such as alcoholism, suicide, and gender, while maintaining a lively storyline full of adventure, independence, and life on the river wild.

Genres: Historical Fiction

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I find my inspiration from my roots in West Virginia and my love of the mountains, rivers, and tales of the people who lived and worked there. My stories are influenced by a family history of hardworking people, struggling to build lives with their hands and hearts, but never giving up their dreams.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Kathy Steffen's First, There Is A River about a month ago and thought it was one of the most well-written books I've read in a long while. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Steffen tells a story and bought her other two books, this one and Jasper Mountain. Steffen didn't let me down this go-round, not that I expected her to. Theater of Illusion is a great, well-written story that follows up a decade after First, There Is A River, with Emma Perkin's children now playing a larger role in the story. I've got to tell you, at first, I thought the 'bad guy' causing all the problems was Emma's son, Tobias. I was thrown for a loop when we find out that it was actually his best friend, Charlie. Then to discover the reasons he had his heart set on blowing up the Spirit and Briggs...maybe not thrilling, per se, but definitely not what I had expected. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone. This one has a handful of borderline R-rated scenes, but nothing I felt was too graphic for most.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting. It's sort of a murder mystery, sort of a psychological thriller. I felt it was a little long for the story it told, but the character development was really good and the pages kept turning so the 351 pages went by quickly. The unusual setting and variety of character was fun and refreshing. There weren’t any stereotypical roles and each one was different. I will say, the ending surprised me. I liked the way the supernatural and natural came together. Overall a very solid read.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical novel full of interesting characters with a unexpected climactic finish.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as good as the first one. I really like Kathy Steffen's way of writing.