{"product_id":"the-improvisers-a-murder-and-magic-novel-isbn-9780063293595","title":"The Improvisers: A Murder and Magic Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor fans of Nghi Vo, P. Djèlí Clark, and Alix E. Harrow: a new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of the critically acclaimed Murder and Magic series during Prohibition. \u003ci\u003eThe Improvisers \u003c\/i\u003eis the tale of Velma, a barnstorming pilot and former magic bootlegger, who pursues dangerous enchanted items and a mystery that crosses the US and cuts through time—right to the heart of her family’s past and present.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVelma Frye is many things. A pilot, a former bootlegger, a well-seasoned traveler, a jazz pianist…and a wielder of celestial magic. She’s also a member of the mystical Rhodes family as well as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization, dealing with both simple and complicated cases. And when a pocket watch instigates a magical brawl after one of her flight shows, things become \u003ci\u003every\u003c\/i\u003e complicated. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1930s America, enchanted items are highly valuable, especially in the waning days of the magical Prohibition. As Velma digs deeper, she discovers the watch is part of a collection of dangerous enchanted artifacts manipulating people across the country—and in some cases, leading to their deaths. Something about all this is tickling Velma’s memories, and the more she discovers, the more these seemingly isolated incidents feel as if they’re building to something apocalyptic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConnecting the dots isn’t easy, though, and the slow-burn tension with journalist Dillon Harris further complicates her work. He hounds her steps, and while not actively sabotaging her investigation, he also clearly knows more than he lets on. Whether it’s his presence that she finds so vexing or his easygoing charm, that’s a mystery she \u003ci\u003eisn’t \u003c\/i\u003einterested in solving. Because someone is out there seeding cursed objects with the intent on wreaking havoc, and Velma will have to use every trick in her tool kit, including some well-placed magical improvisation, to win the day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFocusing on a new generation of the Rhodes family, \u003ci\u003eThe Improvisers\u003c\/i\u003e brims with charming magic, deep family secrets, intriguing mystery, and high-flying adventure seeking new heights.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Glover’s charming sequel to \u003cem\u003eThe Conductors \u003c\/em\u003edigs deeper into the captivating Black society of a post–Civil War Philadelphia that’s infused with celestial magic…Layers on intrigue and tension build into a gripping whodunit…The easy momentum will keep both new and returning readers racing along to the end. It’s fun, twisty and richly detailed.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly on The Undertakers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Undertakers\u003c\/em\u003e…covers multiple interconnected mysteries with humor and warmth…Hetty and Benjy’s camaraderie is the real star of the show, no matter how many spells they fire off at assailants. \u003cem\u003eThe Undertakers’ \u003c\/em\u003ehistorical fantasy vibe will appeal to fans of Alyssa Cole’s Loyal League series and Maurice Broaddus’s Buffalo Soldier.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An Underground Railroad—but with magic. With compelling characters and wondrous worldbuilding, Glover weaves a tangled mystery of murder, spellwork, and freedom amid the remnants of slavery’s lingering memories.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eP. Djèlí Clark, Nebula Award–winning author of Ring Shout, on The Conductors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Conductors\u003c\/em\u003e is a seamless blending of magic, mystery, and history, creating power and wonder with its rarefied glimpse of Black life in the late 1800s. The Vigilance Society and the magic-wielding couple at the core of this story are a welcome addition to the growing chorus of voices in Black speculative fiction. Glover’s worldbuilding, characters, and attention to historical detail create a delightfully genre-bending debut!” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTananarive Due, American Book Award winner, author of Ghost Summer: Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A history buff’s dream fantasy novel. It is also a fantasy geek’s dream history novel.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNPR on The Conductors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A rich, fantastical rendering that will leave readers clamoring for more.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJustina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A spritely page-turner with depth and vision. Velma Frye is a talented, powerful hero in a cracking great mystery adventure, but it's the world--and Velma's place within it--that really grabbed my heart.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNebula Award-winning author C.L. Polk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Voyager","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890670956773,"sku":"NP9780063293595","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063293595.jpg?v=1730233809","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-improvisers-a-murder-and-magic-novel-isbn-9780063293595","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}