A suspense story is unlike any other fiction. The plot entices, the characters connect, but that unique sense of intrigue comes from something illogical, almost magic: the art of the reveal.   Magicians also create intrigue and for centuries have developed techniques for building suspense into their acts.   They tantalize our curiosity with illusions passed down through generations. Mystery authors like myself can learn a lot about suspense from them. In Christopher Nolan's 2006 film, The Prestige , screenwriters put forth three fictional parts to a good magic trick. I use them in crafting my reveal: The Pledge:   When opening an illusion, the magician presents an ordinary object. The audience gets to wonder what the trickster might do with it.   In a mystery, the author first builds an ordinary connection between the main character and the reader. Whether the protagonist is a powerful queen or an aspiring artist, I give her an ordinary trait my reader can connect...