The Murder Wheel

The Murder Wheel might be inspired by classic Golden Age detective fiction, but it’s also entirely original. It’s clever – ingenious in places – it’s fun and in Joseph Spector, the ex-illusionist, Tom Mead has created an amateur sleuth to rival Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. I raced through it. Highly recommended. -- M.W. Craven
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 *
'The Murder Wheel is a wildly entertaining mystery brimming over with knotty puzzles, sleight of hand, wit and intelligence. It confirms Tom Mead’s status as a master of the locked-room mystery, and secures Joseph Spector as one of my favourite fictional detectives.' -- Tim Major
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 *
'A delicious locked room feast of impossibilities set in the golden age of theatre and murder mysteries. I love the Mephistophelean Joseph Spector!' -- Ovidia Yu, author of the History Tree Mysteries
'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 *
'In his captivating second novel Tom Mead establishes himself as the current master of the locked-room mystery, and The Murder Wheel doesn't give us to merely one example of this honored tradition to solve, but three of them... three interlocking "impossible" murders, each with plenty of twists and skillful misdirection. The characters are charming, the plot moves briskly along, and in the end, the brilliant "Old Conjuror," Joseph Spector, puts it all together and comes up with the goods. A winner!' -- Aaron Elkins
'Tom Mead has quickly become one of my must-read authors, writing some of the most ingenious and entertaining locked-room mysteries being published today.' -- Gigi Pandian
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 *
REVIEWS FOR DEATH AND THE CONJUROR: 'Mead faithfully replicates all the loving artifice and teasing engagement of golden-age puzzlers in this superior pastiche' Kirkus '[A] stellar debut and series launch... This homage to golden age crime fiction rivals the best of John Dickson Carr' Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2022 - Mystery/Thriller 'With a deviously intricate locked-room plot, Death and the Conjuror unfolds as both an elegant tribute and a cunning update of the classic 'impossible crime' story. Somewhere, the great John Dickson Carr is smiling' Daniel Stashower 'An ingenious locked room mystery. This is a fiendishly clever puzzle wrapped in a beautiful, dark atmospheric story. Utterly captivating!' Victoria Dowd 'Tom Mead has created an intriguing set of puzzles on par with John Dickson Carr in Death and the Conjuror. A true delight for mystery lovers!' Charles Todd 'Both a splendid homage to the Golden age of impossible crimes and its great exponent John Dickson Carr and a witty reconstruction of the classic locked room mystery with tongue in cheek bravado and a gallery of attendant, endearing characters, Tom Mead's debut is a sheer delight' Maxim Jakubowski 'This ingenious (and fair-play) locked-room mystery should win over a new generation of readers to this delightfully devious style of classic mystery' Gigi Pandian 'A sharply drawn period piece... Locked-room mysteries shine best with memorable characters, which is one of Mead's strengths' New York Times 'Mead maintains suspense throughout, creating a creepy atmosphere en route to satisfying reveals. Puzzle mystery fans will eagerly await the sequel' Publishers Weekly