The Magician - Softcover

Pupa, D. A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1595945318 ISBN 13: 9781595945310

Publisher: Wingspan Press, 2014

Synopsis

Hurricane Sandy ravages the Jersey Shore while simultaneously providing the backdrop for a horrible crime. A serial killer takes advantage of the night’s ferocity and inflicts his own damage. The madman then disappears leaving a famed F.B.I. agent broken in the process. Frank Sorello retires from the Bureau only to be drawn back into the game after a bestselling novel by a new author raises suspicions about details inside the book. Is the homicidal maniac announcing his return or is it purely a coincidence? The intrigue builds as a young man with an intellect rivaling that of Einstein and Da Vinci is tragically connected to the Bureau’s top agent. As the investigation is renewed, the murders begin once again. While the mystery unravels no one is truly safe; neither the gated communities of Hollywood nor the hallowed grounds of an Ivy League University provide refuge from what lies waiting in the shadows. The suspense mounts as the hunt gets ever more personal when the agent’s current romantic interest becomes a target. Sorello vows to put an end to the killer’s reign in this fast paced thriller . . . but the killer has other plans.

About this title

Review:

         
"A Jersey Shore Thriller!"

Serial killers have always repelled and compelled us with their antics and over the top deviant behavior. Charles Manson once said, "You know, if I wanted to kill somebody, I'd take this book and beat you to death with it. And I wouldn't feel a thing. It'd be just like walking to the drug store." Well, I'm sure Manson wasn't referring to The Magician, but the public's serial killer fascination continues to be fed with TV, movies, and books. Thanks to The Magician, written by first time author David Pupa, the Jersey Shore now has it's own psychotic, brilliant, and oh-so-evil, serial killer in a well crafted character. Thankfully he's a fictional character, the author's own creation. But as I read the book, this character felt entirely too real for me - but that's a hallmark of a great book as far as I'm concerned. One aspect that made the book come alive for me was the many locations mentioned right in Monmouth County and that I could personally relate to Hurricane Sandy. I loved the book and definitely encourage you readers to get your copy now -- but don't plan on going any where until you finish the book. OMG -- the ending blew me away and I'm sure you'll have the same reaction too. Then there's the graphic book cover which does set the tone for what's in store for the reader. The blood splattered cover is intentionally unsettling -- you won't be disappointed with this read. Follow David Pupa on Facebook for updates, and purchase the book at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Want a copy of The Magician signed by the author? Head to Booktowne in Manasquan. After you read the book, consider this question -- which actors should play Frank and James in the movie? Let me know your thoughts on that; I'm gonna want to interview those guys for sure.Jersey Coastal Live - by Andrea Tarr

"Rating 5 Stars - Totally Loved It"         
ReviewPlot/Story:This book has an amazing plot and the story is simply AWESOME!!! If you want to read a really, really good psychological thriller then you should definitely read The Magician. The  concept is out of the world and I really, really enjoyed reading each and every chapter. The entire time I was at the edge of my seat and it was surprisingly hard to put down this book even for a second.
It was a fast-paced thriller that gripped me from to end. I always found myself craving the next part to see what would happen next.
There were a lot of things going on in this book at the same time (in a good way) and I enjoyed all the elements thoroughly. There are two parallel story lines and sometimes three (James' past and present and Agent Sorello's present.) Every time there was a shift I cursed out loud for the small cliff-hanger endings to every chapter, but, after a line or two, I found myself fully engaged again.
The Magician is a perfect combination of love, revenge, determination, craziness, passion, intellect, mystery, murder(s), torture and pain.
Overall it had everything one can expect from ten thriller books combined. The writing and characterisation were amazing and it all worked perfectly.
Characters:I loved both the lead characters, especially James- the antagonist (maybe more than I really should!) His character is developed beautifully and creatively.
Agent Frank Sorello (now retired) is also a well-developed character. Aside from being an FBI icon he is a really good guy. A gradual recovery from his tragic past is portrayed beautifully through the emergence of a new love in his life. It makes you feel involved in each and every aspect of his life (and the same goes for James.)
Writing:The writing is simple but effective, which for me, is the perfect combination for any book. No unnecessary complicated words; the few used were really good and insightful! I loved the simple sentences and the ease with which they flowed. The writing was absorbing and complimented the book beautifully.
Beginning:The beginning is as good as it can get! I was into the book right from the first line (read below.) It captured me in it's awesome thrilling experience and I enjoyed it like hell.
Ending:OMG! This book just kept on getting better and better by the page and I can promise you that it ended just as incredibly. I really can't wait for the next installment and have already asked the author to count me in for reviewing the second part as well.
Other StuffOpening line: The orange hue of the early morning sun was casting its rays upon the seashore community of Spring Lake, New Jersey.
Highlights: Story-line.
Lowlights: None.
Memorable Quotes:

If this were Greek mythology, the lore would be that the gods were now smiling down upon him, as a favoured son. Yet, like Achilles, fate often swung both ways.

Life's unpredictable patters had a strange way of forming a connected web.

Memorable Paragraph:

Yet, James pushed for perfection and without a full emotional spectrum to cloud his thinking, he was like a computer running a total maniacal disconnect from humanity. Viewing people as nothing more than game pieces effectively allowed him to proceed with his mad delusion. The only time he felt anything was when he killed. The guttural responses of his victims' stirred deeply buried emotions and during those brief moments, he felt alive.

Final Thoughts: A mind-blowing thriller! Totally amazing!!!
The Reading Bud - by Heena Rathore P.

"Captivating Thriller"
               What if Hurricane Sandy was only the second worst thing to have arrived at your doorstep on October 29th, 2012? Imagine for a moment a serial killer was inside your home that night. This marriage of fact and fiction sets the scene for D.A. Pupa's debut novel, The Magician.

               Pupa will capture your attention from the very beginning with this scary premise and never let it go. You'll be on the edge of your seat, as your taken on a journey with twists and turns that you'll never see coming. James Patterson, Thomas Harris and Stephen King were the author's creative inspirations. Pupa said, "I come from a family of big readers. We always passed books back and forth, and I just tended to gravitate toward those novels that got my heart pumping. I remember reading Silence Of  The Lambs and how the story made me forget that I was reading. I've always wanted to write a book where people get enveloped in another world, albeit a scary one. The basic idea for this novel remained wrapped inside my head for the better part of two decades. But it wasn't until just after Sandy had caused such devastation to my hometown that I found the true anchor point for my story. Finally, a few weeks later my mom nudged me into pursuing my dream." If you like intelligent thrillers that draw you into the characters and make you truly care about them, then this novel is for you. The author drew upon many resources to help research and create a heroic protagonist and an equally fascinating foe. These characters are multi-dimensional, and his own expertise as a psychotherapist is on full display as he connects you to their worlds. The plot is fast paced and captivating from beginning to end. Pupa takes us on a wild ride from the Jersey Shore to the hills of Hollywood and then back East to a revered Ivy League institution, where we get to look inside a mind that rivals Leonardo da Vinci's. The key to everything is in a newly released novel that holds classified information relevant to the case.

               Asked how he managed to incorporate different fields of expertise into his novel, he responded, "I'm fortunate to have family members in law enforcement. Two of my cousins have worked in the district attorney's office, another in a forensics crime lab. To top it all off, my sister is a psychologist and my brother, a computer expert. As for myself, I just imagined and tried to visualize the words flowing out as images on the big screen. I'm a huge movie lover and I think that process helped. I hope everyone who gives it a read feels they escaped into another world."

               The upcoming anniversary of Hurricane Sandy is an apt reason for disappearing into the world of D.A. Pupa's The Magician, available from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. 
                For more information about D.A. Pupa, visit D.A. Pupa.com

Social Life Magazine - by Christine Montanti    

D. A. Pupa's Book The Magician: A Serial Killer Hits the Beloved Jersey Shore

The Magician is the first novel from the pen of NJ's D.A. Pupa. A psychotherapist by trade, D. A. undoubtedly uses his knowledge of the human psyche intertwined with a love of thrillers and mystery to create some magic of his own in this page-turner set at the Jersey Shore. Though it takes place during the biggest storm to hit the NJ coastline in almost a century, Super Storm Sandy, the storm was not the only thing wreaking havoc with these Spring Lake residents.. a serial killer was on the loose.

I had the opportunity to speak to this talented first-time author about his life in Jersey and what inspires him to write.

"I've always been an avid reader and so has all of my family. I mainly enjoy suspense and thrillers. I love early James Patterson (Kiss The Girls, Along Came A Spider), Thomas Harris (Silence of The Lambs), Stephen King (The Stand, The Shining), Tom Clancy, Nelson DeMille, Vince Flynne....classics too....Gone With The Wind, Catcher In The Rye, and countless others.
I was inspired to write the book after my mom nudged me into pursuing my dream. I had the basic idea of this novel inside my head for the better part of two decades. Hurricane Sandy and the
scariness of that night at the Jersey Shore gave me a true anchor point for my story. Around that time I had begun a fulltime private practice (I'm a psychotherapist) and since I set my own hours it allowed me to have more flexibility with my time in order to write. That's when mom said to me, "Why don't you write that book you're always talking about?" and I really had no answer other than "She's right, if I'm ever going to do it, now is the time"... so the rest is history. I began the novel in January of 2013."

Suzee Behind The Scenes by Suzanne Ordas Curry

Book Review: The Magician by D.A. Pupa
             
This gripping thriller starts off with retired FBI profiler Frank Sorello trying to keep calm as he discovers the second novel written by Gary Jones, a thriller novelist, carries details perhaps only the killer or someone in a select few within the FBI could have known. Frank has enjoyed some outstanding success in his career but he could not bring the murderer who killed his wife to justice and subsequently retired. His obsession with Gary Jones started when he read his first book but Frank's assertions of Jones being the killer was seen as delusional ranting by a bereaved husband but now there are just too many circumstantial coincidences to ignore his hunch.
I loved reading this thriller and am a huge fan of serial killer fiction, I enjoyed the original premise of the flawed FBI agent and the brilliant but deranged killer he chases in this cat and mouse game. The story is written so that the opening chapters up to and including chapter six sets the present day scene and chapters from The Taking by Gary Jones, which I found quite an original idea in which to introduce the killer. From chapter seven onwards the chapters alternate to tell us the history of how a serial killer is made and Frank's progress in trying to hunt him.
There are some really exciting sequences as you would expect as the FBI close in on their quarry but for me the journey a man takes to become The Magician was the most compelling part of this outstanding read.  

Ajoobacats Blog by Babus Sama Ahmed

About this edition

• Publisher: Wingspan Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1595945318
• ISBN 13: 9781595945310
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 324