★Glover, Nicole. The Improvisers: A Murder and Magic Novel. Harper Voyager. Nov. 2024. 464p. ISBN 9780063293595. pap. $19.99. FANTASY

Velma Frye, aviator and magical investigator, finds herself in a deeply personal and intricate magical crime conspiracy. After picking up an enchanted pocket watch that initiated a heated brawl at one of her flying shows, she heads home for some advice. To her surprise, other magically tainted objects have been stolen from her family’s inn and are causing havoc and death throughout the United States. These objects are associated with a mysterious and deadly incident that happened at the inn in the 19th century. Flying coast to coast in her plane, she and nosy reporter Dillon Harris seek to find the objects as well as the story behind what happened at her family home all those years ago. But other shadowy and more pernicious characters are looking for the objects too and are set to unleash a possible magical apocalypse if obtained. This spin-off from Glover’s “Murder and Magic” series is a perfect stand-alone but will whet readers’ appetites to delve into Glover’s other books. VERDICT Fantasy fans and steampunk enthusiasts will enjoy Glover’s astounding, creatively envisioned Prohibition-era United States, where magical and historical events intertwine in a thrilling plot full of adventurous characters.