If you've somehow found this post without hearing the news, my debut novel SMOKE & MIRRORS is coming from Abrams/Amulet on June 10th, 2025. Check out the book's description below:
An exciting and twisty middle-grade debut mystery novel—perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and The Parker Inheritance—about the disappearance of a famous magician, and one boy’s quest to find the truth. Spending the summer with his aunt as the only Black kid in a small Midwestern town was bad enough, but now Andy Carter’s summer has been effectively ruined. His dad’s parole hearing is postponed, he misses his friends, and—when an old barn burns down—he’s stuck taking the blame. Andy is sentenced with helping the barn’s owner, a cantankerous old man, renovate his crumbling mansion—a mansion that hides a mystery. It was once owned by the famous magician the Red Nave. In 1954, the Nave was a wanted suspect in the town’s most infamous murder before disappearing without a trace. The whole town is sure the Red Nave is guilty, but to Andy, things just don’t add up. Investigating a mystery from the ’50s isn’t the same as spending time with his dad, but Andy can’t help but be drawn into the Red Nave’s exciting world of magic and illusion. To solve the Nave’s final vanishing act, Andy teams up with another boy he doesn’t quite trust. Secret by secret, they try to uncover the Red Nave’s identity and learn why the last performance came to such a tragic end. With a gripping combination of hidden doors, shocking twists, and deep emotional heart, Smoke & Mirrors asks the question: How much of the truth is what you can get people to believe?
I'm so excited to share this story with you (soon!). In the meantime, here are five things in Smoke & Mirrors that you can expect.
1. A hunt for clues and a missing magician
In Smoke & Mirrors, Andy happens upon his temporary town's dark secret -- decades ago, a faceless magician wanted for murder vanished. Present day Andy has reason to believe that there's more to the story and begins a journey to uncover clues, conduct interviews with eyewitnesses, and question the status quo.
2. A plot full of twists and turns
Smoke & Mirrors was partially inspired by my love for whodunits and seemingly unsolvable mysteries. With a house full of hidden mysteries and a list of people who may have wanted the victim dead. Andy's journey to solving the mystery is full of thrilling twists and moral dilemmas that have him questioning whether finding the answer is worth the risks. As Andy draws closer to the truth, he begins to realize that there's more than the magician's reputation at stake. Readers will speed through the book, questioning what they think they know at every turn until the final page.
3. Navigating complicated friendships
Andy doesn't tackle this mystery alone. Armed with a complicated partnership with an ex-best friend and the elderly man holding his summer hostage, he has to make difficult decisions about who he can trust. Throughout the book, Andy learns important lessons on standing up for himself, forgiveness and giving people the benefit-of-the-doubt.
4. Multigenerational growth
Like in real life, children aren't the only ones who grow and change -- in fact, often they help provide clarity and insight to adults who may have lost their way. In Smoke & Mirrors, while Andy must learn lessons to solve the mystery, the adults in his life also have to challenge their misbeliefs and confront their assumptions. From making snap judgements to avoiding uncomfortable truths, Andy and the adults around him are forced to grow, change and sometimes -- apologize.
5. Learning to decipher the truth
One of the most important elements in Smoke & Mirrors is the idea that every person has the choice on how they see others and who we're willing to believe. Often, we make those decisions without much thought, which can hurt those around us when we dismiss people's opinions based on who we think they are instead of on objective facts. Throughout the book, all the characters are forced to reevaluate what assumptions they use to understand the world around them and whether that is helping or hurting the greater good. Especially now, when so much of the truth is contorted and misconstrued, it's more important than ever for children to begin to think about and challenge their framework of why they believe what they do and remind them that they are in control of how they see the world and the people around them.
Want to grab a copy?
Smoke & Mirrors doesn't hit bookshelves until June 10th, 2025, but you can preorder a copy now using the button below (or from any of your favorite retailers)!
Rosalyn Ransaw is a children's author based in Columbus, OH. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Political Science. At her day job, she is a Digital Marketing Manager focused on all things social media and paid advertising.
When not writing, she loves to cry watching romantic comedies and eat her weight in buffalo chicken dip.
SMOKE & MIRRORS is her debut novel.
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