Starred review from April 22, 2024
A pair of potential murders give way to two baffling real ones in Mead’s ingenious third whodunit featuring retired magician Joseph Spector (after The Murder Wheel). In 1938 England, Lady Elspeth Drury summons Spector to help prevent her husband’s murder. Sir Giles Drury has been receiving threatening letters that Lady Elspeth believes are the work of Victor Silvius, who was confined to a sanitorium nine years earlier after he tried to stab Sir Giles. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard inspector George Flint has been approached by Silvius’s sister, Caroline, who fears the exact opposite—that Sir Giles is conspiring to have her brother killed. Spector’s and Flint’s inquiries inevitably intersect, and after the two travel together to the Drurys’ country estate, they end up investigating two seemingly impossible murders connected to the family. In one, they discover a frozen body in the middle of a pond with no evidence suggesting how it got there; in another, the victim is gunned down in broad daylight by an apparently invisible killer. As in previous Spector cases, Mead hides all the clues in plain sight, constructing a fair-play puzzle that will delight and challenge readers who love pitting their own wits against the author’s. It’s another crackerjack entry in an exceptional series. Agent: Lorella Belli, Lorella Belli
October 1, 2024
Mead presents another intricate, atmospheric installment in his historical mystery series. In 1930s England, illusionist-turned-investigator Joseph Spector is once again faced with a seemingly unsolvable series of deaths. From strychnine to stabbing, the mysterious murders just keep coming, putting the erstwhile magician and his powers of perception to the test. He again teams up with Scotland Yard's George Flint. The pair have been hired by opposing parties who each suspect the other of attempting an assassination. Spector and Flint uncover secrets and scandal at every turn, and Spector's unfailing wit and wisdom can always be relied upon to find a logical explanation. This third Joseph Spector novel (following The Murder Wheel) is as fun and fast-paced as its predecessors and features a new narrator, Philip Battley, who seamlessly takes up the role of the rational, refined Spector. His elegant but expressive delivery, paired with short chapters and ever-increasing suspense, creates a compelling listen. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a richly detailed historical mystery with a classic Christie-esque detective denouement. Recommended for fans of Nicola Upson, Fiona Davis, and Jessica Fellowes.--Lauren Hackert
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