Sleuth and illusionist Joseph Spector investigates his most complex case yet in this gripping new locked-room murder mystery from Tom Mead, set in an English country house just before the Second World War.

Hampshire, 1938. Victor Silvius is confined in a private sanatorium after attacking prominent judge Sir Giles Drury. When Sir Giles starts receiving sinister threatening letters, his wife suspects Silvius. Meanwhile, Silvius' sister Caroline is convinced her brother is about to be murdered... by none other than his old nemesis Sir Giles.

Caroline seeks the advice of Scotland Yard's Inspector Flint, while the Drurys, eager to avoid a scandal, turn to Joseph Spector. Spector, renowned magician turned sleuth, has an uncanny knack for solving complicated crimes - but this case will test his powers of deduction to their limits.

At a snowbound English country house, a body is found is impossible circumstances, and a killer's bullet is fired through a locked window without breaking the glass. Spector and Flint's investigations soon collide as they find themselves trapped by the snowstorm where anyone could be the next victim - or the killer...

Reviews for Tom Mead

'Ingenious' Guardian 'Great fun' The Times 'What more could any fan of classic crime wish for?' Martin Edwards 'A sharply drawn period piece' New York Times 'Utterly captivating' Victoria Dowd 'An intricate "impossible" crime that completely fooled me' Peter Lovesey 'A real treat for mystery fans' Ragnar Jonasson 'Witty, intriguing and tightly plotted' Sarah Ward