"Bloomsbury presents The House at Devil's Neck by Tom Mead, read by Philip Battley
LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES!
This gripping locked-room mystery sees Joseph Spector investigate his most sinister case yet: murderous machinations at a haunted manor house.
A former First World War field hospital, the spooky old mansion at Devil's Neck attracts spirit-seekers from far and wide.
Illusionist-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector knows the house of old. With stories spreading of a phantom soldier making mischief, he joins a party of visitors in search of the truth.
But the house, located on a lonely causeway, is quickly cut off by floods. The stranded visitors are soon being killed off one by one.
With old ally Inspector Flint working on a complex case that has links to Spector's investigation, the two men must connect the dots before Devil's Neck claims Spector himself as its next victim.
Readers on Tom Mead:
'Entertaining and fiendishly clever' Joy Ellis
'A master of the locked-room mystery' Barbara Nadel
'Ingenious' Victoria Dowd
'What more could any fan of classic crime wish for?' Martin Edwards
Read all the perfectly puzzling Spector Locked-Room Mysteries from Head of Zeus:
#1 Death and the Conjuror
#2 The Murder Wheel
#3 Cabaret Macabre
#4 The House at Devil's Neck C 2025 Recorded Books LLC"
"Bloomsbury presents Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead, read by Philip Battley.
'Cabaret Macabre really had it all... The twisted and complex puzzle totally foxed me, and although I hate to admit it, I really didn't have a clue whodunnit! Entertaining and fiendishly clever.' Joy Ellis, #1 bestselling author
Sleuth and illusionist Joseph Spector investigates his most complex case yet in this gripping new locked-room murder mystery, set in an English country house just before the Second World War.
Hampshire, 1938. Victor Silvius is confined in a private sanatorium after attacking prominent judge Sir Giles Drury. When Sir Giles starts receiving sinister letters, his wife suspects Silvius. Meanwhile, Silvius’ sister Caroline is convinced her brother is about to be murdered... by none other than his old nemesis Sir Giles.
Caroline seeks the advice of Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint, while the Drurys, eager to avoid a scandal, turn to Joseph Spector. Spector, renowned magician turned sleuth, has an uncanny knack for solving complicated crimes – but this case will test his powers of deduction to their limits.
At a snowbound English country house, a body is found is impossible circumstances. Spector and Flint’s investigations collide as they find themselves trapped by the snowstorm where anyone could be the next victim – or the killer...
What reviewers are saying about Cabaret Macabre:
'An intricately plotted golden age locked room mystery. Inventive and intriguing.' Ambrose Parry
'There are so many intricate layers to this ingenious plot. It truly is the matryoshka of mysteries!' Victoria Dowd
'A twisty-turny, fun and very satisfying mystery.' Alison Moore
'Stunning. Magic and murder and cleverness. Protagonist Joseph Spector will put a spell on you.' Barbara Nadel, author of the Çetin Ikmen series, recently filmed for Paramount+ as The Turkish Detective
'There are Agatha Christie-like twists aplenty' Michael Dirda, Washington Post
Reviews for Tom Mead
'Ingenious' Guardian
'Great fun' The Times
'What more could any fan of classic crime wish for?' Martin Edwards
'A sharply drawn period piece' New York Times
'An intricate 'impossible' crime that completely fooled me' Peter Lovesey P 2024 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2024 Tom Mead"
"Illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector investigates a sinister conundrum at a 1930s theatre in this thrilling mystery audiobook from Tom Mead, author of Death and the Conjuror, one of Publishers Weekly's Mysteries of the Year 2022.
When Edmund Ibbs, a young lawyer, defends a woman accused of shooting her husband dead, he finds himself drawn into a web of conspiracy and murder.
Soon, Ibbs himself is accused of complicity in a killing, when a corpse unexpectedly appears as part of a magic act in a crowded theatre.
Also present is Joseph Spector, former illusionist turned highly respected amateur sleuth. Spector begins to investigate the mystery, but when a second body is discovered later the same night, all the evidence points to Ibbs being guilty.
With a host of hangers-on having something to hide, can Spector find the true culprit, or will he and Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard conclude that Ibbs is guilty after all?
Reviews for Tom Mead's Joseph Spector series: 'An intricate 'impossible' crime that completely fooled me.' PETER LOVESEY
'A sharply drawn period piece with memorable characters.' NEW YORK TIMES
'Mead's debut is a novel to intrigue and delight.' JOHN CONNOLLY
'A true delight for mystery lovers!' CHARLES TODD
'A witty reconstruction of the classic locked room mystery, Tom Mead's debut is a sheer delight.' MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI
'Mead maintains suspense throughout, creating a creepy atmosphere en route to satisfying reveals.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
'A real treat for mystery fans.' RAGNAR JÓNASSON
'A fiendishly clever puzzle wrapped in a beautiful, dark atmospheric story.' VICTORIA DOWD"
"An enthralling locked-room murder mystery inspired by crime fiction of the Golden Age, Death and the Conjuror is the debut novel by acclaimed short-story writer Tom Mead. In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees 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. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician turned part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colourful cast of suspects, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets... or motives for murder. And when a second murder occurs, this time in an impenetrable elevator, they realize the crime wave will become even more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon.
“A sharply drawn period piece... Locked-room mysteries shine best with memorable characters, which is one of Mead's strengths.” NEW YORK TIMES"
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