The Floating Lady Murder

I've read all the books in this series and enjoyed them tremendously. They're charming, compelling, and full of wit. The characters are well-drawn and the period well-researched. I agree with the other reviewers, they deserve hardcover editions.

There has been a lot of Houdini fiction done over the years -- most mixing Harry with the likes of Sherlock Holmes or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- but for my money these new Daniel Stashower "Harry Houdini Mystery's" are by far the best Houdini fiction yet produced. I think the secret is that Stashower uses Harry's brother, Dash Hardeen, as the narrator and primary character of the story. This works much in the same way as telling a Sherlock Holmes story from the point of view of Dr. Watson. The reader relates to the relatively "normal" character of Dash, allowing the character of Houdini to be his wildly eccentric, semi-superhuman self. We share in Dash's amazement at his brother's abilities (and galloping ego), and remaining outside the head of Harry Houdini preserves the mystery of the man. I also like how Stashower sets these books before the turn-of-the (last) century, which gives us a Houdini before he became "the world famous self-liberator." The books are spiced wi!th little bits of ironic Houdini lore, such as having Harry meet and defend his future chief assistant Jim Collins from murder in FLOATING LADY. This is Stashower's second book in the series, and it's just as good as his first; The Dime Museum Murders. I HOPE HE CONTINUES. One complaint; would it kill the publisher to put these out in hardcover editions?

The second novel in Stashower's historical series featuring Harry Houdini is even better than his first. It is 1898, and Houdini is trying to find not his niche-Houdini would not be satisfied with a mere niche-but recognition of his genius. Since Houdini is still far from his goal, he, his wife, and his brother, Dash Hardeen, take employment with Kellar, at the time the dean of American magicians. The brothers' role primarily will be to investigate what would appear to be sabotage of the Kellar show, but they also are instrumental in the final development of Kellar's long-time dream-the floating-lady illusion. It is this illusion that leads to an impossible crime. While the act is being performed, the lady falls about 72 feet, with the usual unfortunate results. Yet her death was caused not by the abrupt end of the fall but by drowning. (This information appears in the blurb, so I am giving nothing away.) Plot, characterization, the picture of the times, the show-business and theater aspect, and the humor are all handled flawlessly. And the impossible crime is an intriguing one, with a most satisfactory explanation.

Why as classy and graceful a writer (and series) as this, is relegated to paperback originals is a mystery in and of itself. But, why look a gift horse in the mouth? Lucky readers not only get to enjoy a truly unique story, they get to do so at a bargain price. Stashower's second novel in the series (a follow-up to "The Dime Museum Murders") features an intriguing mystery, a charming set of characters based, loosely to be sure, in reality, and a world-class amateur's knowledge of backstage at the magic show. If there is any fault at all with the book, it's the minor annoyance of a totally unnecessary framing narrative which, while pleasant, seems to be a bit contrived as opposed to the narrative itself which is conjoured by a master.