Death and the conjuror

Author

Tom Mead

Call Number

• MYSTERY MEAD (CEN, OSH)

Edition

First Mysterious Press edition.

Publication Information

New York : The Mysterious Press, [2022]

Physical Description

256 pages ; 22 cm.

Summary

"In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions? Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colorful cast of suspects among the psychiatrist's patients and household, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets--or motives for murder. When the investigation dovetails into that of an apparently-impossible theft, the detectives consider the possibility that the two transgressions are related. And when a second murder occurs, this time in an impenetrable elevator, they realize that the crime wave will become even more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon"--

Contents

• Part one: The thief's tale. Fierce stuff ; Miss Death
• Part two: The liar's tale. Entr'acte (I): The man in the long black coat ; Three telephone calls ; The night in question ; El Nacimiento ; Der Schlangenmann ; Dufresne Court ; Patient C ; Case notes ; A brief disquisition on the locked-room problems ; Snakeman unmasked
• Part three: The imposter's tale. Entr'acte (II): Mister Weaver makes a purchase ; The vampire trap ; The madman, Espina ; How to disappear entirely; or, The Proteus cage ; Interlude: Wherein the reader's attention is respectfully requested ; One last trick
• Epilogue: The conjuror's tale.