Highly entertaining, this murder mystery takes place over the lead-up to the Christmas before the Second World War begins, and absolutely revels in its fiendishly intricate depths. This retelling of a tale from the early 1600’s, set within the Golden Age of crime, is the third in the Spector Locked-Room Mystery series. Joseph Spector leads the charge as magician turned sleuth while Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard is an admirable second. Author Tom Mead sets layer upon twisted layer of mystifying puzzles for the reader to solve. While I found myself celebrating certain wins, I was left reeling by the revelations as they played out in front of me. The setting of a country house suffering from dark deeds is full of atmosphere and plays wonderfully against the theatre of Spector. While the locked-room element sits within this tale with panache, there is so much more to discover. There are a whole host of suspects, and I delighted in how perfectly dreadful they could be. Cabaret Macabre deserves a round of applause, as it takes all of the elements required for a Golden Age crime mystery and magics them into a fabulously twisty yet beautifully readable and satisfying novel.
An English country house at Christmas proves the perfect hunting ground for a determined killer. Sleuth and illusionist Joseph Spector investigates his most complex case yet in this gripping new locked-room murder mystery.
'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
Hampshire, Christmas 1938. When prominent judge Sir Giles Drury starts receiving sinister letters, his wife suspects Victor Silvius, a man who was previously locked up for attacking Sir Giles. Meanwhile, Silvius' sister Caroline is convinced her brother is about to be murdered... by none other than his old nemesis, Sir Giles Drury.
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 in the midst of the Christmas season, a murder is committed in impossible circumstances. Spector and Flint's investigations collide as they find themselves trapped by the snowstorm, in a place where anyone could be the next victim... or the killer.
Reviewers on Cabaret Macabre:
'An intricately plotted golden age locked room mystery. Inventive and intriguing.' Ambrose Parry '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. Joseph Spector will put a spell on you.' Barbara Nadel, author of the Çetin Ikmen series, adapted into Paramount+'s 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
