Acts of Violet

Acts of Violet is an excellently produced audiobook. The novel centers around the life and disappearance of magician Violet Volk as told through past history and podcast segments. Each podcast is done like an actual podcast, complete with different voices being interviewed. It has the feel of a radio play.

Violet and her sister Sasha here daughters of Russian immigrants who grew up in suburban New Jersey. Sasha was also the more popular one. Violet retreated to magic. She became a super-famous, enigmatic celebrity magician who later pivoted into self-help guru. After a break, she appeared in a one-night spectacle. In the performance, she disappeared, never to appear again. A decade later, people are still trying to figure out what happened to her. A podcast host explores the story, connecting with many people that knew her. We also learn that her sister Sasha, while being the "normal" on also has occasionally found herself magically appearing somewhere else. Is it real life? Or is it fantasy?