Mayne is a magician who also writes books about magic and now novels about a magician who gave it up to be an FBI agent. Black Fall is his third book, all featuring Jessica Blackwood.

The story is told in first-person, so we get her thoughts and memories which include events from the first two novels. Not having read the two preceding books was not a handicap because Jessica explained enough for us to get the connections.

This is a thriller. There is a murder early on, but that is not the driving force of the story. In trying to solve the murder, Jessica uncovers other information which makes the murder nearly irrelevant. Basically, she must save America from destruction.

It’s a good beach read. Did I mention that a town disappears?

Mike Lawrence