Harry Houdini Books

An interesting premise and some well-known historical characters made this a fun read. The writing could have been better, the situation on Mars made more vivid, and the style of Twain more perfectly captured. (As narrator he has little sense of humor or irreverence.)

What a tremendous book. To think of all the research that must've gone into it, for one thing, but to come up with such an incredible storyline is absolute brilliance. You keep turning pages, unsure of what (or who) you may come across next. I loved it!

I am (naturally) a Nikola Tesla fan. We created a company based on reverse-engineering Tesla's amazing bladeless disk turbine and pump. I've read quite probably every biography on Tesla. Then, here comes this absolutely, simply stunning book! This book is science fiction - yes...and more. For one of the first times ever, someone took the time to write a brillian novel, based on sound Tesla FACTS, and make it into one truly great story. Think of this as a fantasy based on all the Tesla facts you could ever imagine. Intertwined into this story, are some of Tesla's proven historical friends - Mark Twain (Clemens), Pres. Cleveland, Mr. Citzo, and a whole bevy of others. Nice job. I couldn't put the book down. In particular, the science of Tesla is woven into this book perfectly. Of particular note: Tesla Flying Machine. Again, Brilliant work! I highly recommend this book. Nice job.

Houdini:
Master of Illusion


"IT HAS NOW BEEN POSITIVELY PROVEN BEYOND ANY CONTRADICTION THAT HOUDI IS THE HARDEST WORKING ARTIST THAT HAS EVER TRODDEN THE VAUDEVILLE STAGE," said an ad that was praising Houdini, the man who defies prison. In Houdini: Master of Illusion, the author tells about Ehrich Weiss A.K.A. Harry Houdini's life growing up in poverty and dying a rich man. "Harry" became fascinated with Robert Houdin, the father of modern magic, and named himself Houdini, or like Houdin. Ehrich married a woman named Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, who he called "Bess", and she performed and traveled with him for the rest of his life. I liked this book because it told about all of Houdini's death defying tricks.

One reason I liked Houdini: Master of Illusion was because Houdini thought of himself as "supernatural" and that he wasn't able to get hurt. That example teaches a lesson. On October 19, about a week before he died, a boy asked if he could endure blows to the stomach. The boy began to hit him in the stomach very hard and after a few hits Houdini said that he could stop. The next day at his show he had a fever and his stomach was aching, but he didn't let the pain show. He later fainted and was told to go to the hospital, and after much arguing he decided to go. He died a little more than a week later.

Another reason I liked Houdini is because of his passion for magic. In his life - time he had procured many books on magic for his personal library. If he was trying to learn a trick like breaking out of a straight jacket, walking through walls, or even making an elephant "disappear" he practiced and practiced until it was perfect. Houdini was also interested in spiritualism. As its popularity began growing he studied it and even tried to contact his dead mother. He spent a lot of his life trying to foil all of the frauds that claimed to be mediums.

Also, I liked this biography because Houdini never let his lack of further education slow him down. He wrote booklets that told some of his secrets, and he printed a magazine (spelling mistakes and all), and a book, A Magician Among the spirits, in the spring of 1924. Houdini often told about his lack of education in the speeches he wrote and in conversations. Houdini was proud of where he came from for the most part. Even though he was born in Budapest, Hungary, he claimed he was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. He probably told this lie because of his love to exaggerate the truth.

This book was interesting because Houdini showed people that you could do anything you set your mind to. In this book, it was said that Houdini's father never came to see him on stage, but he didn't let that discourage him because he knew his parents were proud. Houdini survived the police officers' verbal attacks saying that he was a fraud because he could always prove them wrong. He survived the hecklers in audiences saying that he didn't know what he was doing without addressing them at all, which took self - control. I liked this book because it showed us to be Houdini-i, which means to be like Houdini, who showed self - control and that was like Houdin.

S.Moore

Escaping cells, unlocking the world's strongest handcuffs, freeing himself from impossible positions, Ehrich Wiess, better known as Houdini, had an exciting life full of lies and deceiving. The book Houdini: Master of Illusion tells you all about the real Houdini.
It all began Ehrich Wiess making a promise to his father on his deathbed. He promised to provide for the family and treat his mother like a queen. He started as a photography assistant to his brother. They learned magic tricks in their spare time together and they gradually began performing together. They started out performing at any place that they could. 'Houdini' started out at a teen with clothes made with medals and buttons. He did card tricks and a version of "Metamorphoses", or where people magically change places in less than three seconds. Houdini is actually a combination of his nickname, "Ehrie", and his role model's name, Robert Houdin. By using his nickname as the first name of his 'nom de plume' and Houdini (meaning like Houdin) as his last, he created one of the world's most known name. He had a very depressing life and he never did get over his mother's death. A very unknown fact about Houdini to today's population is that he did act in movies for some time. Also he busted false physics after one lied about contacting his mother and father. He deceived many about his tricks and stunts, but to his mother he was always Ehric. He died after a young man, named Whitehead, asked to see how many blows Houdini could take. Houdini stood and took the blows and simply told him that was enough. It is believed something ruptured internally. Even when he had a 104 degree temperature, he refused medical attention. He died a few hours later. I would recommend this book, but there are a few reasons I like it that may make other people dislike it.
I like this book because it states his life before he was Houdini and what he was like. For example, the promise to his father that inspired his legacy. He promised riches to his family, which was at that time poor. Also it tells about his real name, and more importantly how he made it.
I also like this book because it was happy in some parts and it showed how Houdini fulfilled his promise. At one of his shows in England he had his mother sit on a throne to watch the show and she was treated 'like the queen.'
Another reason for recommendation is the secret ways he preformed his tricks. It stated he had naturally bowed legs, so when they tied him up he was wider in the leg region. When he straightened them the ropes 'magically' feel to the ground. He hid keys in his throat in order to get out of the hand cuffs. He even had a specially made box for him to be thrown into the sea while 'locked inside' made out of boards meant for the Titanic with false nails.
The best reason to read this book is because of the personal stories. On his final trip before his mother died he was asked to bring back size six slippers for his mother. He had gotten the news that his mother had died of an illness. He still bought the slippers and laid them by her side. Overall this is a very personal biography with wondrous stories about the real Houdini. This book is a definite must read.

-LL

The book I read is Houdini Master of Illusion. The most remarkable thing I read was how he escaped from all those handcuffs. My subject is important because it teaches you to keep trying. Other people who would like to read this book are amateur magicians.
The book I read was organized in a special way. The cover has the title, author's name, and a picture of Hudini's eyes. You can easily notice italics when they state a specific item or place. The book flap tells you a brief summery. And the text pretty much tells the whole story.

Harry Houdini was a master magician, escape artist, and is as popular today as he was back in the early 1900's. But still, much of his life remains a mystery. Fact or fiction? Houdini told many lies about himself, and this is the book that uncovers what really happened.
Houdini: Master of Illusion is about the life of Harry Houdini, the great magician and escape artist. It takes us through his humble beginnings and Houdini's deathbed promise to his father that he someday pour golden coins onto his mother's lap. After learning magic working as a photographer's assistant with his brother, they performed together for a short period of time before setting out on their own. Harry thrived on his own, reaching fame through vaudeville performances and European shows. In every city that Harry visited, he went to jails, broke free from cells, and escaped from handcuffs. Harry worked almost all of the time and soon lost physical ability. He looked at least ten years older than he really was. After he was through with vaudeville, due to movies, Houdini did a lot of work with mediums. After Houdini was convinced that they were phony, he spent tons of time and money trying to let the public know about this phoniness. Harry spent much of his private time grieving over his lost mother and visiting graveyards. Finally, after many years of doing countless escapes and feats, Houdini died. He died on Halloween, 1926, at 1:26 PM, of a ruptured appendix, for it flooded his stomach with advanced peritonitis. Houdini is just as popular today as he was back then, so in a way, he still lives on. This is a great book because it has happiness, sadness, and was interesting.
This book is happy, because it is about a success story of a poor boy. It was happy when Houdini made the first flight ever in Australia, when Harry and Bess finally buy a house, and when Harry made an elephant vanish, a feat that made everyone want to head out to see Houdini.
Houdini had many sad things happen to him in his life. One was growing up in poverty, also when he was getting too old and tired to perform, something very sad for a performer. But, the saddest thing of all for Houdini was when his mother died. He had always had a bit of an obsession for her, but it truly showed when she died. Houdini grieved for her the rest of his life.
Finally, this book was interesting. It was interesting to learn that Houdini told many lies about growing up, where he learned magic, and his education. It was almost like he was trying to change who he was. It was also interesting to find out that when Houdini performed his great milk can escape, he had fake chains on the milk can. All Houdini had to do to get out was get out of handcuffs while squeezed inside of the milk can and push up. Another interesting part of Houdini's life was that he almost instantly lost fame when movies came along. Vaudeville houses were becoming less and less popular. Houdini decided to get into the movie business, but didn't do that great because other actors could do the stunts that Houdini did without risking their lives. That meant that Houdini wasn't as unique as he had been.
Houdini: Master of Illusion was a great book because it had happy parts, sad parts, and above all, was interesting and was hard to put down.

This book was not bad but it did have some slow parts. I really liked the way Harry Houdini does all of his great tricks. To the way he hangs upside down in a strait jacket then gets out to the way hegets hung by his feet inside a tank filled with water with hand cuffs on and then gets out. Through out the book ge does many tricks but my favorite trick is when he gets out of a "burglar proof" room. But it was a pretty good book.

I bought this book for my father, who is a huge magic-buff, and recalls hearing about Houdini while growing up.

Of course, I knew then that my father never reads books, and my hopes that he would break that pattern and read this one were lost. So, I took it home and read it. Er, read most of it.

I enjoyed the historical aspects of the story, but I couldn't get past the fact that the manner in which the book is written was less than enthralling. I just couldn't stay interested! I wanted to, I wanted to!!

If you're interested in learning about Houdini, I'd find something smaller to being your foray - like a three-fold brochure or something.

Houdini ROCKED! This book doesn't.

From the time I could count my age on my fingers, Houdini fascinated me; I read everything regarding him that I could get my hands on. So I already knew a lot of what Silverman mentions in Houdini!!!

However, this book actually managed to surprise me. First of all, most of what I read from the ages of seven to fifteen were biographies written in the "Boy's Life" mode, heroic tales which read more like dime novels than actual biography. Not only does Silverman present an accurate, well-researched account of Houdini's life, he also accounts for many of the myths surrouding Houdini, even in some cases explaining how Houdini himself contributed to some of the confusion. Because the book is so even-handed, I walked away from the book still admiring my childhood hero.

Second, Silverman brings a magician's perspective to this biography. He describes at length the presentation and details of the effects that Houdini accomplished, such as the Metamorphoses, the Milk Can Escape, the Chinese Water Torture, and numerous jail and handcuff escapes. However, he does not "give away the store" by spilling the secrets to the man's life. Sure, some of Houdini's secrets are now known, others not, but Silverman refrains from writing a kiss-and-tell book, and I had to admire that.

Lastly, Silverman went a lot further than I've ever seen in describing both the man and his times. While I've known for years that Houdini lived in a very exciting time, Silverman portrays him as truly a man for his age. From Houdini's interactions with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Theodore Roosevelt, H.P. Lovecraft, Sarah Bernhardt, and Hollwood's silent film stars, to his involvement with aviation, spiritualism, movie making, and more, Silverman makes a case that Houdini brought together much of what first made the modern age modern.

Houdini!!! did not perpetuate the same tall tales that all the movies and Houdini himself put forwrd. Instead, this biography exposed Houdini for what he was--a physically accomplished, master showman, sometimes ego-driven, yet principled man who always struggled to accomplish more.

Given the wide array of misinformation that exists about Harry Houdini, this book outshines the rest. Quite enjoyable.

Silverman's biography on Mr Erich Weiss (Houdini), in my opinion, is the best out there on the bookshelf. It's a little long and dry
at parts, but it's packed with interesting information about a mystery man and the life he lived. It's a wonderful insight on his life and the time he lived in. Much recommended for the magic buff, historian, or inquiring mind.

The author had a conflict of interest while writing this book. On the one hand, as a former magician, he didn't want to give away any trade "secrets." But as a writer he had the responsibility not to short-change the reader by omitting important details. I found the second half of the book that covered Houdini's bitter relationship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the exposing of fraudulant mediums much more interesting than the first half where Silverman "kept the secrets." How can the reader fully appreciate Houdini's performances if the preparations that went into them are omitted? Besides, there are few magic "secrets" left to be guarded as most have already been published--see Jim Steinmeyer's "Hiding the Elephant" for a recent example. I can understand Silverman's decision to abide by "the code," but it does detract from the book's appeal, hence only three stars.

Informational source containing very detailed events in Houdini's career from birth to death. Is very accurate and well written. This award-winning biography was written with the help of the experts at the Houdini Museum at Scranton, PA. A very reliable source with many unique photos and illustrations. To learn more about Houdini, go to ... .

The friendship between Houdini and Conan Doyle was truly a strange one. The first man made his living at deception, yet spear-headed a crusade to unmask other deceivers. The second man is famous for the logical-minded, methodical, and observant character he created, but as for himself, he must have been the most gullible man alive. Conan Doyle actually believed that Houdini had the power to dematerialize and was even fooled by the rather infantile finger trick -- by which a person "disconnects" the forefinger up to the first joint.

Although the topic is fascinating, sadly, the letters of Houdini and Conan Doyle are tedious and wordy. I found myself endlessly skimming them in order to return to the next seance or the next significant event.

Still, I found all the accounts of mediums and their spiritualistic shenanigans mysterious, in spite of Houdini's repeated attempts to discredit them. Some of the explanations presented by the author Polidoro are so complicated and unwieldy, it would be easier to believe in the spirits! Is it really possible to swallow a roll of gauze and regurgitate it later as "ectoplasm?" Could a man really surgically alter his wife so that she could smuggle items into a seance? (Shudder.)

Worth reading for those fascinated with the topic (like me), but we could wish that the two principal subjects had been a little less tedious in their correspondence -- or that Polidoro had just summarized more often!

Dianne K. Salerni
Author of High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance
High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance

This book was very interesting, but it made for dry reading. Certainly not a page-turner. If you can get through the first half of the book, it gets more interesting toward the end.

In addition, the author did not impress me as being an impartial source. It was clear that he agreed with Houdini from the start and he set out to make Conan Doyle look as ridiculous as possible. Perhaps Conan Doyle really was that foolish, but the author was too biased for me to take his word for it.

It was written in the style of Dracula with alot of correspondence. The auther was also very biased towards Houdini. It was not very objective.

Final Séance is a strange book about two strange individuals who strangely enough became involved in a strange friendship:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Creator of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, internationally known author and believer in Spiritualism, who chose to believe in more or less any medium he encountered, as long as the messages received confirmed his preconceived ideas.

Harry Houdini - The world's greatest escapologist, acclaimed magician and illusionist who never said his performances had anything but natural explanations, and over the years one of the foremost debunkers of many alleged occult matters.

Or in other words, the skeptic vs. the believer. Could these two gentlemen really be friends? Absolutely, and good ones, too. Massimo Polidoro of the Italian Committee for the Investigation of the Paranormal has written a book where he tells the stories of how they met, why they met, how their friendship evolved over the years yet ultimately came to a tragic end.

Their friendship was quite unorthodox: Doyle the believer in everything and Houdini the believer in nothing (though he said himself if was willing to believe were solid evidence ever to be shown to him). Fine, but is it interesting to read a book about a friendship, unusual as it may have been, and furthermore, a book that is mostly based on surviving letters between the two? For sure, because Final Séance is more than just a book about their friendship. It's actually a whole lot more.

First of all, it offers a good description of how Spiritualism evolved in Great Britain and North America at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. People everywhere became convinced that communication with the dead was indeed possible, and in dark rooms on both sides of the Atlantic different mediums claimed to be able to make contact with the ones who had passed on. The fact that mediums on a regularly basis were exposed as frauds never dampened the spirit (no pun intended), and that alone is an interesting cultural phenomenon well worth investigating.

Secondly, one cannot avoid being fascinated about the fact that two so very different people were able to ever be friends, when one of them believed wholeheartedly in what the other one rejected passionately. Humbleness and tolerance were the key ingredients, and the elegant use of the English language they both used in their letters truly is a joy to experience.

Furthermore, many of the ideas that evolved during these years are still with us today, and thus the book is useful to anyone interested in the historical background to what today is known as New Age.

However, the main focus is on the friendship, and because of this the book is merely complementary to the history of the New Age and the growth of Spiritualism. But if you're interested in reading about two fascinating human beings and at the same time have a reminder that different beliefs don't necessary equal discord, then Final Séance is well worth looking into.

I was so fascinated by this book that I read it in one evening. In a narrow sense, the topic is the discussion/debate between Houdini and Conan Doyle about spiritualism that first made them friends and then opponents. In a larger sense, I think that it has a great deal to say about the human mind and deserves a wide audience. It is an excellent example of how hard it is to consider objectively such subjects in which people invest so much emotion. Conan Doyle was so determined to believe that Houdini was a psychic that nothing Houdini said could deter him.

I have thought for a long time about the issue of trust and credibility. If I would believe someone if they told me that they just saw the bus go by, why don't I necessarily believe them if they tell me that they spoke to a spirit, or god, etc. As this book illustrates, these are issues which have historically involved some much delusion and deception that it is important to proceed with caution. (Of course, it would help if all prophets said the same thing.) I know that I will be thinking about it and quoting it to people for quite a while.

Polidoro is clearly on the side of the skeptics, and makes his affiliations clear up front. He remains, however, sympathetic to Conan Doyle and clearly admires the latter's kindness, intelligence and generally amiable and honorable character. Although he sides intellectually with Houdini, he doesn't attempt to cover his arrogance and boasting.

Recommended to everyone, except perhaps, convinced spiritualists, although even they might find it a useful cautionary tale, if not a convincing argument.

If you're planning on buying just one Houdini book, go with Kenneth Silverman. Although there are parts of Brandon's book which are excellent, I grew tired of her opinions and psycho-babble. Ultimately, I got the feeling that the author simply didn't like Houdini. Perhaps I should have been warned when reading Brandon's bio: "She likes to think of biography as a framework within which to look at cultural history." Houdini was a complex person, to say the least. Personally, I'd rather be presented with the facts so I could form my own opinion.

As a previous reviewer stated, there are plenty of other good bios of Houdini. This one is full of psychobabble and reads like character assassination. All heroes have feet of clay, but her analysis is repetitive and makes the second half of the book deathly boring.

Overall, an enjoyable read, but I agree with prior reviewers -- too much Freudian analysis for my taste, and I don't care to hear the author's personal experiences.

I've read every biography on Harry Houdini and this one is good...but it isn't the best. (The best is Ken Silverman's Houdini! The Career of Ehrich Weiss.) Here Ruth Brandon has mined information from older Houdini bios and created a skillful patchwork. Even her much publicized (and much maligned) "psycho-babble" comes right out of Bernard C. Meyer's Houdini A Mind in Chains (1976). Indeed, this excellent long out-of-print book seems to be Ms. Brandon's Deep Throat. Her chapter relating the events leading up to Houdini's death is taken almost paragraph for paragraph from the Meyer book. And do we really need to hear about the author's own childhood experiences with magic? Still, it's a good read, but for a serious and truly revealing Houdini bio, go with the Silverman book.

This book is good. It has many interesting facts about Houdini. It explains his life and career. I strongly suggest it.

This book basically shows the secrets behind Houdini's tricks. If you ever watched a special on TV about magician's tricks, then there's no surprise here. Not very entertaining; more along the lines of a "how to" book.

The contents of the book were wonderful for anyone who is interested in the magic of Houdini. The book was shipped on time and in excellent condition!

I am amazed that such a detailed and well written book came out so soon after Houdini's demise (the original text is dated 1931!), especially as it lists the inner working of dozens and dozens of tricks. They go from mentalism to table magic tricks, from seances to escapes, from large stage productions to the simplest rope trick - it would be difficult to find so much material within any contemporary book!

This is a very no-nonsense book, with only two minor negative aspects. First of all, it is somewhat light on the explanations of several tricks in the ending chapter, which is devoted to general (non Houdini-specific) stage magic, and I suppose dead wrong in a couple of instances.
Then, although it does not overly glamourize Houdini the magician, it is in fact very forgiving about Houdini the man. We know from many other sources that he was quite a difficult character (with himself as well with others), whereas here he comes off as a shining example of fun-loving gentleman.

And no, the Chinese Torture Water Cell is not described. But that Tony Curtis movie was very incorrect about it anyhow.

The Secrets of Houdini

I Read the book the Secrets of Houdini by J.C. Cannell. For the first twenty seven pages of the book it tells about how he as a child was able to pick the locks to the cupboards, and take out the cakes and other sweets that were hidden inside, then leave it locked and looking exactly the way it was before. The book talked about how he started with his best friend as the Houdini brothers (having taken the name from Houdini's favorite magician Robert Houdin). At no point did this book really grabbed my interest, but it did explain many of the incredible escapes of Houdini, and how he did them. I think one of the main reasons I did not very much enjoy this book is because when I read a Biography or an autobiography I am expecting that it will be facts and things that he did in his life, but around two hundred pages of this two hundred and seventy nine page book were his escapes, and the secrets of the mediums of Séance.
I was particularly shocked when I found out Ehrich Weiss (Houdini) was willing to tell all his secrets for twenty dollars once early in his career, but as there were no buyers he went on into his career where later they couldn't have been bought for one thousand times that amount. One of my particularly favorite escapes was his escape from a coffin. I liked it because everyone was looking for loose screws at the top of the coffin, when really he had lifted all but the bottom of the coffin up. Many of his escapes involved his masterful abilities as a lock picker (and being able to tamper with the machines before and after the performance). Houdini's career was nearly spotless of mistakes, except for two times in his entire life.

Cannell has a goldmine in between the front and the back of this book. It was informative to read on the many escapes that Houdini performed, the medium frauds that he devoted his life to busting, and other misc. tricks that it covers.

I reccomend this one for your magic collection.

My Grandson who in 11 read this book with great ease. Thank You

The Great Houdini, by Monica Kulling is about a little kid who goes to a dime circus. His family is very poor and barely has enough money to get him a ticket. While he's there he goes to watch a magician, and he is amazed. After the show the magician shows him how he did it. He decides he wants to be a master of illusion. He starts practicing what the magician shows him, he decides he will leave home and become a performer. He goes all around the world, he has bad times and he has good times. This book was boring at first but got better in the end, it's worth the boring reading. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I think Harry Houdini is one of the best books I have ever read. I think it is good because it's about a true story and they write it in a very good way.

While reading this book aloud to a six-year-old, who had picked it out, I learned a lot about this man, Houdini, who has become a legend. In a classic biography format, this book takes us through Houdini's childhood as a son of poor immigrants who admires acrobats in the cirus and makes up his own act. As a young man, he gets work as a locksmith and learns how to pick any lock... a talent that would come in very handy! Throughout his adulthood, Houdini worked incredibly hard to make a name for himself; sadly, his hard-earned fame indirectly led to his untimely death. Houdini's story is one of perseverence rather than glamour and stardom. The book has a serious tone for a childrens' book; even the illustrations are somber, but it is interesting and well worth a read.

As a newcomer to Mr. Stashower's series, I must say I found myself suitably delighted to have discovered such likeable characters in a well-researched setting, solving mysteries with humor, logic, and showmanship. The feel is just right and the skepticism high for a fraudulent medium who seems to be horning his way into a recent widow's heart and fortune. When one of the guests of a seance finds himself crossing over inexplicably, it takes the irrepressable Harry Houdini, his brother Dash, and agreeable wife Bess to determine what's real and what's illusion in this quick-paced good time of a tale! I greatly anticipate reading the other stories in this series and hope the author has more mysteries up his sleeves for Harry & his brother to stumble into. The Houdini Specter--how very delectable!

I'm a big fan of Daniel Stashower's "Harry Houdini Mysteries", but I have to confess that I enjoyed his previous book, THE FLOATING LADY MURDER, more than this latest entry. Oh there's still some good stuff here, and I do think this book would greatly appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes (as Houdini seems more Holmesain in this adventure than ever). But here's hoping that Stashower returns Harry to the unique and colorful world of turn-of-the-century showbiz in the next adventure, and leaves the drawing room murders to Holmes.

I've read all the books in Stashower's Houdini series, and this is the best!

The Houdini character is well-defined -- a showman and egotist, but lovable -- as he tries to play Sherlock Holmes, but inevitably finds himself lacking. Only his persistence and belief in himself pulls himself through. His brother also manages to keep things on track, chronicling the events, much as Watson did for Holmes.

The action is fast paced, the characters rich in detail. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The mystery is intriguing and the final revelation is doubly amazing when it is revealed that 19th century technology was advanced enough to actually make the solution plausible (I won't spoil the ending).

Get this book! You won't be disappointed!

This is the third of a series of novels Stashower has written in which Harry Houdini and his brother Dash tackle the solutions to "impossible" murders. If you're new to the series, I might mention that Houdini himself functions largely as comic relief, parading
a giant ego as he propounds a series of preposterous "solutions" that parody roughly contemporary detective literature, while his brother Dash acts quietly behind the scenes to solve the crime. In every novel, Houdini, despite his mental shortcomings and giant ego, steps in to save a life with his exceptional physical prowess.

It's usually good fun and a good read, but for some reason in this latest outing, things fall apart badly about 3/4 of the way through, and the ending is almost a slap in the reader's face, with a completely preposterous "solution" to the mystery of a murderous spirit apparition, and so many loose ends that the main and most interesting character, Lucius Craig, is as much a mystery finally as he was initially. Even the nature of the relation between Craig and his "daughter," although it is the subject of considerable innuendo during the unfolding of the story, is not explored--- and even worse, the "daughter," out of the blue and apparently as an afterthought, turns out to be in the novel's last couple of pages a person who will be one of Houdini's greatest real-life antagonists.

You see Harry and Dash here just before the end of the 19th Century, with Harry struggling, not so much to break into the big time, as to break into show business at any level. But if you know anything about the real Houdini, it may come as a shock to have his mother speaking fluent, colloquial english to newspaper reporters! Much of Stashower's research is good and thorough, especially as regards the "inside" of the spiritualism racket--- still going strong more than a century after the days in which this novel is set. But while I can recommend the previous two novels in the series, I have some serious reservations about this entry.

A woman gave Harry something to drink and it killed him slowly.

I think Mr. Bell took his research notes and just make a book out of it with little editing. Most of it was "I went here and did this. I drove here, had tea, then talked to this guy..." . Lots of pounding the pavement and time spent, but it was hard to draw any sort of conclusion based on his information and as a writer, he should at the very least tried to tie all his information together and come up with a thesis. There is none of that here. Besides a couple of new minor details, I came away from this book no more enlightened about Houdini and the incident that allegedly caused his death than I was before.

This was a detective story with real people and events involvled. A true story. Well written and well researched.The author was dedicated, and it is sad that he did not see the fruit of his labor.

This is a definitive investigation into the events that occurred in Harry Houdini's dressing room on Oct 22, 1926, and the man at the center of the fatal "attack," J. Gordon Whitehead. It's a remarkable work that will blow the minds of Houdini scholars.

Within the first few chapters, author Bell rewrites Houdini history by discovering that the magician was attacked (or at least "tested") three separate times during that fateful week in Montr?al. A native of Montr?al, Bell finds independent eyewitnesses to each of these other, non-lethal "punches" who readily corroborate the facts. It's a stunning discovery.

Unfortunately, Bell doesn't investigate these other incidents in detail, but remains focusing in the final and most infamous dressing room attack by J. Gordon Whitehead. Bell's hypothesis is that Whitehead may have been acting as an agent for spiritualists. Considering Houdini's vehement anti-spiritualist crusade, this is not a far-fetched theory. Trouble is, absolutely nothing is known about J. Gordan Whitehead (and some have even questioned whether or not he even existed).

It's Bell's search for the phantom Whitehead (which takes up a good middle of the book) that presents my only criticism with the book. Bell describes in detail every step of his 20 year investigation, including his many false leads. Okay, dramatizing a few false lead is entertaining and adds to the detective story (not to mention makes the eventual discoveries all that more exciting), but Bell relates EVERY false lead, devoting whole chapters to lines of inquiry that never pan out. This does becomes a bit tiresome after a while.

However, when Bell finally gets on the right scent and starts uncovering the life and death of "the man who killed Houdini", the book again becomes fascinating. I won't spoil it, but somehow J. Gordon Whitehead turns out to be both a complete surprise and exactly what we would expect. Bell also tracks down the elusive witnesses to the dressing room incident, Jack Price and Sam Smiley. Thanks goodness Bell did this investigation when he did, as most of these key players are now deceased (including the author himself).

In the end, Bell is never able to pin a conspiracy on spiritualists, nor link Whitehead to the movement. There is also a nagging feeling that there is still something untold in all this. But in this age of sensationalized conspiracy theories as entertainment, it's refreshing to finally get book that admits the truth of its own findings (even though this tends to relegate them to smaller publishers, as is the case here). But this honesty also legitimizes this book as a real investigation by a real investigator. And what Bell delivers in The Man Who Killed Houdini is far more interesting than any conspiracy, and of much greater value to the serious scholar of Houdini and magic history. This book is a must.

Not too deep but thorough enough to introduce young minds to Houdini. My grandson read with much interest and now he dedicates all his magic tricks to the Great Houdini. A nice introduction to what a biography is and it captures the highlights of his career and early youth. I recommend it to all aspiring magicians and I dedicate this review to the memory of Doug Henning.