Reviews

Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead

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booksboozeandsausagedogs's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-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

timetraveler's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

thepagelady's review

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It has lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing! There's a lot of misdirection and suspects. The pace moves at a steady pace and a quick read. Every time I thought I got a handle on everything a new chapter would start and I would be right back to wondering who it was. I enjoyed all of the characters but I didn't really feel like I got a good sense of who the Spector really was but it is a series so that will probably change as other books come out. Overall it's a great whodunnit that will have you guessing till the very end!

booksandlipsticks13's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

collectedscribbles's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No

3.5

darwinista's review against another edition

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3.0

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." Rancour?
There is nothing to suggest that the character has abruptly shifted from bemusement to bitterness. At one point, the detective's 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.