All of the main characters are women, from the school principal, the doctors and nurses, the detective, the professors, and the bully. The phrase 'vulnerable yet strong' comes to mind. The main character is insecure, drinks too much, lonely, still grieving her mother's death, and still holds a grudge against her sister. It's hard gumshoe from a woman's perspective. This book tells a touching story about a private detective trying to solve a magic murder mystery under somewhat dangerous circumstances while dealing with her own problems. If you like a murder mystery, if you like magic, if you like romance novels, this might be your thing.

No, Ivy will simply let clues sail right over her head, characters often have blatant slips of the tongue, and she won't investigate or question glaringly obvious details. We're not privy to scenes without our narrator present, some secret clues that only the audience knows. Like an audience watching a horror movie, you'll be yelling to the narrator 'What are you doing!!' - except, we have no extra knowledge. In interviews, our narrator literally asks the audience 'Where have I heard this before? Hmm.' when you'll very much remember the exact reference from moments earlier. At times it even feels like an episode of Dora The Explorer. Hell, she even blows off the investigation with her own romantic life several times while a murderer is very likely to still be lurking the halls! You'll be mired in gushing detail about her drinking and dating. Instead our detective obsesses over love notes and teenage relationships. any number of questions an average Joe would want to track down, let alone a detective. She does a stunningly poor job of investigating the murder - who really was this person who was murdered? What happened leading up to the murder? Who last saw her alive? Who stole a key piece of evidence? Who is sending me anonymous photos & messages?. Our star detective admits she is not a murder investigator, but her behavior is bizarre to say the least.

Our lead character Ivy Gamble is a private investigator, recommended as one of the best for the case. The author built a convincing world here. Its powerful and real, with theorems and scientific principles. Magic is hard and requires real knowledge not just a flick of the wrist and a spoken word. Students in this wizarding world are still just teenagers - figuring out who they are & how they fit in, dealing with hormones, passing notes back and forth, sticking gum under their desks. The world building is great, Magic feels more real and grounded in science and reality than say, Harry Potter. All the ingredients for a great book but I was sadly disappointed. Magic School, Murder, and a Private Investigator. Great Performance but Very Disappointing Story

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey