Eli Marks’s trip to London with his uncle Harry quickly turns homicidal when the older magician finds himself accused of murder. A second slaying does little to take the spotlight off Harry, instead making it clear that someone is knocking off Harry’s elderly peers in bizarrely effective ways. But who? The tale takes an odd twist when the prime suspect appears to be a bitter performer with a … grudge…who committed suicide over thirty years before.While Eli struggles to prove his uncle’s innocence¿and keep them both alive¿he finds himself embroiled in a battle of his own: a favorite magic routine of his has been ripped off by another hugely popular magician. What began as a whirlwind vacation to London with girlfriend Megan turns into a fatal and larcenous trip into the dark heart of magic within the city’s oldest magic society, The Magic Circle.
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Love the writing style and wit of the author.
The whole series is a pleasure, especially if you like magic
Eli Marks, his girlfriend Megan, and his uncle Harry are in London so that Harry can participate in a week-long series of performances honoring Harry and a circle of his magician friends. However, the week gets off to a bad start when the curtain opens to find Harry standing next to his fellow performer Oskar. The problem is Oskar has been stabbed in the back. Naturally, the police consider Harry a strong suspect, but Harry has another question – was Oskar the intended victim, or what is Harry?
The book gets off to a quick start and the pace never falters over the course of the story. I did find that Eli spends more time reacting to everything going on instead of actually investigating, but he does put the pieces together at the end. And I was having so much fun I didn’t care. While we don’t see the rest of the series regulars in this book, the new characters more than make up for it. The glimpse into the world of magic is wonderful once again, and I couldn’t help but laugh at some of Eli’s observations and one couple we meet here.
“The Linking Rings” earns 5/5 Magically Murderous Performances!
Abracadabra! This newbie to John Gaspard’s Eli Marks Mystery series…is now a fan! Gaspard has penned a very engaging plot with clever, sometimes quirky, characters and weaved in reference to distinct historical figures in the magician community and descriptions, not disclosures, of skillful illusions. In this fourth book, “The Linking Rings,” he takes us to London where Eli Mark’s Uncle Harry has been invited to perform his magical artistry at The Magic Circle, a preeminent and exclusive magician’s club. Joined by another respected magician Oskar Korhonen, they both would also receive The Davant Award for their life’s work. But, as the enthusiastic crowd applauds the pair, it becomes clear something is very wrong. Yes, deadly wrong, and Uncle Harry is handcuffed and arrested! Since it looks like no one’s going home anytime soon, the group gets an offer to stay at Laurence Baxter’s estate, one of Harry’s friends and himself a magician. And when another dead body appears, Eli and former police inspector McHugh think one of the aged magicians may be the next target or the killer. But just as any good magician will tell you, misdirection is the key to any wonderful illusion. Ok, I’m hooked!
Who wouldn’t be fascinated by magicians and the illusions they create! I remember my grandfather pulling coins out of my ear when I was four-years-old and going back to him for more and more, until he looked deep in my ear and said, “It’s empty!” Gaspard has provided a story rich with engaging twists and turns and a delightful sense of humor. I had some queries about background as the series has four books already, and some references to London sites and British personalities were inaccurate (Judi, not Judy), but the plot, characters, and a “surprise” ending more than made up for it. In the background we have an old friend of Eli’s popping in and the continuing relationship between Eli and Megan. I highly recommend “The Linking Rings.”
I love this series – can’t wait for the next one.