Joseph Spector faces his hardest task so far, with what starts as a locked room mystery. Or does it start with a mysterious suicide a decade before?

Tom Mead writes delightfully like a Golden Mystery writer, yet without the rampant sexism of the era. His villains are complexly flawed and hidden behind clues and red herrings. As it's a fair play mystery, Mead lays it all out, and it's up to the reader to piece it altogether. As Joseph Spector the magician notes, watch out for misdirection!

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Content warning: murder, poisoning, violence, blood

Mead has done it again! Cabaret Macabre gives readers multiple murder mysteries to solve within its pages and Mead does a great job tying everything all together in the end. I guessed a few of the outcomes, but definitely not all of them.

Spector as always is a delight and this was a great read keeping me engaged from start to finish. In this installment of the series Mead doesn't give readers red herrings exactly, but PLENTY of characters that could easily be the murder to make it a complicated puzzle to piece together.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, and Mysterious Press in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful book in this series, if you enjoy historical mysteries with a seemingly impossible murder being solved with ingenuity, you will really enjoy this book and this series. The author draws inspiration from a host of authors who wrote 'locked door' type of mysteries, including Agatha Christie. Joseph Spector is a retired magician who has formed a close friendship with an Inspector from Scotland Yard, George Flint, they have teamed up to solve previously committed murders. In this case Spector is invited to Marchbanks, a large manor in the countryside after being invited by Espeth Drury, who's husband is a Judge and has been receiving threatening letters that she wants investigated. Not long after arriving, Spector is made aware of a body in a boat floating in the middle of a lake on the property, since it's winter any footprints would have been visible in the snow, there are none and the boat is surrounded by ice, so how did it get there? At the same time Caroline Silvius is convinced her brother is being kept in an insane asylum at the whim of the judge ever since he had attempted to attack him, she wants Flint to investigate. Both of these story lines come together but not before there are numerous more people killed, one in a locked room with no one else in it. Spector is both very observant and a critical thinker, making him able to reach conclusions that elude most. A very good read that I would recommend, though of a series it can be read as a stand a lone. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Mysterious Press for the ARC.

Joseph Spector has long retired from the stage, but his talent for solving impossible crimes keeps him far busier in his golden years than he’d expected. Having recently worked behind the scenes to help apprehend a diabolical killer, his name has filtered through criminal justice circles to the ear of Lady Elspeth Drury, wife of Sir Giles, the hanging judge who presided over the case. She needs someone who can solve her problem with discretion, and Spector fits that bill.

Ten years ago, Sir Giles’ young secretary Gloria Crain died while staying with the Drurys at Marchbanks, their country estate. The official verdict was suicide by strychnine poisoning. Her fiance Victor Silvius, however, was convinced that Sir Giles had killed Gloria and covered it up. His subsequent attempt on Sir Giles’ life earned him a prolonged stay in a mental asylum, with the whole sordid story being as hushed up as possible by Sir Giles and his influential friends.

Now someone is sending threatening letters to the Drurys. An assassination attempt on Sir Giles while Spector is over to their London home for dinner convinces him that the threats aren’t just for show. Lady Elspeth is insistent that Victor must be behind it all, but how could he be responsible when he’s being held under lock and key in the countryside?

Meanwhile, Victor’s sister Caroline is just as vehement in insisting that the judge is trying to kill her brother. Victor’s ongoing imprisonment, she believes, is less punishment for assault than a way to stop him from revealing the truth about the Drurys. She throws herself on the mercy of Inspector George Flint, begging him to reopen the case on the tenth anniversary of Gloria’s death.

As Spector’s and Flint’s paths converge, bodies begin showing up, murdered under impossible circumstances. The inspector is flummoxed, but the old stage conjurer knows sleight of hand when he sees it. This he explains to his policeman friend, while relating an anecdote about the magician Malini, who was constantly mobbed by fans to perform an illusion whenever he went out to dine:

QUOTE
[“]He will be gracious, he will tell them he’s sorry, but he cannot perform on an empty stomach. And so his fellow diners wait until he has finished his meal. And then, with a sudden flourish of his cloak, he reveals a huge, heavy block of ice produced from nowhere, from thin air. Everyone is amazed, he receives a standing ovation. But the trick is simple: the ice is there all along. Malini arrived at the restaurant with it concealed in the folds of his cloak.It has been there the entire time he was calmly eating his meal. You see, he knew he would be asked for a trick, and he prepared accordingly. But he also knew that his audience would never expect him to go to such lengths for a simple, impromptu parlour trick.

“There’s your lesson, Flint. Never underestimate the lengths to which an illusionist will go[.“]
END QUOTE

This mindset will be critical as Spector and Flint set about unraveling the truth behind the bewildering series of murders. Will they be able to bring the guilty to justice, or at the very least save the lives of those who do not deserve a violent death?

There are so many exquisite twists and turns in this masterfully written murder mystery. Tom Mead is at the pinnacle of his powers as he adapts an obscure classic play, transforming it into a whip smart whodunnit set in the 1930s. Of course, his original characters of Spector and Flint are by far the standouts, as they’ve been all series. Spector, especially, is a wonderful creation:

QUOTE
[T]ime had left two of Spector’s attributes mercifully unharmed. The first was his mind, which was as quick and devilishly brilliant as ever. The second was his hands, which had lost none of their spindly dexterity. In the distant past he had been a music hall conjurer, and he still dressed like one in a suit of black velvet, with a cloak lined in red silk. He brought a touch of oldworld flamboyance into the murky 20th century[.]
END QUOTE

For all its cleverness and panache, however, by far the best thing about Cabaret Macabre is the way that Spector and Flint wrestle with questions of morality, crime and punishment. When the powerful can protect themselves from the justice of the state, what is the ethical response to those desperate enough to seek redress through vigilantism? How does one properly correct and make reparations for an evil deed that unwittingly resulted in a festering malice so poisonous it takes multiple lives? There are no easy answers, but this thought-provoking book has readers contemplating more than just the entertainments of who committed a fictional murder and how.

Even in murders that seem impossible to solve, there is always a way and a reason.

The discovery in a trunk washed ashore on the banks of the Thames of a dead body with its face obliterated sets into motion a series of inexplicable, seemingly impossible murders. Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard is stymied by that crime but soon pulled into another mystery when he is approached by Caroline Silvius, sister of a man incarcerated in a private sanatorium for trying to kill an influential judge. Victor Silvius met and fell in love with Gloria Crain ten years earlier. She was secretary to Sir Giles Drury, a powerful judge who insisted that she travel with him to his family estate Marchbanks in the English countryside. There she died under mysterious circumstances, her death ruled a suicide by strychnine. Victor was convinced that Sir Giles killed her, jealous of their romance, became obsessed with getting justice for Gloria and ultimately attacked the judge. Caroline is convinced that someone, likely the judge, is no longer content to have Victor locked up in the sanatorium and is instead trying to kill him, and persuades a reluctant Flint to look into the case. At the same time, Sir Giles’ stepson Jeffrey Flack approaches Joseph Spector, a magician who is known to turn his knowledge of illusions and abilities at observation to help solve mysteries, and asks Spector to meet with his mother, Lady Elsbeth Drury, who is worried about threats to her husband Sir Giles’ life. As they have in the past, Flint and Spector join forces as they investigate the odd goings on in and around the Drury family. With sons both legitimate and illegitimate who themselves are at odds with one another and have their own secrets and unsavory behaviors which they would prefer be left undiscovered, a filmmaker , a widower looking for revenge on the man who blackmailed his wife over an affair, and the membership by many of the players in these events in a dinking club (or is it more?) from their university days known as the Tragedians, there are more than enough suspects to be considered. The crimes themselves, including a classic locked room conundrum, seem at first look to be impossible to solve….but Spector is convinced that he can ascertain not only the how, but the who and the why to explain the disparate crimes. How many bodies will accrue, however, before he can make the necessary connections?
An intriguing mystery that owes much to authors of the Golden Age of Mysteries (Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and John Dickson Carr to name a few) and will also appeal to readers of current day authors like Anthony Horowitz and Alan Bradley, Cabaret Macabre lays out all of the clues needed for the reader to solve the crime….but they are camouflaged so well within the plot that it is hard to figure it out until author Tom Mead is ready for one to do so. The Drury family home may or may not have a ghost (though one of the maids swears it does) but it is definitely a Very Bad Place. Too many secrets and too many people of ill-will are in residence there for it to be a comfortable place to stay….Spector even finds himself placed in the very bedroom where Gloria died in agony, which brings that point home to be sure….and the killings done with near theatrical flair leave Flint stymied but only add to the intrigue of the puzzle for Spector. This is the third in the series featuring Spector, but it is not necessary to have read the earlier two first (I had not) in order to fully appreciate the characters and story…..although one would be hard pressed not to want to go back and read the previous two once finished (I strongly suspect I will do so myself). If you are a fan of classic whodunnits, of Holmes and Watson, Gideon Fell and Hercule Poirot, of locked room mysteries, or well-written puzzles in general, I recommend you give this book and series a try. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press for allowing me access to a copy of Cabaret Macabre.

There’s a reason Clue is the fifth best-selling board game ever. (Considering that chess and checkers are the top two, Clue really ranks third among traditional board games, behind only Monopoly and Scrabble.) It’s the same reason Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes works continue to sell and that Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movies were well-received. People love whodunits. They especially love whodunits in which the author lays out all the clues for the reader well before the detective announces the solution. While many of the best whodunits were written in the so-called Golden Age of Mysteries, between the World Wars, some contemporary authors continue the trend. One of the best of these “new wave” Golden Age authors is Tom Mead, whose latest mystery, “Cabaret Macabre,” is his most challenging yet. The book adheres to the rules of the genre but throws in a few too many complications at times.

“Cabaret Macabre” is the third novel in a series featuring Joseph Spector. He’s a retired conjuror who uses his knowledge of magic tricks and illusions to solve seemingly unsolvable mysteries. He is a confidante of Scotland Yard inspector George Flint, who uses Spector’s insight to help solve cases. “Cabaret Macabre” takes place just before Christmas 1938, at the country estate of Justice Giles Drury, a man who has made many enemies during his career. One enemy is Victor Silvius, a young man who attacked the judge a few years earlier and was confined to a mental institution. Silvius was convinced the judge had murdered Silvius’ girlfriend in an incident at the estate that was officially labeled a suicide. Now, the judge has received threatening letters, and his wife asks Spector to figure out the source of the letters. Ironically, Silvius’ sister is convinced the judge is trying to frame Silvius and asks Inspector Flint to investigate.

Shortly after Justice Drury, his various family members, and Spector arrive at the estate, two murders take place. Both of them are apparently impossible crimes right up Spector’s alley. In the first, witnesses find a body in a rowboat in the middle of a small frozen lake. The victim had been stabbed, but the ice was too thin for anyone to walk across. Further, the suspects all had alibis for the time before the lake froze over. The second murder is a traditional locked room puzzle. A man is shot with a shotgun (that has since disappeared) in a second-story room with one locked door and one window that’s jammed shut and can’t be opened.

Several other murders occur in “Cabaret Macabre,” although none are of the “impossible” variety. By the book’s end, I was reminded of Bette Davis’s quote at the end of the Peter Ustinov version of “Death on the Nile.” Davis instructs her companion, Maggie Smith: “Time to go. This place is beginning to resemble a mortuary.” Spector explains all the deaths to Flint and other characters in bits and pieces over the last 20 percent of the novel. The process is like peeling an onion. Spector “solves” one mystery, which reveals additional details about the story. In the next chapter, he reveals more answers. Then the same thing happens again. By the end of the book, I thought the author had exhausted every permutation regarding the crimes. I was wrong. The last revelation occurred in the book’s last five pages and caught me entirely by surprise.

“Cabaret Macabre” adheres to the rules of the Golden Age “fair play” genre, as the author points out to readers. He adds a cast of characters and maps of the judge’s estate and surrounding property in the introductory materials. The book also includes several footnotes that reveal the exact page where the author reveals key clues Spector later describes. (These footnotes may confuse those reading digital versions of the book.) The author also borrows Ellery Queen’s trademarked “Challenge to the Reader.” In his novels, Ellery Queen notified readers at some point that they had all the information needed to solve the crime and challenged them to do so. Similarly, Tom Mead inserts an “Interlude: Wherein the Reader’s Attention Is Respectfully Requested.” There, he writes, “[T] here remains only one solution. A single answer to this concatenation of puzzles and impossibilities. Spector has found it. Have you?”

I must confess, I hadn’t found most of the answers. I pretty much worked out how the body in the canoe wound up in the lake, but not who the killer was. The rest of the mysteries stumped me. But as Joseph Spector revealed his solution, I kept thinking: “That’s why this particular character or detail was mentioned.” By the end of the book, I realized the author had played fair with me and that I had lots of fun trying to figure out whodunit, howdunit, and whydunit.

However, I also had the nagging feeling the author had gone overboard in “Cabaret Macabre.” Using the stage magician analogy, the author made his illusion too elaborate so that readers were sometimes befuddled rather than astounded. As a result, the literary value of the book was diminished. Other than Spector, the characters were uninteresting stereotypes whose individual characteristics and idiosyncrasies existed solely to drive the plot. I didn’t believe a single plot element was plausible. Fortunately, Joseph Spector, just about the only character who doesn’t die or get arrested throughout the three books in the series, is a more entertaining character. He’s a performer whose time has passed, both in terms of his physical dexterity and the public’s taste in entertainment. (Spector still performs and explains magic tricks in front of Inspector Flint, including one clever trick in this book.) How he accepts this reality is one of the few believable character notes in the book.

“Cabaret Macabre” has a limited audience. It won’t appeal to romantic suspense or hardboiled detective fans or those who thrive on books that use forensics to solve cases. And its period setting (which explains why the police can’t use modern scientific techniques) is a turnoff for some. But for those who have memorized Agatha Christie after a dozenth reading of “Murder on the Orient Express,” this novel is a refreshing change of pace and a chance to match wits with a new puzzle-making writer. The author and I bid those readers “Wilkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!” to this cabaret.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

Stage magician sleuth Joseph Spector is called to a grand estate in the English countryside to investigate a series of threatening letters received by Judge Sir Giles Drury, believed to be sent by former inmate Victor Silvius. Simultaneously, Silvius's sister Caroline asks Inspector George Flint to investigate her suspicions that the judge is trying to kill Victor, leading to a collision of cases at the Drury family seat. Only Spector's mastery of misdirection can uncover the logical explanations for these impossible crimes.

If I had known this was book three of a series, I might have skipped it. It does stand on its own fairly well, but does reference previous cases. Spector is an interesting character. His observational skills remind me of Sherlock Holmes, and I enjoyed seeing him make connections.

There were a lot of characters to keep track of, so much so that I felt bogged down. I was never sure who to trust, which makes the mystery difficult to unravel. You’ll either love this or you’ll hate it.

Overall, this was an interesting mystery. I enjoyed it but parts of it were grimmer/darker than I usually like. Readers who enjoy closed room mysteries will enjoy this.

I thank NetGalley and Mysterious Press for an advance reader copy of “Cabaret Macabre.” All opinions and comments are my own.

To read a Tom Mead mystery novel is to be caught up in the very finest Golden Age traditions of fictional detectives. “Cabaret Macabre” and Joseph Spector, its intelligent protagonist will delight you with another venture into a cornucopia of “locked room” mysteries, deeply-kept secrets and finally, the ultimate art of revenge.

A Dramatis Personae accompanies the opening pages of the books. So, what does author Mead have in store for these fictional people, who range from a Queen’s Counselor to the “Ambergate Arsonist?” Readers find in “Cabaret Macabre” three dimensional characters, diabolical plotting, and the chance to solve the puzzle before the reveal at the end of the book. What you don’t get is any possibility of boredom.

The bodies do tend to pile up in this one, and eventually it will all need to be explained. Inspector Flint will be all ears as Joseph Spector describes “illusion upon illusion.” I enjoyed “Cabaret Macabre” immensely, and look forward to more of the magician/sleuth’s forays into solving “impossible” crimes.

Cabaret Macabre is the third Joseph Spector locked room historical mystery by Tom Mead. Due out 16th July 2024 from Penzler, it's 291 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is such a stylish and well written historical mystery. Stage magician Joseph Spector joins forces with Scotland Yard inspector Flint to solve several "impossible" crimes. Readers who enjoy figuring out whodunnit before the sleuths will find a bunch of fiendishly clever interlocking puzzles. It's very complex and convoluted, but readers should probably just relax and enjoy the ride.

The writing is top shelf; engaging and smooth. The characters are believably rendered and the plotting is well engineered and sophisticated. The whole is redolent of the time period without being clunky or archaic. It's full of country houses, upper crust British society, a body in a frozen lake and a shooting through a window which leaves a man dead but doesn't break the window. The story is much enhanced by the stage magic and misdirection woven in. It's clear the author understands the magic behind the illusions.

Four and a half stars. A good addition to a well written classic-style historical series. For fans of Golden Age classic mysteries, this is a good one. The classic great authors of the period aren't producing any more stories, and it manages to evoke the time period without being derivative or overwrought. It has definitely found its stride.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

"Victor Silvius has spent nine years as an inmate at The Grange, a private sanatorium, for the crime of attacking judge Sir Giles Drury. Now, the judge's wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that Silvius is the one responsible for a series of threatening letters her husband has recently received. Eager to avoid the scandal that involving the local police would entail, Lady Elspeth seeks out retired stage magician Joseph Spector, whose discreet involvement in a case Sir Giles recently presided over greatly impressed her.

Meanwhile, Miss Caroline Silvius is disturbed after a recent visit to her brother Victor, convinced that he isn't safe at The Grange. Someone is trying to kill him and she suspects the judge, who has already made Silvius' life a living hell, may be behind it. Caroline hires Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard to investigate.

The two cases collide at Marchbanks, the Drury family seat of over four hundred years, where a series of unnerving events interrupt the peace and quiet of the snowy countryside. A body is discovered in the middle of a frozen pond without any means of getting there and a rifle is fired through a closed window, killing a man but not breaking the glass. Only Spector and his mastery of the art of misdirection can uncover the logical explanations for these impossible crimes.

An atmospheric and puzzling traditional mystery that pays homage to the greatest writers of the genre's Golden Age, Cabaret Macabre is the third book in Tom Mead's Joseph Spector series, hailed by the Wall Street Journal as "a recipe for pure nostalgic pleasure." The books can be enjoyed in any order."

Heavy breathing. Family estate? Body in the middle of a frozen pond? More heavy breathing.

Clever plotting with loads of misdirection and a multitude of suspects - as the third book in this series, the recurring characters were well developed and events in the narrative expand upon their character. Written in the classic Golden Age mystery style with the usual tropes that weave a well-tailored web with a unique conclusion.

this is a fun series, Spector and Flint are a delightful duo. The setting is so absorbing and all the twists are fun and never from left field. Its a wonderful combination!

Cabaret Macabre is the third in the Joseph Spector mystery series by Tom Mead and had me in its clutches from the first line to the last. In my view it is the strongest so far. Though not strictly necessary to read the three books in order to maximize enjoyment, you will surely want to! The authentic Golden Age writing is chock full of cunning, wit, intelligence, wonderful vocabulary, oodles of mystery and fascinating characters. Set in 1938 England, the delicious atmosphere swept me off my feet. If I could custom design the perfect locked-room mystery, this would be it. It is THAT good.

Something is amiss. An abandoned trunk yields a surprise. Sir Giles Drury is the recipient of threatening letters. His wife Elspeth suspects Victor Silvius, an asylum inmate for the past nine years. But Victor's sister Caroline sees things differently. Former conjurer Joseph Spector and Scotland Yard Inspector George Flint are called in to investigate. Spector uses his experience, quick mind, interviews with suspects, inveigling and clues to solve crimes. That's right. Plural.

Layer upon layer of red herrings are sprinkled throughout which kept me on edge in the best way. There are more twists than a rope and I couldn't get enough. The list of characters, map and family tree add to the Golden Age flavour. Talk about a gratifying conclusion! I wonder what Book 4 will conceal and reveal?

If you crave an original and beautifully smart mystery, let this be it. Though I knew this novel wasn't written in the Golden Age, I had to triple check as it reads like an Agatha Christie, Anthony Berkeley or John Dickson Carr.

My sincere thank you to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this spellbinding novel.

Victor Silvius has spent nine years as an inmate at The Grange, a private sanatorium, for the crime of attacking judge Sir Giles Drury. Now, the judge’s wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that Silvius is the one responsible for a series of threatening letters her husband has recently received. Eager to avoid the scandal that involving the local police would entail, Lady Elspeth seeks out retired stage magician Joseph Spector, whose discreet involvement in a case Sir Giles recently presided over greatly impressed her. Meanwhile, Miss Caroline Silvius is disturbed after a recent visit to her brother Victor, convinced that he isn’t safe at The Grange. Someone is trying to kill him and she suspects the judge, who has already made Silvius’ life a living hell, may be behind it. Caroline hires Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard to investigate. The two cases collide at Marchbanks, the Drury family seat of over four hundred years, where a series of unnerving events interrupt the peace and quiet of the snowy countryside. A body is discovered in the middle of a frozen pond without any means of getting there and a rifle is fired through a closed window, killing a man but not breaking the glass. Only Spector and his mastery of the art of misdirection can uncover the logical explanations for these impossible crimes. This is third in the Joseph Spector series and a must-read for any fan of Golden Age mysteries.

This book was a miraculous balancing act. So many deaths, so many guilty parties (and I’m not talking only guilty of murder.) Just an astounding piece of crime writing from a writer pushing himself to write a plot that is as complex as he can craft it, while also being fair and reasonable to his readers. I don’t want to give away any of this novel’s secrets, so I will just recommend going into it blindly. One doesn’t need to have read the two prior books in the series to enjoy this one, although those are just as masterful. The fourth Spector book can’t come soon enough.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mysterious Press for the ARC of this upcoming release!

Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead is an incredibly complex mystery with a ten year old murder mystery at its core and a number of other murders spiraling outward from that unfortunate event.
Although I have not read any of Mead's previous work, I did not feel as though I was missing critical previous information; the book stands on it's own merits quite well. Mead's writing is elegant and fits well with the historical aspect of the novel. The cast of characters included at the beginning is a thoughtful addition, and I referred to it often to keep the large cast of suspects straight. The inclusion of links back to the clues as the main character, illusionist Joseph Spector, explains his deductive reasoning is also a welcome touch.
The impossible and locked room crimes were complicated and yet revealed with panache and imagination. I will definitely keep this author on my future radar.
I was happy to receive an ARC of #CabaretMacabre from #NetGalley.

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

In the third installment of this locked-room mystery series, Joseph Spector is called in to help when the life of judge Sir Giles Drury is threatened. His wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that the man behind the intimidating letters is Victor Silvius who has spent the last nine years in an asylum (The Grange) after attacking Sir Giles.

Meanwhile, Victor’s sister, Caroline, is concerned about his safety at The Grange. She thinks someone might be trying to kill her brother, and Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard is on the case.

Both cases come to a head when Spector and Flint head to the Drury family estate of Marchbanks. When bodies start piling up, Spector will have to rely on his keen observation skills and instincts honed as a stage magician to find a logical conclusion to a series of seemingly unexplainable mysteries.

I love this series! I was so proud of myself for identifying a clue early on in the story that came back into play when the mystery was unraveled. But I was nowhere near solving the whole case the way Joseph Spector did. Spector is a great character – smart, witty, and perceptive. The Golden Age mysteries in this series are very enjoyable and able to be read in any order.

This is the third book in the Joseph Spector locked room mystery series. If you are a fan of mysteries, where you never know what the author will pull out of his sleeve or hat, this is an amazing series. Joseph Spector was a magician, but now he spends his time as an amateur sleuth. He has a gift for figuring out impossible crimes. Ones where you can imagine a killer getting away with murder. That is, if Joseph isn’t called in to investigate.
A judge is receiving threatening letters, while a sister tries to assist her brother. What is the common denominator? Why the brother, Victor Silvius, tried to kill the man, Sir Giles Drury. But Victor is locked up tight in a sanatorium, so how could he possibly still be a threat to the judge?
I could say more, but I don’t want to risk falling into spoiler filled waters. There were numerous pieces to this puzzle, and I actually guessed, drumroll, please, one. One who, zero why’s, and I think that means that the author is still winning. Another great locked room mystery and I hope the author chooses to write many more.