Not very Houdini-esque, But Still Fun

In the first book in this series, ("The Magician's Fire"), we met young Harry Houdini and the two kids who would join him on his action adventures. We got street wise Billie and patrician, but surprisingly tough, Arthur. We saw young Harry as an escape artist, an illusionist, a bit of a grifter, and a showman. Origin tales are always fun, and one of the great appeals of the first book in this series was meeting everyone and watching the team of friends come together. This may not have been anything like the real Houdini, but since Houdini has always struck me as practically a fictional character anyway, (more like Sherlock Holmes than Thomas Edison), it's hard to complain about a lack of historical or biographical accuracy.

That said, "The Demon Curse" is the second book in the series, and Harry, Billie, and Arthur are already in place, with just a perfunctory nod to their backstories. That means that this volume has to be carried mostly by its plot and action. And we get a lot of that. The book starts with a bang and we are quickly transported to what passes for 1886 New Orleans. There are good good guys, who practice healing vodou based on nature spirits, but who are being blamed for a "demon curse" that has felled the mayor of New Orleans. Are these good guys really bad guys? Of course not, and Harry, Billie and Arthur mean to protect them and prove them innocent. But to do that they have to outwit a whole bunch of different villains, each one nasty in his or her own way.

The upshot is that we have chases, captures, escapes, tricks, poison, suspicious behavior, straitjackets, suspense, and thrills. Harry, Billie and Arthur stay true to their characters, and the three make a nice team. There are some twists and turns, but the tale is, to be fair, pretty predictable and somewhat by-the-book. That's not necessarily a great weakness in a middle grade action/adventurer, since the readers don't necessarily know the familiar formulas, but it does mean that the story isn't terribly distinct from others like it. That said, if your reader liked Book One I would expect they'd like this Book Two. If they like high energy mystery adventure with smart resourceful kid heroes, or if they like a little historical flavor, well then this seems an attractive option. The book isn't edgy or ironic or messagey. It's a straightup unapologetic actioner, and that was fine by me.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)