The second mystery in Golden Age style by British author Tom Mead, featuring 1930s illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector.

A sparkling return to the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, where even the most fiendish of mysteries can be unlocked by a keen eye and a sharp mind... 1938, London. Ambitious lawyer Edmund Ibbs has got his teeth into the case of a lifetime – defending the young woman accused of shooting her husband in the infamous ‘Ferris Wheel Murder’ case. Despite a plethora of evidence against his client, Ibbs is certain he can secure her acquittal. But after a night of magic and illusion at London’s Pomegranate Theatre, Ibbs finds himself behind bars, accused of a double murder. The renowned prestidigitator Professor Paolini and the operator of said notorious Ferris wheel are dead, and as far as Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint is concerned, all signs point to the lawyer’s guilt. Luckily for Ibbs, illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector also attended the theatre that night. Can Spector’s eye for detail pierce the veil of deceit in a world of illusion and misdirection, where seeing is not always believing? Reviews for Tom Mead's Spector Locked-Room Mystery series 'In Joseph Spector, Tom Mead has created an amateur sleuth to rival Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.' M.W. Craven 'Great fun.' The Times 'An affectionate tribute to the Golden Age locked-room mystery.' Irish Times 'Highly entertaining.' Sun ‘An absolute masterclass in the locked room mystery... I love this series.’ Victoria Dowd 'A sharply drawn period piece with memorable characters.' New York Times

"An affectionate tribute to the Golden Age locked-room mystery" - Irish Times

"Mead has extensively researched crime, magicians and their tricks from the 1930s for this highly entertaining tale" - The Sun

"Peppered with a wide range of theatre-like characters, the reader enjoys a twisted road to an unexpected denouement" - Historical Novel Review

"Making things even more fun is the combination of two vintage templates: the locked-room puzzle and the theatre mystery. Add a charismatic protagonist, and you have a recipe for pure nostalgic pleasure" - The Wall Street Journal

"'Set within the theater world of 1938 London, this ingenious new novel is packed full with lush period detail, a glittery cast of characters, and a genuinely compelling puzzle at its center. Mead knows his subject and gives the reader a full immersion into this compelling mystery.'" - CrimeReads

"Illusion blend with reality to create an outcome that is impossible to predict" - My Weekly

"'What an absolute treasure! Tom Mead writes with the sophisticated and knowing voice of another era, with a skilled sleight of hand, and with deep knowledge of psychology, magic, and human nature. THE MURDER WHEEL is an engaging, perplexing, and irresistible riff on locked room mysteries – you've never seen a series of crimes as delightfully complex, or as brilliantly crafted. You will not be able to put this down, and what's more, you will never be able to solve all the puzzles within puzzles. But you will stand and applaud, as I did, at the marvelously fair solutions. I promise you'll be given all the clues, dear murder mystery readers, but, trust me: give up trying to identify whodunnit, and simply enjoy the journey to an elegant and satisfying conclusion, where the impossible becomes – presto! – possible.'" - Hank Phillippi Ryan

"A gripping locked room mystery" - BBC Bristol