Great story for arm-chair detectives. A man murdered alone in a locked room. Theft of painting from a crowded party yet witnessed by no-one. As the mysteries compound these sleuths follow clues that seem to lead nowhere and suspects that all seem to have alibis.

Is it magic or slight of hand? Were these crimes so perfectly planned or did luck play a part? Things are never as clear as you think as you try to unravel the story...or is it stories?

A fun read that will keep you guessing until the satisfying conclusion.

This is a locked room mystery set in London in the period between world wars. I think the author tried really hard but the solution to the locked room mystery was so ridiculous that it appeared contrived. Mead can write but this type of book is really hard to bring off and I just don’t think he did it. You might think otherwise.

tl;dr
A great book for fans of classic mysteries where the reader is challenged to solve the mystery before the reveal. Very little by way of character development or time spent in the titular detective.

About
When Scotland Yard is baffled by an impossible locked room mystery, they call upon the aid of Joseph Spector, a retired stage magician with a knack for unravelling the impossible.

What I Liked
This is an absolutely classic "Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction" mystery that leaves all the clues out for the reader to unravel without making the culprit too obvious. It will take some keen reading to catch all the clues, and some sneaky ones are even hidden away in the chapter titles. The plot unfolds at a very nice clip, with suspects holding onto secrets just long enough to be tantalizing, and not so long as to be frustrating. The interconnected mysteries all come to a very satisfying conclusion. What little we learn about the amateur detective Joseph Spector is interesting.

What Wasn't For Me
The text itself promises an "intellectual distance" from the mystery, which lines up with the very classic feel of the writing. But these days I tend to prefer a little more emotional insight, if not with the suspects, then at least with the detective. We learn disappointingly little about the titular magician, and that only from outside sources. This appears to be the start of a series, so I hope that more will be unveiled later.

This book is a delightful old fashioned (in the best possible way) locked room mystery that will keep you guessing as to the murderers identity till the very end. To the authors credit the clues were sprinkled throughout the book and when the magician turned part time sleuth Joseph Spector gathers the suspects he lays them all out. I am always looking for new mystery series and hopefully this will be the first of many more to come.

[Book Review]

Death and the Conjuror | Tom Mead
Genre: Historical Fiction, Murder/Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Penzler Publishers/WWNorton
⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

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?

From the first page Tom Mead had me invested.
Historical fiction, a magician, and a sneaky theatrical actress sets the scene.

If you are a fan of Monsieur Poirot or the enigmatic Sherlock Holmes, you will love magician-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector and his inspector at-hand, George Flint.

The end-of-chapter hooks make you want to continually read and pull a #bookishallnighter
I read this book overnight easily and is perfect for a Sunday read in your favourite reading armchair. Put the kettle on!

Tom Mead’s writing flow is everything you would expect from the classic whodunnits: FOMO (fear of missing out) fast paced, gently pulling you from one chapter to the next, and no doubt influencing a book binge reading session.

Take note: once you start Death and the Conjuror, you will find it incredibly hard to stick to your “just one more chapter” justifications.

I love the mention of other literary favourites such as Macbeth by William Shakespeare, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, and also Edgar Allan Poe’s name was also acknowledged.

The ending was perfect and no, I had zero idea of the perpetrator. An amazingly written book that I could no doubt re-read over and over.

I find myself patiently waiting a follow up, to hopefully, a must anticipated Joseph Spector series.

Death and the Conjuror is take on the classic "locked door" mysteries, especially famous in the time period in which the book is set. While investigating a murder that occurred in a locked room, the police inspector calls upon a local magician as an expert in such things to help solve the case. As the investigation begins a second locked door crime occurs in which a famous painting is stolen from where it was safely locked away. As some of the suspects from the murder are found to also be suspects for the theft questions arise as to how much both cases are intertwined. The author does a good job of keeping the story going with interesting characters, red herrings and plot twists that will keep you guessing (I did figure out the painting theft pretty easily), and present a different and very likable amateur sleuth in Joseph Spector. This novel feels very much like the mystery novels that inspired it and I would be interested in reading the further adventures of Spector.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It has all the key elements to make a good mystery. I was hooked by the first couple of pages & could not put it down. It’s the perfect read for any setting or mood!

In the book Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead, Inspector George Flint enlists the help of a magician and part-time sleuth, Joseph Spector to solve the locked door murder of a famous psychiatrist. There are as many suspects as there are twists and turns. If you're anything like me, the ending will leave you very surprised!

First of all, and I don't particularly know why, but I love books that have a cast of characters at the beginning. Guess what this book has?!

With that out of the way, this book was really great! Tom Mead is a wordsmith. From descriptions, to tone, dialogue, and choice of words in general (i.e. burble, whirligig, and gewgaws), I was definitely impressed. This helped me to become quickly and easily invested in this story.

Like I mentioned above, the ending came as a surprise to me, which I love. I had absolutely no idea "whodunit" or how it was done, but I all came together quite nicely at the end. I was so sure it had to be one character, but no, I was completely off base.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in mysteries, crime fiction, or a good read in general.
And I do hope we see more of Spector in future stories!

I received this e-book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A classic locked door mystery, with all the usual suspects. Although I enjoyed the storytelling, I just couldn’t truly get into this book with my whole heart. There were moments that dragged on and suspenseful moments that could have done with a pinch more intrigue.

This was a very good book, the first in hopefully a series, while reading it I was reminded of stories I had read in the Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock mystery magazines in the manner in which the mystery was solved. The author had also acknowledged that these two magazines were inspiration. Inspector Flint of the Scotland Yard is called to investigate a murder that has taken place at the residence of a respected psychiatrist, Dr Anselm Rees, who had been found in a locked room with his throat slit. Inspector Flint asks Joseph Spector, a sort of magician, for assistance, Spector's observation and thought process soon lead them to another crime, this one the robbery of a valuable painting, they wonder if the two crimes are somehow connected. There are no shortage of suspects, Dr Rees had been treating three individuals that he referred to as Patient A, B and C to keep their real name unknown, was one of these the killer? Spector and Flint doggedly pursue each lead as it comes up and eventually gather all the suspects together where Spector (in a sort of Agatha Christie type manner) lays out who did the deed in both crimes. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Thank you to #Netgalley and #Mysterious Press for the ARC.

This book was so engrossing I lost track of the time and almost forgot to make the dinner. So prepare the dinner first, make a cuppa and then read this book. It is a great locked room mystery in the classic style and I loved it.

Psychiatrist Anselm Rees is found brutally murdered in his home office but the door and windows were locked from the inside. How did the murderer commit the crime? Tom Mead brings back the hugely popular locked room mysteries from the early 20th century and in fact his story is set in the 1930s London. Scotland Yard detective George Flint is called to the case and immediately enlists the help of an old stage magician Joseph Spector. Who hated Rees enough to cut his throat to the point of almost severing his head? Rees had three patients with disguised names Patients A, B, C. Each has emotional problems and could have been the murderer. Spector is wise and calmly goes about putting clues together as Flint becomes more and more frustrated by revealed motives and complex twists Mead plants in the novel. When Spector summons all the suspects together in Rees office, the big revealing scene hints of classic Christie works but fans of Phryne Fisher’s mysteries will also be thrilled.

Death and the conjuror / Tom Mead. A deliciously twisty locked room mystery. Scotland Yard detective is baffled when psychiatrist is stabbed to death in a locked room, and calls on a local conjuror for help. Several suspects.

An entertaining summer read locked room mystery. The setting 1936 London, a psychologist is found dead in his study. A mysterious stranger visited late the night before, the housekeeper heard the Dr. on the phone shortly after the visitor left. All entrances were locked, it rained outside last night and there are no footprints near the back of the house. All of the doctor's patients and those who live in his house, including his daughter and the housekeeper have alibis. Who killed the doctor?

For help the police (Scotland Yard) seek out a former magician and part time sleuth Joseph Spector. Debut author and likely returning character in Spector and his magical sleuthing ways. (Pun intended)

Death and the Conjuror
Tom Mead
7/12/22

I wasn't crazy about this book. In fact it took some effort to get through it. I liked the premise, but something got lost in the storytelling. However, I do think this will have a an audience. It just wasn't me.

Loved this locked room mystery! Mead creates a character in magician Joseph Spector that makes me want to read his next case. The secondary characters were delightful, the mystery clever, and the clues out in the open. I will happily recommend this mystery to my customers.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Penzler Publishers Mysterious Press for an advanced copy of this locked room thriller.

Back in the day mysteries seemed a lot more fun and easier to get involved in. Bodies would appear in impossible places, rooms, bell towers, dungeons, the Oval Office, with no entry or egress possible. Someone would make a call and a amateur sleuth would appear, and the police would just let that person poke around, follows cops around, ask questions, maybe even hold a dinner party for a witty yet intelligent denouement. Today's mysteries are not as interesting no tricks, no mirrors, no identical twins with shared alibis, just a lot of serial killers, and people shooting each other over parking spaces. Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead is a throwback to the mysteries of yore with a cleaver amateur versus a criminal who always seems a step ahead, even as the bodies pile up.

A psychiatrist fresh from Austria has arrived in England with his daughter, is found murdered in his study, locked from the inside with no sign of trespass. At the same time a priceless painting is stolen from a mansion filled with people, without a clue being left. What is the connection between these two crimes? What is the secret of the psychiatrist's patients nicknamed Patients A, B, C? Who is the masked man that follows these patients? Only Joseph Spector, retired magician and amateur sleuth can deduce the answer and the connections of these dastardly crimes.

Great fun. A good old locked door mystery with an answer that harkens back to the classics, with a fair play solution to both crimes and plenty of clues. In fact the clues even get flagged so the reader and go back and go, oh yeah. Now I get it. The writing has that sort of distant writing that seemed so prevalent back then, an almost haughty air, that really helps keep the atmosphere of the story. The detective is clever, teaches some magic tricks just for fun, and has a aura of the mysterious around him, which also helps. There are plenty or red herrings, and a lot of Easter eggs in reference to classic mystery stories and writers. Just a lot of fun to read.

Definitely recommended for fans of Ellery Queen, John Dickson Carr, or new modern locked room writers like Yukito Ayatsusi or Ragnar Jonasson. This is the first that I have read of Tom Mead, at least in novel form, and I look forward to more books by him.

Love this book, full of twist and turns and fabulous characters. A psychologist is murdered and the chase is on to find who, and how it was done. There is a daughter, and magician, the police and people coming and going at the time of the crime. There are files that need to be be puzzled over and a mystery in the past.
All in all a book which I found both entertaining and very hard to put down. Will look for more from this author.

The Seemingly Impossible…
1930’s London and celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in a locked study. A seemingly impossible crime with no clues whatsoever and no witnesses to be found. Scotland Yard are baffled. It’s time to call on Joseph Spector. He has an ingrained knack for the explanation of the seemingly impossible. With a wonderfully vivid collection of eclectic characters and a beautifully written narrative this is a first class homage to the Golden Age of Crime. This is no pastiche, this a well written mystery with a truly baffling puzzle at its’ heart. For mystery lovers everywhere. Aficionados of the Golden Age will surely not be disappointed.

Tom Mead is an author who, for anyone reading this blog, likely needs no introduction. A many-time publisher of successful impossible crime short fiction published heavily in crime fiction anthologies and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, likely best known for his hard-boiled story “Heatwave”, Tom hadn’t produced his first novel-length outing until Death and the Conjuror, published by Otto Penzler and Mysterious Press.

Anselm Rees, world-renowned Italian psychiatrist, has led a stable life in England, keeping a modest practice of only three patients since his immigration with his daughter Lidia. A torrent of unexpected visitors culminates in the throat-slashing of Rees in his study, which had been locked and sealed from the inside so that entrance and escape is wholly impossible. When one of the suspects is also accused of (under impossible circumstances) stealing a rare painting from a house party, Detective Inspector Flint is forced to consult magician and master of illusions Joseph Spector to help elucidate the problem. Together, Flint and Spector interview the late Rees’s family, employees, and patients in order to locate whodunit.

Horizontally, laterally, frontwards, and backwards, Tom Mead’s breakout novel is the impossible crime fan’s impossible crime, having everything a reader of locked-room mysteries will love from a locked-room mystery novel, and safely having nothing he may not. In fact, Death and the Conjuror is ultimately a bisection between your average John Dickson Carr impossible crime and Clayton Rawson’s Death from a Top Hat in all of the best (and not-so-best) ways.

Tom Mead’s writing style is one of the first things I wanted to compliment when writing this post. Many Golden Age greats have written characters with distinct identities and personalities who nonetheless get lost in the same voice of high-class sophistication that permeates much of the prose (even those authors well-known as stylists as well as plotters). Oftentimes even authors who weren’t explicitly trying to be literary felt like they were trying to flout their intellectualism in place of style. Fortunately, Tom manages to blend period-appropriate language with a voice obviously developed with modern sensibilities, creating a novel that, though no less convincing as a 19xx mystery story, is majorly more readable and palpable than the average mystery tale of the period, and boasts clearly defined characters and voices.

As a mystery novel holistically, Death and the Conjuror is fantastically realized. Like any Golden Age tale of ratiocination, Death and the Conjuror brings you from clue to clue, building up a picture of murder over time that only compounds into something more complex, no matter how much the detective wishes it would get better. There are many interesting set-pieces, clever clues, and neat logic throughout, and the ways circumstance unites the characters in the plot-at-large are always interesting and fluid. Apparently there are many reasons for the troubled to visit their psychiatrist in the middle of the night!

In spite of the focus on a psychiatrist and his patients, the book also doesn’t delve too much into overreaching psychology as a clue. It dips its toe in places, but it’s always interesting and never anything it expects the reader to guess based on idealized archetypes of demographic psychology. I will say, however, that despite the novel’s theming around psychiatry, this particular element of the story felt wasted in establishing the killer’s motive, which was ultimately pretty basic in light of all the circumstance surrounding it. Moreover, the way the detective divined the motive is fair, as it demands a few assumptions and guesses that we as readers will or can naturally make, but isn’t as credible from a perspective within the series. (ROT13 for anyone who has read the story: Vg qrznaqf gur nffhzcgvba gung “Gur Fanxr Zna” vf n fvtavsvpnag cneg bs gur fgbel, naq gur nffhzcgvba gung gur fpbcr bs Gur Fanxr Zna’f vaibyirzrag jvgu gur cybg vf erfgevpgrq gb gur cevapvcyr punenpgref bs gur abiry. Gur guvatf pbaarpgvat gur zheqre naq Gur Fanxr Zna fgbel ner cerggl grahbhf, yvxr gur cerggl trarevp angher bs gur jbhaq (n fyvg guebng) naq bar punenpgre orvat va nal cneg bs pbagvaragny Rhebcr ng n pregnva gvzr, naq sryg zber yvxr gur qrgrpgvir zrgn-grkghnyyl ernfbavat sebz sberfunqbjvat engure guna pyhrf.)

As a locked-room mystery, however, I was much less enamored with Death and the Conjuror than I’d hoped going in. There are three impossible crimes in this story, the two mentioned above as well as a murder in an elevator that never opened or moved during the course of the crime.

The principle murder of Dr. Anselm Rees reminds me of all of the things I don’t really like in those locked-room murders in the Rawson/Sladek/Talbot class, where I felt like the effect of an impossibility was valued over the effect of its explanation — like a magic trick. It was a series of tricks which, as part of a mystery novel, culminated in the illusion of a more grand-seeming murder plot than what we were really in store for, all as the cover for what I consider a pretty bland explanation (which relies on an old dodge I think many seasoned readers will probably clue into when the body is found (nsgre gurl, gurl arire gbhpu gur xrl…). While I thought that the individual revelations that led to the explanation were interesting and engaging, and the denouement perfectly satisfying, the whole thing was missing that something that many of my favorite impossible crimes have, that central deception around which everything else revolves in one way or another, that one detail that finally fits perfectly into place after nagging at you for 200 pages — the oomph, or the chutzpah, or whatever it is you want to call it.

The two secondary impossible crimes are fairly minor affairs. The theft of the painting is resolved partway through the story, and the explanation might be one of the first few ideas you have. The question of “where is the painting now?” is much more interesting, and handled very well. The murder in the elevator is a pretty flimsily-established impossibility, relying on the testimony of a single witness, and the explanation for why he’s trustworthy isn’t exactly convincing. It has a neat piece of sleight-of-hand in the set-up, but the actual commission of the murder relies on what I guarantee will be the first thought to occur to most people (when I talk to my uninitiated friends about murders in elevators, this is the first explanation they always jump to before anything else). It’s also diluted by being incredibly mechanical.

There is, near the end, a dissertation on the nature of locked-room mysteries. I’m not quite sure how to qualify it, but it is a very good “locked-room lecture” that some may think flirts a bit dangerously with spoilers…

That all said, my verdict on Death and the Conjuror is that it is a fantastic crime novel… which has a locked-room mystery, and not, unfortunately, a fantastic locked-room mystery. Outside of the locked-room mystery and the killer’s motive, nearly everything here works, and there are plenty of clever, devious revelations throughout that do a fantastic job of juggling suspicions between its core players. Many unique moving puzzle-pieces fill out the plot of this novel, from the psychological afflictions of the victims’ patients, to the identity of the masked man who visited him, to the history of the Rees family, and the inner workings of a theater group… As a crime novel, you can do little better to fill out as intriguing a tale of murder and detection as this.