Book Synopsis:
Sleuth and illusionist Joseph Spector investigates his most complex case yet in this gripping new locked-room murder mystery, set in an English country house just before the Second World War.
Hampshire, 1938. When prominent judge Sir Giles Drury starts receiving sinister letters, his wife suspects Victor Silvius, a man confined to a sanatorium after attacking Sir Giles. Meanwhile, Silvius’ sister Caroline is convinced her brother is about to be murdered… by none other than his old nemesis Sir Giles Drury.
Caroline seeks the advice of Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint, while the Drurys, eager to avoid a scandal, turn to Joseph Spector. Spector, renowned magician turned sleuth, has an uncanny knack for solving complicated crimes – but this case will test his powers of deduction to their limits.
At a snowbound English country house, a body is found is impossible circumstances. Spector and Flint’s investigations collide as they find themselves trapped by the snowstorm where anyone could be the next victim – or the killer…
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of this author and have loved all of his previous books so I’ve been really looking forward to reading this book. Once again the author has written a fast paced, gripping mystery that I really enjoyed.
Firstly I’ve always loved books set in old houses so this book instantly appealed. The setting and the time period the story is set in gave the book a classic crime book feel which I absolutely loved. The author has done a great job in researching the period and I loved all the little details which made the story come to life.
Joseph Spector is a fabulous main character and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know his throughout the series. His background as a magician gives him an usual edge over the detectives you normally see in these types of books and I loved how he uses his magic to help his solve the case. The author cleverly leaves clues throughout the story to help the reader solve the story alongside Joseph and it was fun trying to find them all. I managed to find a few more than last time but I unfortunately wasn’t able to find all of them – despite my normal skills at guessing the ending in mysteries. The clues are all logged at the end of the book so the reader can see where they missed them.
Overall, as you can probably guess, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from the author in the future . The plot is a bit complex in places and it did take me a while to get my head around all the characters but I soon got the hand of it. . There were many twists that kept me on my toes and I loved the clever ending which I hadn’t been able to guess.
Huge thanks to Sophie and Poppy from Ransom Pr for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you are looking for a gripping, clever murder mystery than I thoroughly recommend this one.
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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