tl;dr
A well-paced mystery with a splash of stage magic intrigue and a very relatable main character.

Thoughts
Andy has enough troubles in his life already. He definitely doesn't need to add a decades-old murder mystery to his to-do list. And yet as he finds himself stuck in a small sleepy town for the summer, he finds himself drawn to the old case and the secrets that it might unlock. The story plays in two threads, intertwined with each other. The first thread, the mystery itself is very well plotted. Red herrings, twists, and reveals are paced out neatly, with a satisfying conclusion to a well-thought out mystery. The second thread doesn't get as much attention, probably by design, leaving a lot of Andy's personal life open-ended. This works for the most part, although there were several scenes in the end that I wish got a little more time just for the weight of their emotional impact.

Andy is very well-written. Likable, relatable, snappy, and easy to cheer for. The other characters are all layered and complex with troubles of their own, and I found myself connecting to many of their stories. The Red Nave's in particular definitely caught me by surprise. He could be an entire separate book on his own. Overall a great middle grade read for anyone looking for a good mystery and a relatable lead.

Smoke & Mirror is a thoughtful, twisty mystery with heart, magic, and a compelling sense of history. Rosalyn Ransaw crafts a layered coming-of-age story that blends small-town prejudice, family struggles, and an unsolved murder mystery with just the right touch of illusion.

Andy Carter is a protagonist you root for from the beginning. Spending his summer far from his friends, dealing with the fallout of his dad’s postponed parole, and being unfairly blamed for a fire he didn’t start, Andy has every reason to give up—but instead, he leans into something unexpected: a decades-old mystery. As he’s forced to renovate the remains of a magician’s mansion, Andy stumbles into the legend of the Red Knave, a vanished illusionist blamed for murder, and the story takes off.

Ransaw brings the Knave’s world of tricks, secret rooms, and mysterious clues to life, weaving it into Andy’s present-day challenges in a way that feels both grounded and magical. The evolving friendship (and reluctant teamwork) between Andy and another boy adds tension and humor, as well as a message about trust, identity, and unexpected connections.

While the mystery itself isn’t overly complex, it’s well-paced and engaging, with enough twists to keep readers invested. More importantly, Smoke & Mirror uses its mystery to explore deeper themes—race, justice, family, and the stories that communities choose to tell or hide.

This is a smart, emotionally resonant middle grade novel that delivers both intrigue and introspection. A strong pick for readers who love historical mysteries, sleight-of-hand secrets, and characters who refuse to disappear into the background.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of Smoke and Mirrors by Rosyln Ransaw. This middle-grade mystery was full of heart, history, and just the right amount of magic to keep me hooked from start to finish.

📚 Why It Worked for Me:

🎭 Voice for the Unheard – I deeply appreciated how the author pulled from her own life experience to tell a story that centers a Black protagonist in a genre that often sidelines diverse voices. Andy’s perspective was fresh, heartfelt, and complex in all the right ways.

🕵️‍♂️ A Real Mystery! – So often in middle-grade, the mystery is too easy to solve—but not here. Every clue, red herring, and twist was placed with care. I found myself second-guessing my theories all the way until the final reveal.

💬 Beautifully Written – The prose was strong, smooth, and engaging. Ransaw balances emotional depth with fast-paced plotting, no small feat in middle-grade fiction. The book asks important questions about truth, perception, and who gets to control the narrative.

🤝 Reluctant Friendships & Redemption – The budding (and tense!) partnership between Andy and Pauly adds another layer of richness, showing how trust and understanding can be earned, sometimes in the most unexpected places.

💬 Final Take:
This book is a little bit Knives Out, a little bit The Parker Inheritance, and entirely its own magic trick. Smoke and Mirrors doesn’t just entertain, it resonates. It’s a mystery with a message, and I’ll be recommending it to readers of all ages who are looking for a meaningful adventure cloaked in illusion.

Fantastic mystery with a phenomenal main character. I loved all the twists and turns that kept me guessing. Most of all, I appreciated the main character that young readers will see themselves in and relate to. Great story!