Negative 40.5 starsReview at https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2015/...If I’m being honest–and I am, because I have yet to write my dishonest review–this is not my type of book. And if I’m being very honest–and I am, because I don’t want to make the mistake of reading this again–this is only an okay book, a book serviceable for people who enjoy the genre, and who aren’t feeling picky about writing or characterization. Esther is working as a chorus girl and understudy in a magic-themed Broadway production when the leading lady disappears in the middle of a magic trick. The next day, she receives a note warning her not to take the woman’s place. She immediately shares that note with the hunky police officer who interviewed the cast. Right before she is about to go on for the same act, an elderly wizard named Max materializes in her dressing room, warning her not to do the trick. They team up to investigate a string of disappearances involving people who have actually disappeared doing the same illusion so Esther can go back to the show.A decent enough premise, but lacking in execution. Resnick began as a romance writer, and had twelve titles published under the name Laura Leone before this book went to its first printing, and the author’s romance background is clear. After publication, it eventually went out of print, rights reverted to Resnick and she ended up updating and re-releasing with DAW, publisher of the rest of the series. Honestly, it should have been reworked further. The lack of fantasy experience is apparent as the mystical elements start to develop and the story bogs down in a good twenty pages of world-building explano-babble that includes the stereotypical disbelief reaction. The mystery is lacking as well, and seems to mostly consist of looking in the library and a web search. Why Esther needs to be involved at all is a puzzle, as Max seems to be the only one with magical skills. She claims she has organizing skills, but most of the time she’s reacting with one hare-brained idea after another, so I find that hard to believe.There is some cute humor:“He swallowed and asked, ‘Who are you, anyhow? CIA? FBI? National Security Agency? NASA?’The lad’s imagination was spinning out of control. ‘I’m with Equity,’ I said.‘The actors’ union?’ His voice broke.Everyone’s afraid of Equity.”***********“A respectable-looking middle-aged couple got into the elevator with us. ‘Twelve please,’ the man said.I pressed the button.‘Costume party?’ the woman asked me.‘Funeral,’ I said.We rode to the ninth floor in silence.”But more often for me, the humor went to the over-the-top place that ended up causing characterization problems. Resnick doesn’t have the writing chops to pull off the charm of a Grant-Hepburn comedy. Picture Jim Carrey doing romance in his screwball comedies: these are broad characters with slapstick humor and situations set up for laugh value over logic. It’s actually a little hard to get to know Esther as she careens from one extreme reaction to another. For instance, the day Esther receives the warning note, she dressed in her costume of gold robes and elaborate headdress before going to work (!?). She then storms down to the police station, still in her outrageous costume, so the Lieutenant will have a chance to ogle her and develop romantic tension. Supporting characters are on the cartoon side of the equation as well, and when Esther meets other local magicians who had assistants disappear–including drag queen performers and a condom-selling Texan–it loses any pretense at subtlety.Sadly for urban fantasy fans, the world-building here isn’t anything impressive. Max is a dopey magician who has lived hundreds of years, frequently has malapropisms because he doesn’t understand the local language, and is nauseated by riding in cars (in other words, he’s the polar opposite of Atticus the druid). There’s mention of a council-type heirarchy, alchemy and magical books, but magical elements play a tertiary role until the end. The issue of magic in an unmagical world isn’t particularly addressed, except that the police disbelieve it as an explanation (and why you can tell the police there is magic but not prove it to them is unclear).Finally, if I’m being totally honest, it deserves minus 42 stars for the final confrontation with the villain.(view spoiler)[[MAJOR SPOILER]The villain is looking for a virgin to sacrifice, only he’s running into problems because NYC doesn’t have any virgins (har-har). His comeuppance occurs when a demon rapes him instead of the disappeared women. Resnick then has the audacity to make a joke about the villain walking painfully. This is not an excusable scene–the simple exercise of gender reversal should make it apparent–and is all the more unacceptable because Resnick apparently thinks that we can excuse it because happens to a man. I was completely unsurprised when she complains that the book “sank like a stone” and agents were “negative about my writing.” (link)[END SPOILER] (hide spoiler)]
Frustration. This little pill of an urban mystery novel looked like such a good time when I read the blurb on the back. Magicians and disappearing assistants, goofy characters and wacky hijinks aplenty. What's not to like? A lot, as it turns out.To be fair, there were a few things about this book that I did enjoy. There were spots of zaniness (especially in the fairly large and colorful cast of secondary characters), and a few moments where I smiled, but Ms. Resnick felt the urge to wrap this whole story around the toxically obnoxious finger of her first person narrator Esther Diamond. UGH I couldn't have hated this narrator more. There seems to be a recent propensity for sassy female main characters, a cliche that's making a nice little spot for itself right between dotty old man and tragic lone wolf. Well, this sassy lady trend is fine with me, but this book does not handle it well.Instead of spunky, she's bitchy; mundane, not quirky; bossy, not refreshingly independent; and annoying rather than likable. For the endless duration of this four hundred page novel, I felt like I was trapped in a cage with a maddeningly dictatorial, whiny, neurotic, and downright mean woman. Just being mouthy and bitchy doesn't make this Esther Diamond "delightfully sassy," it makes her terribly unpleasant. The example that comes to mind is a scene where a detective/possible love interest wakes Esther up around 10AM bearing bagels and coffee in search of some company and answers to the mysterious goings on that he's been investigating. For the duration of the scene (which lasts for an excruciatingly long time) Esther is rendered nearly speechless by the lack of coffee in her system. Rather than talk to the man who has brought her breakfast, she complains, all the while sliding in lots of "jokes" about her hair being terribly mussed as she drinks the detective's coffee in addition to her own. Sure, the no coffee joke is funny at first, but its been prolonged past its 15th or 20th page, Esther's becomes a braindead neanderthal apparently in danger of soiling herself if she doesn't have coffee intravenously pumped into her system. Coffee! Stat! For thirty pages! Pause for reader's endless guffaws.I won't go on too much, I'm in danger of making self-indulgent Esther Diamond ramblings in search of humor but missing the mark terribly. I guess I should also mention that the plot left a lot to be desired. Lots of sitting around and making ridiculous postulations about what could've happened to the victims. I couldn't have cared less. I wanted to lock the door to the bookshop du quirk and set the place ablaze after the third or fourth time the characters had a snoozefest meeting of minds. Okay okay okay, there's still a lot about this book that I managed to enjoy despite Esther and plot and co., and the last thirty pages or so were very nearly enough to convince me that the previous 370 had never happened, making me just a little teeny bit curious about the second installment Dopplegangster, but not that curious. I'm putting Esther in the dark recesses of my not-to-be-reread bookshelf, in desperate hopes of never seeing her again. Buh bye, mean lady.
What do You think about Disappearing Nightly (2006)?
Imagine if Stephanie Plum were involved in a supernatural plot...that's the feeling of this book. Esther Diamond is a struggling actress under-studying a B grade pop star in a musical about a socerer, when the pop star disappears for real in the disappearing act. Then Esther herself gets notes warning her not to do the same act.Esther becomes involved in the investigation of evil magic when magician's assistants start disappearing. Ms. Resnic has given us a colorful cast of characters and a very interesting and often hilarious story.
—Brenda
This is the first book in the Esther Diamond series but it was published after several of the sequels by DAW since the original publisher had some issues. This made it interesting to read since I have read the other books which have references to what happens in this story, but that did not diminish the fun I had reading it.Esther is a struggling actress in New York City working in a magic act/play as an understudy when the starlet disappears -literally. Soon she finds out other magic acts have had disappearances and the fun ensues. We meet her on and off love interest Detective Lopez - who doesn't believe much of what she says about what id going on; Dr. Max Zadok - the 300 year-old sorcerer who is fighting Evil in NYC, and some of the other cast of characters that populate the series.Resnick has a winner in this series. It is quirky, fun, action filled and well written. The dialogue is snappy with a lot of give and take, the settings well-described and the plot interesting without being convoluted. Urban fantasy is sometimes dark, often heavily romantic, but in this series those elements are in the background and I think it makes for a more enjoyable story. I will read every book that comes out in this series.
—Stephanie
This is a fun little urban fantasy book, the start of a series about an aspiring actress named Esther Diamond who lives in New York City and ends up pulled into some otherworldly intrigue, and making friends with a 350 year old Dr. Zadok who happens to have drank a potion for immortality and is stationed in New York in a quest to defend the world from evil. This first novel tracks the mystery of people who actually fully disappear when they are part of magical acts were they are supposed to be put in a box, disappear, then reappear again. I loved the tongue in cheek tone the book took, dialogue was cute but borderlined on almost too cutesy at some point - I think Resnick needs to tone it down a little. Very Buffy-esque dialogue and characters, Buffy fans would definitely be more into this, it has the same sense of humor.I like the fact that Esther has absolutely no special abilities or powers, it's refreshing in a genre filled with Very Unique Snowflakes. Worth a look-see for fans of the urban fantasy genre who want something with a little more humor.
—Leslee
