If you’re a fan of locked-room mysteries or Golden Age ones, you might want to try Tom Mead’s debut, Death and the Conjuror. His mystery is a tribute to John Dickson Carr, and all those masters of the locked-room puzzles. It’s evident he’s a fan as his amateur sleuth, Joseph Spector mentions Carr, G.K. Chesteron, Agatha Christie, R. Austin Freeman, Wilkie Collins and Melville Davisson Post. The book includes a list of characters, and issues a challenge to readers, just as books by Ellery Queen and others often did. And, if you’re a mystery fan, that cover should definitely catch your attention.

The story is set in one week in September 1936. Dr. Anselm Rees, a psychologist, and his daughter, Dr. Lidia Rees, have moved to London from Vienna. Semi-retired, the renowned Dr. Anselm Rees only sees three clients. But, one September evening, his housekeeper admits one, and later she and a second client, an actress, discover Dr. Rees murdered, his throat slashed, and he’s in his office, which is locked from the inside.

It’s all a puzzle to police inspector George Flint, and he heads to a pub, the Black Pig, to seek help. That’s where Joseph Spector, a music hall magician, spends most of his evenings. Spector is a student of deception and mysteries, two elements that often go hand-in-hand. He’s intrigued by the locked-room murder, and the few people who have access to Dr. Rees’ home. That same night, a painting disappears from a theatrical producer’s home during a party, but that appears to be an impossible crime because the maids swear only one person left the house before the theft was discovered. While Flint and Spector investigate, though, another murder occurs, what appears to be another impossible crime. As in so many mysteries, Spector gathers the suspects to reveal the solutions to the puzzles.

Death and the Conjuror evoked a feeling of nostalgia because I read so many mysteries, novels and short stories, by John Dickson Carr, Chesterton, Freeman, Christie, and Queen. The style might seem old-fashioned to younger readers, but these puzzles were popular. While I seldom guessed correctly, I always enjoyed the challenge from the author. And, like the earlier ones, Mead plays fair with the reader. While revealing the solution, he even points out where the hints were in the book.

I felt as if the story bogged down with the details about Dr. Anselm Rees’ career and patients, but that was me. I had little interest in the psychological studies of patients. However, Joseph Spector was an intriguing amateur sleuth, and I enjoyed the locked-room mystery, the puzzle in Death and the Conjuror. I hope to see more of Spector in future books.

Tom Mead’s website is https://tommeadauthor.com/

Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead. The Mysterious Press, 2022. ISBN 9781613163184 (hardcover), 288p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley for a journal review.