Book Synopsis:
Illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector investigates a sinister conundrum at a 1930s theatre in this thrilling new mystery novel from Tom Mead, author of Death and the Conjuror, one of Publishers Weekly‘s Mysteries of the Year 2022.
1938, London. Young lawyer Edmund Ibbs has a new client: a woman accused of shooting her husband in the already infamous ‘Ferris Wheel Murder’ case.
The case proves to be a web of conspiracy, and Ibbs himself is accused when a second suspicious death occurs, during a magic act at the crowded Pomegranate Theatre.
Also present at the theatre is Joseph Spector, illusionist turned highly respected sleuth. Spector begins to investigate the mystery, but when another body is discovered later that same night, all evidence points to Ibbs being guilty.
With time against him, and a host of hangers-on all having something to hide, can Spector uncover the guilty party, or will he and Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard conclude that Ibbs is the culprit after all?
My Review:
The Murder Wheel is a fun, clever and entertaining locked room mystery that combines magic with mystery to make a very intriguing read.
Firstly I love a good locked room mystery so this book instantly appealed to me. It reminded me a lot if an Agatha Christie book as it was very cleverly plotted with the reader unable to guess who the murder was which I always love. Despite it being a murder mystery with a high number of victims there isn’t a lot of violence which I liked as it helped me relax into the story a bit more.
The characters were all fantastic creations who I enjoyed following throughout the book. I like how they all brought something different to the story and I enjoyed getting to know them better so I could work out what their motivations might be. It’s one of those books you need to pay attention to the little details as they often seemed to come back to haunt the character later. I found this very clever and enjoyed seeing what would be revealed next.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. The book had a great pace to it and the many twists made the book hard to put down as there always seemed to be something happening. The inclusion or magic or illusions in the book was very interesting as it helped give the story a unique twists as well as adding a bit of unpredictable into the story as the reader isn’t sure what is actually real.
The ending was very clever and thought provoking as I have kept thinking about it long after reading, wondering what I’d have done.
Huge thanks to Sophie from Ransom PR for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book. If your a fan of locked room or golden crime mysteries I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
Tom Mead is a UK crime fiction author specialising in locked-room mysteries. He is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the International Thriller Writers’ Organization. His debut novel is DEATH AND THE CONJUROR, featuring magician-detective Joseph Spector.
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