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Don Diavolo #1
Death Out of Thin Air
Two tall tales of mystery, the occult, and death-defying escapes
The women of London have taken to wearing thin black bands around their necks. Is it a fashion accessory—or a stylish way of hiding bite marks? A string of strange deaths has struck the town, and witnesses claim to have seen a vampire bat fleeing the scene. The London police can rest easy, for the vampire has left for New York. He makes his first appearance in a Broadway dressing room, piercing the neck of a woman who had come to speak to Don Diavolo, magician and escape artist. The police suspect Diavolo of killing her, forcing him to catch the vampire or face the chair. For his next trick, Diavolo confronts the murder of a police detective who is found shot to death in a locked office, where the sole trace of the killer is a mocking voice on the telephone. Only Don Diavolo, the Scarlet Wizard, can prove how the gunman made his escape.
The women of London have taken to wearing thin black bands around their necks. Is it a fashion accessory—or a stylish way of hiding bite marks? A string of strange deaths has struck the town, and witnesses claim to have seen a vampire bat fleeing the scene. The London police can rest easy, for the vampire has left for New York. He makes his first appearance in a Broadway dressing room, piercing the neck of a woman who had come to speak to Don Diavolo, magician and escape artist. The police suspect Diavolo of killing her, forcing him to catch the vampire or face the chair. For his next trick, Diavolo confronts the murder of a police detective who is found shot to death in a locked office, where the sole trace of the killer is a mocking voice on the telephone. Only Don Diavolo, the Scarlet Wizard, can prove how the gunman made his escape.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
160 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1941
13 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Clayton Rawson
46 books14 followersAka Stuart Towne.
Clayton Rawson (1906 - 1971) was an American mystery writer, editor, and amateur magician. His four novels frequently invoke his great knowledge of stage magic and feature as their fictional detective The Great Merlini, a professional magician who runs a shop selling magic supplies. He also wrote four short stories in 1940 about a stage magician named Don Diavolo, who appears as a principal character in one of the novels featuring The Great Merlini. "Don Diavolo is a magician who perfects his tricks in a Greenwich Village basement where he is frequently visited by the harried Inspector Church of Homicide, either to arrest the Don for an impossible crime or to ask him to solve it.
Clayton Rawson (1906 - 1971) was an American mystery writer, editor, and amateur magician. His four novels frequently invoke his great knowledge of stage magic and feature as their fictional detective The Great Merlini, a professional magician who runs a shop selling magic supplies. He also wrote four short stories in 1940 about a stage magician named Don Diavolo, who appears as a principal character in one of the novels featuring The Great Merlini. "Don Diavolo is a magician who perfects his tricks in a Greenwich Village basement where he is frequently visited by the harried Inspector Church of Homicide, either to arrest the Don for an impossible crime or to ask him to solve it.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 12, 2017
This book contains two novella length stories: Ghost of the Undead & Death Out of Thin Air.
The first mystery involves the bringing back from the dead a vampire which seems to have made its way from Europe to NYC. A woman calls on Diavolo to get help but is murdered before she can divulge her message. Diavolo of course is accused of being the murderer by the histrionic Insp. Church played up to the nines in stereotype. Diavolo disappears himself so he can work to clear his name and ends up uncovering whole messy past that seems to have caught up with the present.
The second mystery is a machine that seems to make someone magically invisible. However the invisible man is killing people now, and this time the blame gets put onto Inspt. Church! Diavolo, still accused by Church of being the murder- I mean what is up with this guy, investigates and uncovers the who and how... a fairly convoluted mystery.
Both of these stories are similar in tone to the Death from a Top Hat by Rawson, they are filled with some over the top explanations and a crowd of characters. In essence, these feel like first outing for the writer. Other stories by him feel more polished and sure of themselves. These stories have the feeling of being "early mystery movie styles." If you up for quirky mysteries and have a sense of fun try one of these out. Read this via ibook which seems to have all of Clayton Rawson's works in e-book form thank to the Mystery Bookshop.
The first mystery involves the bringing back from the dead a vampire which seems to have made its way from Europe to NYC. A woman calls on Diavolo to get help but is murdered before she can divulge her message. Diavolo of course is accused of being the murderer by the histrionic Insp. Church played up to the nines in stereotype. Diavolo disappears himself so he can work to clear his name and ends up uncovering whole messy past that seems to have caught up with the present.
The second mystery is a machine that seems to make someone magically invisible. However the invisible man is killing people now, and this time the blame gets put onto Inspt. Church! Diavolo, still accused by Church of being the murder- I mean what is up with this guy, investigates and uncovers the who and how... a fairly convoluted mystery.
Both of these stories are similar in tone to the Death from a Top Hat by Rawson, they are filled with some over the top explanations and a crowd of characters. In essence, these feel like first outing for the writer. Other stories by him feel more polished and sure of themselves. These stories have the feeling of being "early mystery movie styles." If you up for quirky mysteries and have a sense of fun try one of these out. Read this via ibook which seems to have all of Clayton Rawson's works in e-book form thank to the Mystery Bookshop.
March 8, 2018
A fun classic of the Golden Age. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com
Want to read
November 25, 2025Read so far:
*Death out of thin air
*Ghost of the undead
***
The ace of death
Claws of Satan
Mr. Mystery
*Death out of thin air
*Ghost of the undead
***
The ace of death
Claws of Satan
Mr. Mystery
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews