"Stashower's clever adaptation of the Conan Doyle conventions--Holmes's uncanny powers of observation and of disguise, the scenes and customs of Victorian life--makes it fun to read. Descriptions and explanations of some of Houdini's astonishing magic routines add an extra dimension to this pleasant adventure." - Publishers Weekly

"Stashower has done a fantastic job on several levels. He has captured the flavor of Holmes as well as anyone I've seen recently (better than Nicholas Meyer, to my taste). He has done a good job with Houdini, thanks I presume to his own background in stage magic. And he has put the two together in an excellent mystery. I enjoyed this book immensely."- Drood Review

"In his first mystery, Stashower paired Harry Houdini and Sherlock Holmes to marvelous effect." - Chicago Tribune

"Cleveland native Daniel Stashower's first novel is one of the better, and possible the best recombinant of the Arthur Conan Doyle style and characters since Nicholas Meyer resurrected the genre in 1974...Stashower understands the Sherlockian Weltanschauung perfectly, and has recreated it in loving, often sly detail....Stashower has invested the magic sequences of his book with a suspense and excitement worthy of both the great escape artist and the legendary creator of Sherlock Holmes." - The Plain Dealer