The Bullet Catch

May 11, 2015
In a historical mystery set in New York City in 1917, this mother-son writing team explores the question of what is and isn't real. After Leo, a 13-year-old petty thief, picks the pocket of washed-up illusionist Franco Barzini, the man sees potential in Leo's sleight of hand. Barzini takes him on as his assistant, and the two set out to perfect the bullet catch, a daring act that involves a faux fatal shooting. But both performers' pasts catch up with them: Leo's former street gang seeks revenge for the money he stole to start a new life, and Barzini's nemesis upstages him with a variation on the bullet catch (and mysteriously dies performing it). Historical characters give the story additional spark: Harry Houdini leaks the secret of Barzini's trick to his rival, and Arthur Conan Doyle hosts a séance in which Barzini and Leo humorously flaunt their powers of persuasion. Beyond the entertaining smoke and mirrors, the novel offers substantive food for thought regarding loyalty, trust, forgiveness, and redemption. Ages 10â14.

February 15, 2015
The Axelrods take readers to World War I-era New York City for a tale of magic, mystery and crime. Orphan Leo lives in Hell's Kitchen, getting by with his small gang by picking pockets, a skill he learned from reading Harry Houdini's The Right Way to Do Wrong: An Expose of Successful Criminals. When the gang's leader kicks him out, Leo doesn't want to return to a life of crime. He finds an ad for a magician's assistant in a lifted wallet and follows up, landing a job as assistant to Signor Barzini, an established professional magician and friend of Houdini's. Leo spends countless hours learning sleight of hand, how to manipulate cards and, finally, how to help Barzini perform his extraordinary new trick: the bullet catch. Leo will palm the real bullet and load a blank, pretend to shoot Barzini, then resurrect him on stage. Things go wrong when, just as they begin their performances, a famous magician dies as a result of a similar trick, attracting a police detective to investigate Barzini. The mother-and-son writing team brings the setting to life, including such luminaries of the time as Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as minor characters for verisimilitude. The inside knowledge of magic adds an exotic touch. An absorbing mystery enhanced by its intriguing backdrop. (Historical mystery. 10-14)

February 1, 2015

Gr 7-10-Leo, a 13-year-old orphan, pickpocket, and con artist, helps his gang survive on the streets of New York in 1917. When he falls out with his buddies and desires a better life, he lucks into a position as assistant to magician Franco Barzini. The two encounter many historical celebrities, most notably, Harry Houdini. Against Houdini's advice, Leo helps Barzini develop a dangerous bullet act-all while trying to shake off his gang's undesired attentions and turn an acquaintance with Penelope Martinka, granddaughter of magic shop owners, into something more. Themes of doubt and belief, deceit and honor, illusion and reality (both onstage and off) permeate the novel. At times, the story is hampered by unfamiliar terms and unexplained name-dropping; the authors are clearly enamored with their topic, and they try to cram too many facts into the book, resulting in some dull and long-winded passages. The writing overuses the passive tense, and a number of situations are confusing. Penelope is a poorly developed character who plays a disappointingly small part. Leo is an implausibly bright, capable, urbane young man-despite his background-and thereby comes across much older than his age. VERDICT Despite the rich subject matter, this fails to hold interest.-Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 6-9 It's 1917 in New York, and 14-year-old Leo is a pickpocket living in squalor with three friends who are also thieves. But Leo, whose true love is magic, is tired of the criminal life. It's a dream come true when he becomes an assistant to a professional magician, The Great Barzini, who happens to be a friend of the great escape artist Harry Houdini. Tutored by Barzini, Leo quickly becomes invaluable when the magician conjures up an elaborate and dangerous magic trick involving a loaded gun. Then a rival magician attempting to duplicate the trick is accidentally killed on stageor was he murdered? The answer is elusive as Leo gets caught up in the mystery and soon suspects Barzini knows more about the case than he lets on. The mother-and-son coauthors have written a cleverly plotted historical mystery that takes the reader inside the world of professional magic. Though sometimes slowly paced, this nevertheless holds the reader's attention thanks to period details and an engaging protagonist. An inconclusive ending suggests the possibility of a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)