As if by Magic

June 22, 2009
Gordon-Smith’s intricate third 1920s mystery to feature writer-sleuth Jack Haldean (after 2008’s Mad About the Boy
) opens with an intriguing setup: George Lassiter, a down-on-his-luck South African, breaks into what he thinks is an unoccupied London house, only to overhear what he’s sure is a woman’s murder. When the police collar him for burglary, he relates what happened, but the authorities find no evidence of foul play at the house. Fortunately, Haldean, who flew with Lassiter during WWI, learns of his situation and goes to his rescue. When Lassiter tells Haldean he’s been cheated out of a bequest by an imposter, Haldean discovers that the people whose house Lassiter burglarized were his relatives, who may be tied not only to the scam that deprived Lassiter of the bequest but to a series of murders reminiscent of the Ripper killings. While the answers to the various puzzles may not satisfy every reader, Gordon-Smith does a solid job presenting fair-play clues.