Take a mostly carefree journey to Key West with the lovely Jerri Delaney in “Keys of Illusion.”
By Gia Lee
Jerri, the once lonely protagonist, is a professional stage magician/illusionist who happens to fall in with a kind-hearted, but very eccentric, billionaire: a powerful senior named Miss Marty Sebastian! The storyline is so visually spot-on description-wise that it almost reads like a movie unfolding before your eyes, as the descriptions are both accurate and inviting.
In this vein, however, Miss Marty’s character is so well-drawn that she almost upstages Jerri Delaney’s character at times. But who cares?! Miss Marty is a true force of nature whose love of lavender is really an understatement. She’s generous to a fault, but that doesn’t mean that she’s not quick-witted and in-the-know in many arenas.
From the time, about the beginning of Chapter Two, that Miss Marty’s Rolls crashes into Ms. Delaney’s ‘Baby’ (a car which is understandably personified, for all intents and purposes, in the reverence Jerry has for her), the storyline really takes off at a sprint. At a pace which is both comfortable and exciting, it basically doesn’t stop till the final denouement.
There are many plot line twists and turns, with mysteries revealed, etc., which will keep any reader satisfied, along with wide-spectrum references all the way from tarot cards to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Plus, besides the romantic love story that slowly builds between Jerri Delaney and Mark Pendragon, there are actually many different kinds of love stories the reader is able to experience–some even viscerally.
One love story, in particular, is extremely moving, and it’s between a human and a ghost. Then, there are the love stories showing a great mutual respect, like that between Miss Marty’s driver, Daniel, and other characters. Fleming’s sense of timing, humor and descriptions are really unparalleled. Moreover, this novel certainly proves that there are some truly wonderful books out there that are not as well-known but most definitely deserve more recognition. Highly recommended!
