Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.

Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.

She doesn’t in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.

Ivy Gamble is a liar.

When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister―without losing herself.

Sarah Gailey is fucking delightful, and there’s no other way to put it. Their River of Teeth duology is some of the most fun you can have reading a book, with a sneaky emotional gut-punch lurking around many of the pages. On top of LOVING those fucking bonkers hippo books, Sarah’s Twitter presence is just amazing to me. Brutally honest, frequently inspiring, and absolutely hilarious…they are just someone that makes Twitter worthwhile for me. Oh, and if you ever get a chance, you MUST read some (or all!) of their articles written for Tor.com…anything from hysterical deep dives into movies like Top Gun & Twister, to thoughtful essays about Dolores Umbridge, Sarah Gailey’s non-fiction writing is not to be missed.

So all that being said, of course I was insanely excited about Gailey’s debut novel, Magic For Liars! On top of what a fan I was in general, the book also takes place in a magic school, which is probably my absolute favorite trope in fantasy, period. And oof…this book worked for me on so many levels…some that I really didn’t even expect!

Magic For Liars is the story of Ivy Gamble, a private investigator from Northern California. She’s…getting by. But just barely. Her line of work isn’t glamorous, the pay is not great, and Ivy also has a bit of a drinking problem. She gets a surprise visitor to her office one day, and is hired to solve a grisly murder.

Ivy doesn’t solve murders.

But it’s no ordinary murder…it took place at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, the magic school where Ivy’s estranged twin sister, Tabitha, is a teacher.

So, yeah. Things get awkward fast. Tabitha has been able to use magic most of her life. Ivy can’t use magic. Tabitha got whisked away to attend magic school while Ivy got left home to care for their dying mother & grieving father. There’s a lot of baggage here, and Ivy & Tabitha have drifted further & further away over the years.

What surprised me in Magic For Liars (in the best way) was how much Gailey really leans into this sort’ve hard-boiled/noir vibe. Maybe the bright colors on the cover had me expecting something else here, but there are some real dark moments in this one. But of course, it’s all wonderfully offset by Gailey’s wicked sense of humor, some moments of pure whimsy, and even some great romantic elements.

For me, the heart of the book was the fractured relationship between Ivy & Tabitha. Ivy needs Tabitha’s help to solve the murder, and that affords them some opportunities to try and reconnect, and maybe repair their relationship. Fucking hell, some of their scenes together completely MURDERED my feelings.

Magic For Liars was just a fun, twisty, and emotional story. Sarah Gailey puts so much goddamn heart into everything they write, and I am HERE FOR IT. I know they have a couple of new books coming out in the next little bit, and they are 100% auto-buys for me. If you don’t have any Sarah Gailey books on your TBR…THY TBR IS BROKETH!