Death and the Conjuror

Written by Tom Mead

Narrated by Jake Ruddle

A magician-turned-sleuth in pre-war London solves three impossible crimes

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781696608114

Tom Mead

Tom Mead is an aficionado of Golden Age crime fiction. His short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Lighthouse, as well as Best Crime Stories of the Year (ed. Lee Child). Death and the Conjuror, his debut novel, featuring illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector, was highly acclaimed by the UK and US press and was one of Publishers Weekly's Mysteries of the Year. He lives in Derbyshire, England. Follow Tom at tommeadauthor.com, @TomMeadAuthor and facebook.com/tommeadauthor

Reviews for Death and the Conjuror

[Sharon Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The many twists to the story line kept me reading. Have to pay constant attention to the dialogue of each character. Well written. Narrator did excellent job.