“Magic? Dark Forces? I’ve no idea!” It was Weasley Jones. “Only one thing is clear, and it’s this. Ladies and gentleman, I regret to confirm to you that…” His voice broke with a sob, but kept going. “Herbert Lemster, marvellous magician, has DISSAPEARED!”
Harry Houdini is just a penniless street kid with a few tricks up his sleeve. Life as a shoe shine boy is not easy, but with the help of his two friends, he can perform great escape tricks and magic for money.
But when a well-known magician goes missing, Harry and his friends Billie and Arthur are thrown into a deadly adventure of black mail and danger. Suddenly his great escape tricks are not just for show, but a matter of life and death. Harry is struggling to keep his friend ship when danger is everywhere, and he will soon realise that without his friends he is nothing.
Can Harry solve the deadly mystery and keep his friends trust, or will he end up friendless or dead? Who knows, and to find out you will have to read the book. I found this book interesting and quiet entertaining, though sometimes it dragged along a little bit. Its hard to say why I didn’t enjoy it as much as other books, but I think it just didn’t have as much adventure as I had expected.
The characters are well thought out, and have unique personalities which you figure out a little while into the book. The bond between the characters is good, but at times you find that Harry is not as good friends with Arthur and Billie as you would expect. This is all part of the plot, but I have to admit that a lot of the time it is just Harry by himself in the adventure, and I think that a bit more teamwork might have been nice.
Nevertheless, it was a good book with a good storyline and all the parts of the story are clear and easy to understand. I would rate this book a 3 and a half out of 5 and for ages ten and up. There is nothing in this book that might frighten or scare the readers, except for some near-death scenes, but nothing ends badly. If you’re a child that is eight and up, I am sure that your parents could read it to you if they approve.
This book is for people who like danger, blackmail, magic, mystery, puzzles and death escapes, and if you like all of those things then I am sure that you will enjoy this book.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
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