An enthralling locked-room murder mystery inspired by Golden Age Crime Fiction, Death and the Conjuror is the critically acclaimed debut novel by Tom Mead.

1936, London. A celebrity psychiatrist is discovered dead in his locked study. There seems to be no way a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon.

Puzzled, Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard calls on retired stage magician turned part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds more to this mystery than meets the eye.

As Spector and the Inspector interview the colourful cast of suspects, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets... or motives for murder. And when a second impossible death occurs, they realise the cuplrit will not cease in their deadly mission unless they are caught.

Readers love Death and the Conjuror: one of the Mysteries of the Year for both Publishers Weekly and the Guardian.

'Pure escapism and an excellent puzzle, ingeniously expounded' The Times
'Splendidly tricksy' Guardian
'An intricate "impossible" crime that completely fooled me' Peter Lovesey
'A real treat for mystery fans' Ragnar Jónasson
'A beautiful, dark, atmospheric story' Victoria Dowd