The book that got me through the outbound trip to Charlottesville was Christopher Priest's The Prestige, a split-perspective historical novel with supernatural/fantastic elements thrown in. I'd seen the recent movie version and enjoyed it, but heard the book was better (it was, of course, but the film does in this case give the book a run for its money).
A tale of two rival illusionists during the late Victorian era, the story of their great feud and its consequences is told from each of their points of view in turn, alternating with a present-day storyline (read: framing device) featuring two of the magicians' descendants (or is it two?).
Interesting characters, a few good mysterious twists, and supremely macabre ending. Complex and quite worth reading.
