What a delightful book to read! This was a classic whodunit mystery, and kept me guessing throughout.

I loved the setting and the feel of the book, you really felt immersed in the time era of the book. The author was clever to set it in the 20s as I think the whodunit mystery really works back then. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out, with little Easter eggs left throughout to help you guess the solution. What makes this book even better is that in a world of mystery books, a good whodunit mystery is a breath of fresh air.

Overall, this was a 5 star read for me, and a delightful book to read if you love a mystery book!

it's 1930s England and the death of a world renowned psychiatrist, has rocked Scotland yard to its core. The Dr. was found in his office, alone and locked in from the inside.
How did the perpetrator get out? Can Scotland yard figure it out before it is too late?
With no clues, no witnesses, and not one trace of a murder weapon the stumped detective on the case calls on retired stage magician and now sleuth Joseph Spector to help unravel the mystery and bring the person responsible to justice.

I found the premise brilliant! The mystery of the locked room and no seeming motive was so delicious I couldn't put the book down. The twists and turns and all the second guessing lasted right up until the big reveal at the end. Expertly done. I do have some issues with the book. I felt the introduction to Spector lacking. It left me wondering if there was a book before that I had missed where he was properly introduced. That could have been done so much better. More back story and understanding as to why the detective decided to approach him in the first place for help. I felt like a big part of the whole story was missing and that is still how I felt when it ended.

I loved all the characters. Touching on the different types of psychomachia was clever and made the characters more tangible. Della really was a conundrum and I would have actually liked to have known more about her for my own curiosity. The only character I didn't much care for was the daughter Lidia. I think she was deliberately made unlikeable which shows how much skill the author has.

If you love a good whodunnit that will leave you guessing until the very end then this crime debut will have you scratching your head and thirsting for me.

Solid 4 stars maybe even 4,5. Thank you netgalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you can overlook that then this book was beyond magnificent. I crushed it in one sitting. My hope is that this become a series.

A very good homage to the Golden Age and locked-room mysteries. Who killed Dr Rees and how was it done? The writer has cleverely plotted this book to keep you guessing right up till the last moment and the denouement explains everything perfectly though I have to admit to being as bit confused about the technicalities of how some of the trickery was done. This, however, didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book as all the different plots and sub-plots were nicely woven together at the end to make this a very satisfying read and one I would happily recommend to others to read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

London in the 1930s, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study – no witnesses, no murder weapon, no clues. Detective Flint is assigned to the case and calls on Joseph Spector, a retired stage magician, now part time investigator to help him. Dr. Rees and his daughter Lidia moved from Vienna to London a few months prior. He had 3 patients, all celebrities known as Patient A, B and C. As the detective and the magician work through the cast of suspects and witnesses, they uncover numerous motives, secrets and even, art theft. Suspicion abounds, on Anselm Rees 3 patients, his daughter, her fiancé. Then there’s another murder, this time in a sealed elevator (another conundrum) and Flint and Spector get closer to solving the crimes.

This will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and locked room mysteries. It’s quite akin to Elly Griffiths ‘The Brighton Mysteries’ series (book 1 is The Zig Zag Girl) which I have really enjoyed too. A well paced clever atmospheric whodunit with well-drawn characters, Flint and Spector’s partnership feels genuine and I’d definitely like to read more about them in the future.

With thanks to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company (Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press) for the ARC. Death and the Conjuror is published in July 2022.

This was a fantastic read!!! Death and the Conjuror is the perfect whodunit mystery. A psychiatrist is murdered in a room locked from the inside with his housekeeper not far away. A mysterious man visits the house that night, but the doctor is heard on the phone later. Then, a client tries to visit the doctor and he is found murdered. Who. Did. It?!
I love a story like this that lets you discover the mystery along with the detective, and in this case, his colleague who is a magician. At one point, the writer even breaks the fourth wall and stops to ask the reader if they've figured the mystery out! I loved that! And of course I hadn't figured anything out!
The police detective and the magician are great characters and I loved hearing them think their theories out loud. At the beginning of the book, the writer gives us a list of characters. At first, I got a bit anxious trying to remember everyone, but don't worry about that, it'll all come together!
Thank you NetGalley and WW Norton & Company for this fantastic read that comes out July 12, 2022.

An engrossing tale of murder and magicians…. A lovely book with a great cast of characters. Beautifully written and I got really invested in the story. I would highly recommend reading this one.

Thanks to Net Galley and W. W. Norton & Company for this ARC. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, the first few pages did not catch my attention but I persevered and i'm glad i did. A great novel with a good twist. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Well, I did not expect this but it was amazing. Do not miss it if you like interesting plots and characters and are looking for a great story.

This one had me at conjuror. The crime-solving magician sounds like an awesome character for a story. Not just any story either, a murder mystery, specifically an impossible by design locked variety of one.
This was a pitch perfect pastiche of golden age mysteries, from personae dramatis to the appropriately convoluted solution to the puzzle. Twisting and turning and casting suspicion this way and that, with a bunch of perfectly golden-age-style characters all of whom could theoretically do a murderous turn or two, this challenging murder nugget has a lot to offer. The lead detective and the detecting magician certainly have enough to stay busy.
I really enjoyed this read. It had all the charm of a bygone era without any of its dated nonsense and a charming meta-wink-wink-nudge-nudge quality to it too daring the readers to play along. This cunning nostalgia tinted mystery is sure to delight armchair detectives. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

London,1936. There had been "an increase in 'impossible' crimes-typically high-society affairs, where men in locked rooms were killed under impractical circumstances...murder as a puzzle." so stated Scotland Yard Inspector George Flint.

Dr. Anselm Rees, having left Vienna five months prior, resided in an upscale suburb in London with his daughter, Lidia. As a noted psychiatrist, he was in the process of treating three patients, referred to as Patients A, B and C. All sessions were conducted in his study. Three late night panicked telephone calls ensued. Oh no! The good doctor had been found murdered! Both the study door and French windows were locked from the inside, no weapon nor fingerprints found. According to housekeeper Olive, "I can tell you that-not five minutes ago the doctor was alive and well in this room because I heard him talking on the telephone."

Inspector Flint requested the expertise of Joseph Spector, professional trickster. "Though his gait and dress sense were those of a very old man...like all conjurors he played up to the confusion." "An impossible crime in a locked room-Spector, as magician, might be able to tell how the trick was done." But wait...an impossible art theft...a second baffling murder. Are these deceptive, puzzling crimes connected?

Who are the suspects? Dr. Lidia Rees, daughter of Dr. Anselm Rees, seemed to be matter of fact about her father's demise. Her playboy boyfriend had many secrets. What of Patients A, B, and C? Why did the Rees family emigrate to London from Vienna? So many unanswered questions.

"Death and the Conjuror" by Tom Mead is a Golden Age locked room mystery of the finest caliber. Do you think you can easily solve the murder mystery? Reader, guess again! I hope author Mead considers writing a series with the pairing of Inspector George Flint and retired magician Joseph Spector as sleuths on a quest to solve mind boggling, seemingly impossible crimes. Highly recommended.

Thank you Penzler Publications/ Mysterious Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun throwback to the golden age of mysteries. Set in 1930's England, this is a well-done locked room mystery. A renowned psychiatrist has been murdered and it's up to Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard and a retired magician, Spector, to figure out the how-done-it and who-done-it. There are plenty of suspects among the psychiatrist's relatives and patients, plenty of clues and red-herrings. I didn't figure it out but was really just along for the ride. I hope this becomes a series. More Flint and Spector!

Best things about this book:
- classic locked-room mystery providing all the information the reader needs to solve it. (Note: I did not figure it out, but you might!)
- the amateur detective is a magician!
- fun, atmostpheric setting
Frustrating things about this book:
- this is not a historical mystery. It is supposedly set in the past (I forgot what the time period is supposed to be, and you'll see why if you read this yourself), but I think that's only a device to ensure that the author doesn't have to account for modern police procedure or use technology.
- the characters' behavior only makes sense if you squint and also accept that they all have strange psychological issues.
- the characters' relationships also make no sense. Ex: the detective somehow lets a magician more or less steer the entire case. Ex: the detective and magician talk openly, in public, and even in front of witnesses/suspects, about all the details of the case, including deeply personal information they've uncovered. This somehow never has any bad repercussions.
- The characters all speak in the same style, which is overly ornate and full of odd usage errors, as though a thesaurus was carelessly employed. For example, a character is "bemused" by a magic trick, and the magician [gives] a soft chuckle, delighting in the young man's rancour." There is nothing to suggest that the character has abruptly shifted from bemusement to bitterness. At one point, the case is described as "diaphanous." This odd usage didn't appear in every paragraph, but it was frequent enough to be distracting.
I wanted to love this book, because I enjoy historical mysteries. However, part of what I like about them is the way those books bring the past to life. That wasn't what this novel was trying to do.

From the shadowy figure to the locked room murder, I was convinced this was a Golden Age mystery reprint. Tom Mead uses the tropes and language of those books but leaves out the casual racism and misogyny.

Very well done. I need more Spector novels!

4.8/5

This book combined 2 of my favourite genres, historical fiction and murder mystery. I loved the old school feel of this murder mystery!

The plot was very well paced and I did not predict the murderer until it was revealed at the very end, then everything seemed to fall into place.

If I could change one thing about this narrative, I would have liked to hear more of Flint and Spector. I found it unclear how they met and their prior relationship. I found myself wondering why a stage magician would be helping on a police investigation (how did that partnership first begin)?

But overall, this was a very good read. I lost myself in the mystery and forgot I was reading at times which is definitely a sign of a good story!

I would like to thank Netgalley and W. W. Norton and Company for an advance copy of Death and the Conjuror, the first novel to feature Detective Inspector Flint and conjuror Joseph Spector, set in London in 1936.

Famous psychiatrist Dr Anselm Rees is found murdered in his locked study. With no murder weapon in evidence, no obvious means of escape for the murderer and no physical clues Inspector Flint enlists the help of Joseph Spector, whose familiarity with illusions gives him an insight into this kind of crime.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death and the Conjuror, which is a homage to the Golden Age locked room genre. The idea is that the reader is presented with all the clues to be able to work out the solution ahead of the denouement. Of course, it’s not that straightforward as it involves a degree of lateral thinking and an understanding of convolution. It was too much like hard work for me so I was just along for the ride, enjoying the puzzles but not putting much thought into their solution.

The author provides some serious mysteries with two inexplicable murders and an art theft nobody saw. Despite all the smoke and mirrors the motives are extremely simple and universal, but the execution (pardon the pun) is extremely convoluted. Overly so, some may say, but I found it entertaining and it certainly gave me something to think about.

In a sense this is a psychological thriller because the main suspects are the doctor’s three clients and his relatives. There are excerpts from his notes on them and their neuroses get a good airing, contribute to their persons of interest status and play a part in resolving some of the mysteries. This kind of psychology appeals to me much more than the usual bent out of shape, revenge type perpetrators that are so common nowadays. I think it helps that psychiatry was in its infancy at the time of the novel, so the author can get away with generalities rather than any meaningful deep dive into the psyche.

Death and the Conjuror is not a long novel so its strength lies in wasted verbiage and a compact plot where everything has a point. This appeals to me and I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

I really enjoyed Death and the Conjuror!

It felt like going back in time and reading a classic whodunnit mystery novel and it was so entertaining. I loved the whole atmosphere and vibe of it. I don't know how to explain it but the writing was just so aesthetic. And the book was the perfect length to tell the story and not drag on too long as some mysteries tend to.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish that the answer to the mystery was a little less complicated. But maybe that's just me?

It would be awesome if this story turned into a series because I'd really enjoy reading about Spector (or maybe another magician) helping to solve more crimes! :D

This was a very interesting book, and I really enjoyed it. The story felt like a throwback to the good old detective stories of the 1930s and 1940s, with its locked-room murders and cast of fascinating suspects, plus our Scotland Yard detective and the eccentric yet highly perceptive retired magician who helps him solve the case.
One dark, rainy evening in the fall of 1936, an internationally renowned psychiatrist is found murdered in his locked study. No one can figure out how the murderer got in, much less the murder took place, or who could have been responsible. Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard calls on his old friend Joseph Spector, an enigmatic character and "professional trickster," who may be able to give some insight into the crime. The two men have a varied and intriguing array of suspects and persons of interest to look into, including the doctor's patients, his striking and intelligent daughter who is a doctor in her own right, her ne'er-do-well fiance, and mysterious dark-clothed figures who go skulking about in the gloom. The reader is challenged to solve the mystery along with Flint and Spector, and it is a challenge gladly accepted!
The characters in this book are well-done--just enough about them is revealed to make them fully-dimensional and interesting, but not so much detail to bog the story down. The plot is well-crafted and is a quick, easy read. The mystery is tantalizing and the reader knows if he or she just thinks about it hard enough, the answer will materialize right in front of them.
The book was not perfect. There were a few instances in which I wondered, "why are they waiting so long to to ask ... about ... ?" or "why has no one thought about ... ?" and I got just a bit frustrated. But those few things did not mar my enjoyment of the book at all.
If you enjoy Agatha Christie novels, the old Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone, or if you liked The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, I would absolutely recommend this book. I hope that in the future we get to see Flint and Spector investigate more unsolvable crimes!

Initially attracted to this book by its striking cover, I was further encouraged by its description. I am a fan of early twentieth century murder mysteries and of locked room mysteries. I took this book away with me on holiday and it proved to be the perfect holiday read. The cast of characters was not hugely lengthy and the premise of the mystery explained clearly but in a way that made me want to keep reading to find out who the murderer was. I have to admit that I didn't guess how/by whom the murder was committed, but I thought the explanation of how the crime was committed made perfect sense. The only thing that I didn't really like about the book were the chapter titles - written as if the book was a theatre performance - I found that they distracted me from just getting on with the story rather than adding to the book (but that is probably just me being keen to get to the answer!) I'd recommend to others who like books by authors such as John Carter Dickson, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh.

Splendid! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. This book is a whimsical twist on the classic whodunnit. At some points I had some trouble following all of the characters because there were many, but each character is important. The mystery itself was fun to try and solve and I didn’t figure it out on my own, which I love in a mystery book. I would love to see more from this author.

Death and the Conjuror is a homage to the great locked room mysteries of the Golden Age and a clever and entertaining novel in its own right. I’m hoping it’s the first in a series as I would love to see more books like this from Tom Mead.

The novel is set in London in the 1930s where the renowned psychiatrist Anselm Rees has been found dead in his study. The door is locked, there’s no sign of a murder weapon and there’s no way for the killer to have escaped without being seen. Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard is baffled by this seemingly impossible murder and calls on retired magician Joseph Spector in the hope that he can use his knowledge of illusions and deceptions to help solve the mystery.

As the detective and the magician begin their investigations, they uncover another intriguing crime – an equally impossible theft – which seems to have links to Dr Rees’ death. Could one of the psychiatrist’s patients be responsible for one or both of these crimes? And can Flint and Spector catch the culprit before another murder takes place?

As with any good mystery novel, there are plenty of suspects, an assortment of clues and lots of red herrings! Suspicion falls not only on the doctor’s own household – including his daughter and her fiancé – but also on three of his patients, celebrities who are referred to as Patients A, B and C, to protect their identities. Each patient has been seeing Dr Rees for help with a specific problem, which we learn more about as the story unfolds. The psychiatric element of the plot is fascinating and reminded me very much of Helen McCloy’s Dr Basil Willing mysteries. It came as no surprise to me, then, to learn that McCloy is one of many classic crime novelists Tom Mead has named as an influence on his writing – along with John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, Nicholas Blake and others.

I loved the idea of a magician working alongside the police; Spector has lots of specialist knowledge when it comes to the sort of tricks a murderer or a thief might use to create confusion and cover their tracks. As a locked room mystery it was very satisfying and although I didn’t manage to solve it myself, I enjoyed following the progress of the investigations and was happy for Spector to explain it all for me at the end. As a tribute to the Golden Age mystery I thought it was equally successful. I could almost have believed I really was reading a book from the 1930s, as the author seemed to have made an effort to avoid inappropriately modern language and modern sensibilities. The characters in the book even discuss and reference some of the detective novels of the time, but in such a way that the plots of those books aren’t spoiled for those of us who haven’t read them yet.

This was a great read and I will be hoping for another mystery for Joseph Spector to solve soon.