3 out of 4 stars
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Terrorism, magic, illusion, patriotism, and suspense are but a few of the themes in Lawrence D. Berry’s action/thriller Wizard: Dirty Secrets. The story takes place throughout different parts of the world. It came across as a “what if James Bond was also a magician” type of novel.
The book follows the story of Jonathan Barrow and his associates, Megan , Ollie, Alex, Randy, and Jason. As a group that works for M.A.G.I.C. (Military Assisted Global Intelligence Command), these magicians are not just illusionists on stage. As terrorist threats come up, they use their slight-of-hand skills to save the world.
The book starts out with some Plutonium-238 is stolen from the Russian government by a radical terrorist group known as the Rising Sun. With three detonation sites planned, their attack will use the Plutonium-238 to make 9/11 seem like a walk in the park. When M.A.G.I.C. gets word on the pending attack on U.S. soil, Jonathan and his friends get called in to put a stop the threat by any means necessary. Using movie magic, illusion, misdirection, and technology any spy agency would love to have, it’s up to them to prevent a national catastrophe on the eastern seaboard. With only a few days to stop the threat, stopping Rising Sun is a logistical nightmare. In addition to having to track three target locations, one of them is still unknown. Can Jonathan and his team stop the threat before it’s too late? What is the third target?
The plot starts and ends with action. In many ways, the book has a similar feel to Ocean’s 11 (in which you don’t really know what’s going on until the end). Each intricate detail plays into the end scenario and leaves the reader on the edge of their seat.
The good guy characters and the special effects they use are by far my favorite parts of the book. The characters are likable, quirky, and make the reader wish they knew Jonathan and his friends. The gadgets they use made me wish I had some of them. Also, the author’s background in stage magic shines through in this book. His staging of the special effects and magic scenes make it easy for the reader to believe that Jonathan and his friends have the skills they do. His mix of humor, intrigue, and action work well with the special effects and draw the reader into the story.
There were a few things, however, that I didn’t like about the book. The bad guys are pretty intriguing, but their names are a bit confusing to keep straight. The different points of view are also a little confusing. Instead of the traditional end of scene/chapter equals point of view change, the reader encounter times where one paragraph is in one of the good guy’s points of view, but then the next paragraph is in one of the bad guys’ points of view. Also, toward the end of the book, when the final action sequences are playing out, it is really hard to keep track of each target location's events and characters. There are also a few typos throughout the book, but they only occasionally distract from the book.
Overall, I’d give this book 3 out of 4 stars. This book was hard to put down and I enjoyed reading it. The problems with the book mostly ironed themselves out and were minor setbacks to the story. I loved the characters and can’t wait to read the next Jonathan Barrow story. If you’re willing to be a little confused at what’s going on at times and love a good action/suspense thriller, then this is a must-read for you.
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Wizard
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congrats to you for a good read and to the author for the positive feedback 
