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Reviews tagging 'Suicide'
Death and the Conjuror: A locked room mystery for fans of Golden Age Crime Fiction by Tom Mead
6 reviews
ptaradactyl's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A quick locked room mystery that was quite aware of its place in the genre.Â
I enjoyed the no-nonsense narrative style and the footnotes at the reveal, but I lacked the knowledge of stage magic to solve it myself.Â
Psychiatrists of that era always make me vaguely uncomfortable with their of-the-era practices.Â
I enjoyed the no-nonsense narrative style and the footnotes at the reveal, but I lacked the knowledge of stage magic to solve it myself.Â
Psychiatrists of that era always make me vaguely uncomfortable with their of-the-era practices.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, and Murder
folly's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Stalking
Minor: Abortion and Suicide
shelfofunread's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A locked room mystery? An ‘impossible’ crime? An illusionist sleuth? An homage to the Golden Age of detective fiction? I knew as soon as I read the blurb for acclaimed short-story writer Tom Mead’s debut novel, Death and the Conjuror that this was one blog tour I very much wanted to be part of!
London, 1936 and Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint is called to a seemingly impossible crime scene. Renowned Austrian psychiatrist Anselm Rees has been found dead in his locked study, his throat violently slashed. With no way for the killer to exit the room unseen, Flint calls upon the expertise of retired illusionist Joseph Spector to help solve the baffling mystery.
Rees had a selective client base and, at the time of his death, he had only three patients: all celebrities in their respective fields. But why would an actor, a musician, or a writer want to kill a psychiatrist who was helping them with their problems? Could one of Rees’s past cases be the real motive behind his murder? Or could the killer lie closer to home in the shape of Rees’s daughter – and student – Lidia and her boorish fiancé? With no shortage of suspects to choose from, Spector and Flint set out to sort reality from illusion and unmask Rees’s killer before they strike again.
Tom Mead’s affection for Golden Age locked-room mysteries is evident on every page of Death and the Conjurer. There are several references – both overt and oblique – to some of the Golden Age masters and mistresses of the genre, and both Spector and Flint make several knowing nods towards the tropes of the ‘impossible’ crime tale. The result is an energetic homage to the genre that, although aware of the tropes it engages with, consistently uses them in a way that feels fresh and engaging.
Spector is an interesting protagonist: a Jonathan Creek intellect combined with the stylistic flair of a classic stage magician and the enigmatic charm of Sherlock Holmes. Flint makes for a solid foil to the more exuberant elements of Spector’s personality and both characters are written with a knowing nod and a wink to the usual conventions of the police detective/private consultant dynamic. The supporting characters are also an eclectic bunch although there is occasionally a sense that some of them exist to serve the plot more than as characters in their own right.
The simple and direct style of storytelling belies the complexity of the puzzles that Spector and Flint are tasked with solving and the novel definitely kept me guessing right up until the final pages. Whilst personally I would have liked a slightly longer denouement – and a greater exploration of the eventual criminal’s motivation – I enjoyed the way that Mead provide links back to the clues that had been scattered throughout the text so that you could ‘see’ the workings of the story and follow Spector’s solving of the case.
Death and the Conjurer is a wry homage to the classic locked room mystery and introduces an interesting sleuth in the form of Joseph Spector. Whilst I occasionally wanted the characters to have a little more depth, the plotting of this engaging mystery is flawless and kept the pages turning right up until the very end. Fans of the classic locked room mysteries of John Dickson Carr will surely find much to enjoy here, as will anyone who loves a puzzling mystery.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher who provided a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.Â
London, 1936 and Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint is called to a seemingly impossible crime scene. Renowned Austrian psychiatrist Anselm Rees has been found dead in his locked study, his throat violently slashed. With no way for the killer to exit the room unseen, Flint calls upon the expertise of retired illusionist Joseph Spector to help solve the baffling mystery.
Rees had a selective client base and, at the time of his death, he had only three patients: all celebrities in their respective fields. But why would an actor, a musician, or a writer want to kill a psychiatrist who was helping them with their problems? Could one of Rees’s past cases be the real motive behind his murder? Or could the killer lie closer to home in the shape of Rees’s daughter – and student – Lidia and her boorish fiancé? With no shortage of suspects to choose from, Spector and Flint set out to sort reality from illusion and unmask Rees’s killer before they strike again.
Tom Mead’s affection for Golden Age locked-room mysteries is evident on every page of Death and the Conjurer. There are several references – both overt and oblique – to some of the Golden Age masters and mistresses of the genre, and both Spector and Flint make several knowing nods towards the tropes of the ‘impossible’ crime tale. The result is an energetic homage to the genre that, although aware of the tropes it engages with, consistently uses them in a way that feels fresh and engaging.
Spector is an interesting protagonist: a Jonathan Creek intellect combined with the stylistic flair of a classic stage magician and the enigmatic charm of Sherlock Holmes. Flint makes for a solid foil to the more exuberant elements of Spector’s personality and both characters are written with a knowing nod and a wink to the usual conventions of the police detective/private consultant dynamic. The supporting characters are also an eclectic bunch although there is occasionally a sense that some of them exist to serve the plot more than as characters in their own right.
The simple and direct style of storytelling belies the complexity of the puzzles that Spector and Flint are tasked with solving and the novel definitely kept me guessing right up until the final pages. Whilst personally I would have liked a slightly longer denouement – and a greater exploration of the eventual criminal’s motivation – I enjoyed the way that Mead provide links back to the clues that had been scattered throughout the text so that you could ‘see’ the workings of the story and follow Spector’s solving of the case.
Death and the Conjurer is a wry homage to the classic locked room mystery and introduces an interesting sleuth in the form of Joseph Spector. Whilst I occasionally wanted the characters to have a little more depth, the plotting of this engaging mystery is flawless and kept the pages turning right up until the very end. Fans of the classic locked room mysteries of John Dickson Carr will surely find much to enjoy here, as will anyone who loves a puzzling mystery.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher who provided a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
loujanae's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
 Classic, fun, and boring. I wanted to finish it, but it certainly didn't compel me. The name dropping was odd and off putting to me. The only world building seemed to exist in these strange historical name drops, like referencing Agatha Christie's recent disappearance among many other things. It was sort of... cute? But it became annoying very quicklyÂ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Infidelity, Abortion, and Pregnancy
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
A retired stage magician named Spector is asked to help solve a locked room murder. The dead body of Dr Anselm Rees, celebrity psychiatrist, has been discovered in his study. Both the door & windows were locked from the inside & the room is thoroughly searched by the police & no note or weapon is found virtually ruling out suicide. Witnesses can vouch for the fact that after the departure of the final visitor of the day, Rees dismisses his housekeeper for the night & continues his work, even taking a phone call, but soon after is found dead. Suspects include the doctor's prickly daughter, her boyfriend, & three anonymous patients referred to as Patient A, B. & C.
This sounded like an intriguing read. I used to love watching Jonathan Creek & this sounded along similar lines, someone to explain the sleight of hand that allows a murderer to almost get away with it. Unfortunately this story did not work for me. Although the two main characters (Spector & Inspector Flint) show promise for further adventures, there's no real introduction to the characters to let the reader get to know them, just straight into the story. The story line itself was too convoluted, plot points came from out of nowhere, & Spector was, at times, irritating & condescending. Finally, it was supposedly set in 1930s but it could have been from any time to be honest, as there's not enough scene setting. As a reader I like to be able to picture the scenes, it allows me to become invested in the story line, & when you can't, you find yourself with the experience I had reading this - my attention wandered constantly & a book that should have taken me two days to read at the max took five. 2.5 stars (rounded down on sites without half star ratings).
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
This sounded like an intriguing read. I used to love watching Jonathan Creek & this sounded along similar lines, someone to explain the sleight of hand that allows a murderer to almost get away with it. Unfortunately this story did not work for me. Although the two main characters (Spector & Inspector Flint) show promise for further adventures, there's no real introduction to the characters to let the reader get to know them, just straight into the story. The story line itself was too convoluted, plot points came from out of nowhere, & Spector was, at times, irritating & condescending. Finally, it was supposedly set in 1930s but it could have been from any time to be honest, as there's not enough scene setting. As a reader I like to be able to picture the scenes, it allows me to become invested in the story line, & when you can't, you find yourself with the experience I had reading this - my attention wandered constantly & a book that should have taken me two days to read at the max took five. 2.5 stars (rounded down on sites without half star ratings).
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide
lastblossom's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This is a review of an advance copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
tl;dr
A great book for fans of classic mysteries and 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.
tl;dr
A great book for fans of classic mysteries and 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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Mental illness
Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Gun violence
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