Illusionist by Laurie Buchanan
Book & Author Info + A Guest Post + An Excerpt + A Giveaway!
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Illusionist
A contemporary crime thriller perfect for Louise Penny and Robert Dugoni fans, Illusionist presents PI McPherson with an impossible dilemma: kill an author at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest, or let a college student die.
When an illusionist arrives at Pines & Quill, one of the retreat’s owners vanishes—right in front of witnesses who see nothing. Meanwhile, crime boss Georgio Gambino tightens his grip, blackmailing a writer into murder and framing Sean McPherson. His threat is clear: obey, or your daughter dies.
As McPherson investigates, he uncovers a brewing power struggle—Carmine Fiore, Gambino’s second-in-command, is staging a coup. While Gambino’s network traffics drugs, weapons, and humans, Fiore manipulates the Sureños gang, planting evidence to shift blame.
Desperate to turn the tide, McPherson seeks a dangerous alliance. But when deception is the game, only illusion can outmaneuver the truth. Enlisting the retreat’s eclectic writers—including a NASCAR driver, a triathlete, a house-flipping architect, and a magician with secrets of her own—McPherson sets the stage for the ultimate trick: survival.
Excerpt from Illusionist by Laurie Buchanan
Sean “Mick” McPherson drives the Pines & Quill van to Bellingham International Airport. The last time I went to the airport was to drop off the September writers in residence who barely lived to tell about their stay.
His thoughts home in on Gambino, head of a trifecta-based crime family—Seattle, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Mick tightens his grip on the steering wheel. You learned the hard way that Gambino’s reach is long and elusive. That his minions infiltrate even the most inaccessible places to do his bidding, so stay on your A game.
Last month, over the Labor Day weekend, Emma, Mick’s pregnant wife, and Carly and Brianna, the daughters of one of his best friends, Joe Bingham, were abducted and held hostage in a secluded cabin on Mount Baker by Gambino’s thugs. Joe, a Bellingham homicide detective, took a bullet in his right shoulder, saving his daughters.
After the incident, local police chief Bruce Simms referred to him, Joe, and Rafferty, Mick’s other best friend, as “The three musketeers” at a press conference. He went on to say, “Though nontraditional—an ex-cop turned PI, a homicide detective, and an FBI special agent—they accomplish what no others do; they solve crimes and put bad guys behind bars. Consistently.”
Mick smiles at what Simms didn’t say to the press—they let me assist in criminal investigations because, unlike Rafferty and Joe, I have fewer restrictions, protocols, and no red tape as a PI.
Guest Post From The Illusionist Author Laurie Buchanan
My 10 Favorite Authors & Why
Whether it’s a physical book, ebook, or audiobook, each format has its own charm, I read and review over a hundred titles a year. My shelves lean heavily toward two genres: crime thrillers that keep me on edge, and romantic comedies that offer a welcome breath between the darkness.
In alphabetical order, here are seven of my favorite living authors, followed by three literary legends whose work continues to inspire me.
David Baldacci
Baldacci is unmatched when it comes to writing grit with heart. His Atlee Pine series features a fierce FBI agent navigating the wilds of the Southwest while confronting a haunting past.
Robert Bryndza
Bryndza excels at blending emotional depth with relentless pacing. His Detective Erika Foster series delivers high-stakes investigations and a protagonist who battles grief while chasing justice.
Robert Dugoni
Dugoni’s character work is layered, authentic, and quietly fierce. In the Tracey Crosswhite series, a Seattle homicide detective channels personal loss into powerful resolve.
JD Kirk
Kirk’s dialogue crackles with humor and humanity. His DCI Jack Logan series is set in the Scottish Highlands, where Logan’s dry wit and dogged determination shine through every case.
Jo Nesbø
Nesbø’s psychological complexity is absolutely riveting. The Harry Hole series explores Oslo’s darkest corners through a brilliant but tormented detective.
Louise Penny
Penny writes with a poet’s soul and a philosopher’s insight. Her Chief Inspector Gamache series, set in the village of Three Pines, is rich with mystery, morality, and emotional nuance.
Hank Phillippi Ryan
Ryan’s plots are razor-sharp and grounded in real-world intrigue. A real-life investigative reporter, she crafts thrillers that fuse journalistic precision with page-turning suspense.
Dorothea Benton Frank
Frank’s storytelling is warm, witty, and deeply rooted in place. Her Lowcountry novels celebrate strong Southern women and family bonds, often set around Sullivan’s Island.
Maeve Binchy
Binchy’s Irish tales feel like cozy conversations over tea—intimate, heartfelt, and full of life. She was a master of everyday magic and emotional truth.
Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is my all-time favorite. I reread it every New Year’s Day. Lee’s moral clarity and quiet courage shaped Sean McPherson—my protagonist’s—worldview. And my own.
The Illusionist Author Laurie Buchanan
A blend of Dr. Doolittle, Nanny McPhee, and a type-A Buddhist, Laurie Buchanan is an active listener, observer of details, payer of attention, reader and writer of books, kindness enthusiast, red licorice aficionado, and lover of the Oxford comma.
As a novelist, photographer, and voracious reader, she never travels without three essentials—a laptop, a camera, and a book.
Growing up, she dreamed of being a magician, an international spy, and a mad scientist. There’s still time!
Her writing studio is the hayloft of a historic carriage house in the Pacific Northwest, where creativity thrives. Her husband, Len, a private pilot, and Henry, their not-so-standard Standard Poodle, join her on daily walks. She always carries a camera because sometimes, the best word choice is a picture.
A journey that left an indelible imprint on her was a 20-day, 211-mile trek across the majestic landscapes of Scotland. She, her husband, and their son hiked from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, with the pinnacle being the climb of Ben Nevis at the midpoint of their adventure, the highest point in the British Isles.
“My writing goal is simple: to leave you wanting more.” —Laurie Buchanan
