Publisher's Weekly Review
In Mary Higgins Clark Award-winner Griffiths's uneven third Magic Men mystery (after 2016's Smoke and Mirrors), magician Max Mephisto and Det. Insp. Edgar Stephens, who collaborated to misdirect German troops during WWII, reunite in 1953 London when their former colonel is murdered. Clues, including a newspaper clipping, an old playbill, and the ace of hearts (the titular "blood card"), point to a theater element and an anarchist cell plotting to disrupt Elizabeth II's upcoming coronation. With Mephisto preparing to headline a postcoronation TV show, Stephens flies alone to Albany, N.Y., to pursue a lead. Meanwhile, his astute sergeant, Emma Holmes, investigates a link to the recent death of a fortune-teller. The shaky plot relies heavily on coincidence and a gratuitously helpful criminal, but Griffiths excels at depicting the post-WWII transition from variety shows to television. A love triangle involving Holmes, Stephens, and aspiring magician Ruby French, the detective's fiancée and Mephisto's daughter, adds a human-interest angle likely to engage both series fans and new readers. Agent: Rebecca Carter, Janklow & Nesbit (U.K.). (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
In 1953, as Elizabeth II's coronation is imminent, DI Edgar Stephens and magician Max Mephisto are distracted by the murder of Colonel Cartwright, commander of the Magic Men unit during World War II. Cartwright is found with the ace of hearts (the ostensible blood card) and a playbill featuring a colleague from their war years. Stephens is also probing the death of fortune-teller Madame Zabini while -Mephisto and his daughter Ruby are preparing for a televised variety show to air on coronation day. Clues lead Stephens and Mephisto to an anarchist scheme to disrupt the coronation and send Stephens to New York in pursuit of a mesmerist tied to their cases. Mephisto must perform his greatest illusion on live TV to thwart the conspiracy. VERDICT In this third series entry (The Zig Zag Girl and Smoke and Mirrors), multiple plotlines and instances of coincidence may become tiresome, but evocative postwar settings and appealing characters should draw in new and old readers alike. Fans wanting to know more about the real special ops Magic Gang team should check out David Fisher's book The War Magician currently under development as a film starring -Benedict -Cumberbatch.-ACT © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.