The author biography on the last page says, "Martin Seay is the executive secretary for the village of Wheeling, Illinois. The Mirror Thief is his first novel." Seay's lack of literary pedigree makes The Mirror Thief an even more impressive achievement.
The Mirror Thief tells three connected stories. In 2003, an ex-Marine named Curtis checks into the Venetian in Las Vegas on a quest to locate a gambler who owns his employer money; in 1958, a younger version of that gambler has come to Venice California in search of the author of a mysterious book (called The Mirror Thief) that has captured his imagination; in 1592, the titular character plans to steal the secrets of mirror-making from the Republic of Venice. The stories echo each other both in terms of plot and of incidental images. Lots of reflections, silver, and water.
It's a long book (572 pages) with a complex structure, ambitious themes, and colorful prose littered with obscure vocabulary. This description makes it sound difficult, but I found it very readable. Many readers may feel like there's not enough action, but I enjoyed its world- and character-building. Almost every page had a sentence or image that caught my attention. Seay is particularly good at choosing metaphors that paint a vivid picture and deepen a character at the same time.
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