| Publisher | Quercus |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 11 April 2024 |
| ISBN-10 | 1529409926 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529409925 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 352 |
| Price | £ 9.99 |
The Great Deceiver
by
Ted English, aka The Great Deceiver, is in trouble. His right-hand woman has been found murdered in a Brighton boarding house and she won't be the first magician's assistant to perish in this story. It’s another case for Superintendent Edgar Stephens and his right-hand man, the legendary Max Mephisto.
Review
The Great Deceiver of the title is an old-school magician. Superintendent Edgar Stephens is the somewhat stolid lead policeman and his wife Emma, and her sleuthing partner Sam, provide the dramatic counterpoint. Emma and Sam are involved in the case as private detectives and Superintendent Edgar and his old friend Max Mephisto provide the manly muscle. This is 1966 after all!
As always in Griffiths’ Brighton mysteries, the plot centres on the theatre and in particular the old-fashioned kind of entertainments rapidly going out of fashion. There is an air of sadness and nostalgia for a vanishing era about this book.
Pretty Cherry Underwood is found stabbed to death in her theatrical digs. She is a magician's assistant and Ted English, aka The Great Deceiver, is the prime suspect. Ted enlists the support of old pal Max Mephisto, who he knows has the ear of Supt Edgar Stephens. But when a second magician's assistant is murdered there will be no ear-bending and Edgar, Max, Emma and Sam are all hot on the case.
The boarding house where poor Cherry was discovered is full of colourful 'end of the pier' types: Strongwoman Ida Lupin; Mario Fontana, 'the voice of Italy'; Geoffrey Bigg and Perry Small 'laughter comes in all sizes'. Is one of these music hall regulars responsible for the killings? Or does it all go back to a group of tight-knit, old-fashioned illusionists who belong to a bygone age? Their chauvinistic behaviour wouldn't be tolerated today and even 60 or 70 years ago their sexist activities bordered on the criminal.
Despite his Hollywood film star status, Max Mephisto agrees (at Edgar's behest) to one more outing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with gawky policewoman Meg posing as his lovely assistant. It's a daring and dangerous ploy to help solve the crimes. And it succeeds. Most of the foul play is satisfactorily explained although there was one loose end that I didn't think was properly tied up. But I enjoy these books so much that I was willing to overlook that!
What I like most about this series is the period setting. 1966 was a great year for me, and Elly Griffiths is liberal with her cultural references – Lyons Corner Houses; Juke Box Jury and Petula Clark singing Downtown on the radio. Max Mephisto's magic show at Drury Lane follows on from a new production – Camelot!
The book has a great ending too. It is Saturday July 30 1966, the day of the World Cup final at Wembley – England versus West Germany. Policewoman Meg and her large Irish family are gathered to witness the event when there is a commotion outside, signalling more thrills to come.
As always in Griffiths’ Brighton mysteries, the plot centres on the theatre and in particular the old-fashioned kind of entertainments rapidly going out of fashion. There is an air of sadness and nostalgia for a vanishing era about this book.
Pretty Cherry Underwood is found stabbed to death in her theatrical digs. She is a magician's assistant and Ted English, aka The Great Deceiver, is the prime suspect. Ted enlists the support of old pal Max Mephisto, who he knows has the ear of Supt Edgar Stephens. But when a second magician's assistant is murdered there will be no ear-bending and Edgar, Max, Emma and Sam are all hot on the case.
The boarding house where poor Cherry was discovered is full of colourful 'end of the pier' types: Strongwoman Ida Lupin; Mario Fontana, 'the voice of Italy'; Geoffrey Bigg and Perry Small 'laughter comes in all sizes'. Is one of these music hall regulars responsible for the killings? Or does it all go back to a group of tight-knit, old-fashioned illusionists who belong to a bygone age? Their chauvinistic behaviour wouldn't be tolerated today and even 60 or 70 years ago their sexist activities bordered on the criminal.
Despite his Hollywood film star status, Max Mephisto agrees (at Edgar's behest) to one more outing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with gawky policewoman Meg posing as his lovely assistant. It's a daring and dangerous ploy to help solve the crimes. And it succeeds. Most of the foul play is satisfactorily explained although there was one loose end that I didn't think was properly tied up. But I enjoy these books so much that I was willing to overlook that!
What I like most about this series is the period setting. 1966 was a great year for me, and Elly Griffiths is liberal with her cultural references – Lyons Corner Houses; Juke Box Jury and Petula Clark singing Downtown on the radio. Max Mephisto's magic show at Drury Lane follows on from a new production – Camelot!
The book has a great ending too. It is Saturday July 30 1966, the day of the World Cup final at Wembley – England versus West Germany. Policewoman Meg and her large Irish family are gathered to witness the event when there is a commotion outside, signalling more thrills to come.
Reviewed 09 December 2024 by Linda Wilson
