Puzzling Mysteries and Illusions

September 27, 2012

For our October discussion, we are reading mysteries involving illusions and puzzles. The first one involves Harry Houdini, one of the first great illusionists. The second one involves murders and puzzles. Join us at the Antioch Branch on October 22 at 7:00 p.m. to express your views on both.

The Last Illusion by Rhys Bowen. Molly Murphy is an Irish immigrant to New York City who makes her living as a private investigator. This being 1903, it is most unusual. She also happens to be engaged to a New York police captain who would like her to give up her unconventional occupation. But tonight, they are just having a night on the town as they watch a trio of illusionists that are all the rage, including Harry Houdini, the most sensational of them all. But, before Houdini can even take the stage, the opening act goes horribly wrong. The illusionist who is attempting the saw-a-lady-in-half illusion actually does it. When he blames Houdini with tampering with his equipment, Houdini’s wife hires Molly to be part investigator/part bodyguard. But is there more to the accident than meets the eye? You will have to read the book to see past this illusion.

$10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles by Parnell Hall. Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, is in a tizzy. First, her niece, Sherry, just had a new baby. Then, the town’s attorney, Becky Baldwin, hires her to make a blackmail payment drop. In doing so, she stumbles over a corpse and a puzzle, and someone steals the money. Soon, Cora finds herself in a no-win situation, as she attempts to solve the puzzle of the dead body. Solving the murder will either put her ex-husband’s neck in the noose, or incur the wrath of a cold-blooded killer who may be targeting her niece Sherry and Sherry's new baby girl. Will Cora solve the puzzle in time or will this one stump her? Check out this twisted plot to find out.

James H.
Antioch Branch