What do you think?
Rate this book
An Eli Marks Mystery #2
The Bullet Catch
Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.
At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations -- while saving his own neck -- may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.
At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations -- while saving his own neck -- may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.
282 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2014
439 people are currently reading
1307 people want to read
About the author
John Gaspard
102 books143 followersJohn is author of the Eli Marks mystery series and the Como Lake Players mystery series. He also has four other stand-alone novels: “The Greyhound of the Baskervilles,” “A Christmas Carl,” “The Sword & Mr. Stone” and “The Ripperologists.”
He hosts two podcasts: "Behind the Page: The Eli Marks Podcast," and "The Occasional Film Podcast."
In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, those books made more than the films.
John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several greyhounds, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.
He hosts two podcasts: "Behind the Page: The Eli Marks Podcast," and "The Occasional Film Podcast."
In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, those books made more than the films.
John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several greyhounds, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
January 21, 2019
Gosh I enjoy this series! This is the 2nd installment of the series that features Magician Eli Marks. Here we have some more magic tricks explained but not really given away. They also are integral to the plot and final resolution of the story. Here we see Eli going to his high school class reunion (something I have yet to do in 47 years!) and meeting an old classmate who is an actor and will be filming a movie in Minneapolis. He also runs into other characters who are central to the plot at the reunion. The books traces two interwoven plots. The actor is fearing that he is going to be killed as part of the movie (which has to do with a magician) and on the other high school reunion folks there is murder afoot. Entertaining, fast moving, good dialogue and plot. I have come to enjoy this series and now have all of the books on my Kindle. If you enjoy a fun murder mystery this quirky series is one to tap into!
August 14, 2021
4.25 Stars
The Bullet Catch, An Eli Marks Mystery, is the first novel I’ve read by John Gaspard. It won’t be the last.
Mr. Gaspard’s writing is engrossing, witty, and informative. Everything about this book - including the resolution that I certainly didn’t see coming - was captivating.
If intelligent mysteries replete with fascinating characters and plot twists galore are your idea of a good read, don’t miss The Bullet Catch.
The Bullet Catch, An Eli Marks Mystery, is the first novel I’ve read by John Gaspard. It won’t be the last.
Mr. Gaspard’s writing is engrossing, witty, and informative. Everything about this book - including the resolution that I certainly didn’t see coming - was captivating.
If intelligent mysteries replete with fascinating characters and plot twists galore are your idea of a good read, don’t miss The Bullet Catch.
November 8, 2014
Eli Marks is working in Uncle Harry’s magic shop when his old high school friend, Jake North, shows up in disguise. He’s in town to shoot scenes for his new movie about Terry Alexander, aka the Cloaked Conjurer. Alexander revealed the secrets to magicians’ tricks, which broke the cardinal rule of magic: never reveal how the trick is done. Unfortunately for Alexander, doing this ruined his career. He died doing a trick called “The Bullet Catch”. It’s the last scene scheduled to be filled, and Jake is afraid it may be the last scene he ever films.
Their fifteen-year high school reunion is taking place while he is in town, and while they are there, they run Trish, who was the most popular girl in school back then. She’s married to Dylan Lasalle, the most likely to be arrested, how the heck did he graduate bad boy of their class. Dylan spends the evening ignoring his wife; instead, he spends the evening flirty with the women and getting drunk. Their last view of him that night is being driven away by Trish. The next morning, he’s dead.
The police think it might be a mugging, but Eli has no intention of getting involved in another case. So he visits the movie set, where he learns that Hollywood relationships have a shorter expiration date than a gallon of milk. No wonder Jake is worried. Having the star of the picture die while filming the final scene would guarantee a box office hit.
While Eli is worried about his friend, he’s asked to perform magic tricks at a private party. But when he gets there, this must be a seriously private party, because there are no cars anywhere. Instead, he an older gentleman named Mr. Lime, who wants to know what the police said to him about Dylan’s death. Mr. Lime is a bit of an odd duck, who loves to quote old movies, like Casablanca, Double Indemnity, and Laura, with an odd reference to Francis the Mule.
Feeling sorry for the Widow Lasalle puts Eli in the crosshairs of the Assistant District Attorney, who just happens to be his ex-wife, who just happens to be married to the lead detective of the case. She accidentally points him in the direction of another classmate, who turns up dead before his appointment with Eli.
The bodies continue to fall, Mr. Lime makes another creepy appearance with more movie references, and Eli becomes concerned that Trish may be next. But he’s also trying to figure out how to make sure Jake survives the final scene of the movie, the dreaded Bullet Catch.
Will Eli be able to use enough sleight of hand tricks to save Jake, and figure out who the killer is? Or will someone be doing The Broken Wand at his funeral?
The Bullet Catch is a delightfully wonderful book. I particularly like seeing a main character with flaws, in Eli’s case, his fear of heights. As I read those particular scenes, I could feel his fear, and at times, I felt my own heart racing for him. The First Thursday scene had me laughing out loud (good thing I was home alone at the time!). Gaspard wrote a fantastic book. The plot was intricate and detailed, and as a fan of the Golden Age of Hollywood, I loved all the references to the old movies. The plots of these movies are woven seamlessly into the mystery at the heart of the book, and I found myself stopping to remember the plots of these old movies, and trying to figure out how it related to the present mystery. I highly recommend The Bullet Catch, and I look forward to Eli’s next adventure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. I’m off to Rick’s Place.
Their fifteen-year high school reunion is taking place while he is in town, and while they are there, they run Trish, who was the most popular girl in school back then. She’s married to Dylan Lasalle, the most likely to be arrested, how the heck did he graduate bad boy of their class. Dylan spends the evening ignoring his wife; instead, he spends the evening flirty with the women and getting drunk. Their last view of him that night is being driven away by Trish. The next morning, he’s dead.
The police think it might be a mugging, but Eli has no intention of getting involved in another case. So he visits the movie set, where he learns that Hollywood relationships have a shorter expiration date than a gallon of milk. No wonder Jake is worried. Having the star of the picture die while filming the final scene would guarantee a box office hit.
While Eli is worried about his friend, he’s asked to perform magic tricks at a private party. But when he gets there, this must be a seriously private party, because there are no cars anywhere. Instead, he an older gentleman named Mr. Lime, who wants to know what the police said to him about Dylan’s death. Mr. Lime is a bit of an odd duck, who loves to quote old movies, like Casablanca, Double Indemnity, and Laura, with an odd reference to Francis the Mule.
Feeling sorry for the Widow Lasalle puts Eli in the crosshairs of the Assistant District Attorney, who just happens to be his ex-wife, who just happens to be married to the lead detective of the case. She accidentally points him in the direction of another classmate, who turns up dead before his appointment with Eli.
The bodies continue to fall, Mr. Lime makes another creepy appearance with more movie references, and Eli becomes concerned that Trish may be next. But he’s also trying to figure out how to make sure Jake survives the final scene of the movie, the dreaded Bullet Catch.
Will Eli be able to use enough sleight of hand tricks to save Jake, and figure out who the killer is? Or will someone be doing The Broken Wand at his funeral?
The Bullet Catch is a delightfully wonderful book. I particularly like seeing a main character with flaws, in Eli’s case, his fear of heights. As I read those particular scenes, I could feel his fear, and at times, I felt my own heart racing for him. The First Thursday scene had me laughing out loud (good thing I was home alone at the time!). Gaspard wrote a fantastic book. The plot was intricate and detailed, and as a fan of the Golden Age of Hollywood, I loved all the references to the old movies. The plots of these movies are woven seamlessly into the mystery at the heart of the book, and I found myself stopping to remember the plots of these old movies, and trying to figure out how it related to the present mystery. I highly recommend The Bullet Catch, and I look forward to Eli’s next adventure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. I’m off to Rick’s Place.
November 17, 2014
Magic, movies and murder...
When stage magician Eli Marks is talked into attending his High School reunion by an old friend, Jake North, he suddenly finds himself entangled in two potentially deadly situations. An up-and-coming actor, Jake is in the middle of shooting a film about a magic trick that went wrong, resulting in the death of the magician. But Jake fears that someone is out to kill him and means to do so during the filming of the trick. So he asks Eli to come along as his magic consultant to make sure no-one can tamper with the trick. Then during the reunion Eli meets up with the girl he had a major crush on at school, the gorgeous Trish Henry. She showed no interest in him back then, but falls into conversation with him now and they spend the evening chatting. It's something of a pity that she's married – especially since her husband Dylan had a reputation at school of being one of the bad boys, and doesn't seem to have improved with time. And when he's murdered later that same night, Eli finds himself getting sucked into the investigation.
I loved Gaspard's first book about Eli, The Ambitious Card, and ended my review with the fervent hope that we'd meet him again. I'm delighted to say this book is just as much fun. Eli is a truly likeable protagonist, intelligent and humorous, but with no pretensions to be a superhero. He's currently single since Megan, his girlfriend from the last book, felt they were rushing things and suggested they take a break. He still wants things to work out with Megan but feels the pull of his old attraction to Trish, especially when she seems to be clinging to him as she tries to cope after her husband's murder. Other old friends from the previous book put in appearances too. Eli is still living with his elderly uncle Harry, and their relationship is one of the things I like best about the series – it's realistic and touching without being in any way mawkish, and their interactions provide much of the humour and warmth in the book. Harry's group of elderly magician friends are fun to spend time with, as well as providing Eli with a great source of information about magic tricks of all kinds. And Franny the phone psychic is back in a minor role, still surprisingly spot-on with some of her predictions.
The plotting in this one is actually better than in the first, I think. The darker strand about Dylan's murder is beautifully balanced by the more humorous strand about Jake and the film set. Gaspard has had real-life experience of directing low-budget films and clearly had fun sending the process up a little. There's a whole bunch of slightly caricatured characters, from the harassed director to the embittered writer. And the book is laced with references to great classic films, making me want to go back and re-watch most of them. Overall, this is shaping up to be one of my favourite series – not quite light enough to be cosies, but warm and amusing, and great fun! I hope Mr Gaspard is hard at work on the next one...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Henery Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When stage magician Eli Marks is talked into attending his High School reunion by an old friend, Jake North, he suddenly finds himself entangled in two potentially deadly situations. An up-and-coming actor, Jake is in the middle of shooting a film about a magic trick that went wrong, resulting in the death of the magician. But Jake fears that someone is out to kill him and means to do so during the filming of the trick. So he asks Eli to come along as his magic consultant to make sure no-one can tamper with the trick. Then during the reunion Eli meets up with the girl he had a major crush on at school, the gorgeous Trish Henry. She showed no interest in him back then, but falls into conversation with him now and they spend the evening chatting. It's something of a pity that she's married – especially since her husband Dylan had a reputation at school of being one of the bad boys, and doesn't seem to have improved with time. And when he's murdered later that same night, Eli finds himself getting sucked into the investigation.
I loved Gaspard's first book about Eli, The Ambitious Card, and ended my review with the fervent hope that we'd meet him again. I'm delighted to say this book is just as much fun. Eli is a truly likeable protagonist, intelligent and humorous, but with no pretensions to be a superhero. He's currently single since Megan, his girlfriend from the last book, felt they were rushing things and suggested they take a break. He still wants things to work out with Megan but feels the pull of his old attraction to Trish, especially when she seems to be clinging to him as she tries to cope after her husband's murder. Other old friends from the previous book put in appearances too. Eli is still living with his elderly uncle Harry, and their relationship is one of the things I like best about the series – it's realistic and touching without being in any way mawkish, and their interactions provide much of the humour and warmth in the book. Harry's group of elderly magician friends are fun to spend time with, as well as providing Eli with a great source of information about magic tricks of all kinds. And Franny the phone psychic is back in a minor role, still surprisingly spot-on with some of her predictions.
The plotting in this one is actually better than in the first, I think. The darker strand about Dylan's murder is beautifully balanced by the more humorous strand about Jake and the film set. Gaspard has had real-life experience of directing low-budget films and clearly had fun sending the process up a little. There's a whole bunch of slightly caricatured characters, from the harassed director to the embittered writer. And the book is laced with references to great classic films, making me want to go back and re-watch most of them. Overall, this is shaping up to be one of my favourite series – not quite light enough to be cosies, but warm and amusing, and great fun! I hope Mr Gaspard is hard at work on the next one...
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Henery Press.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 10, 2021
This is a really fun book, although a bit male-centered. Oh, there are the requisite wives and girlfriends, but if you forgive that flaw it is engaging and has lots of twists and turns to keep you surprised.
January 16, 2022
4.5 Stars and I am really loving this series! The plot took a little while to get going in this one but one it did, it never let up with all the twists and turns, plots with a plot, humor, and just a fun read. The plot twist at the end was just 😮😮😮
March 7, 2017
This series is hilarious. If you liked the television series Monk or The Mentalist, you will like this.
July 17, 2021
Eli’s high school friend Jake is in town making a movie about a magician who dies during a performance of the dangerous bullet catch illusion. Only Jake thinks that someone is going to kill him when they film that scene, and he asks Eli, a magician, to help prevent that from happening. Meanwhile, Eli reconnects with his high school crush, Trish, as their reunion only to have Trish’s husband be murdered the next morning. Can Eli solve the crime?
With two mysteries happening at once, this book never slows down. Both stories feature some great twists along the way to a logical conclusion. The book is filled with outstanding characters as well, both returning and new. About the only thing that bothered me was Eli’s crippling fear of heights, which never seemed to bother him at home.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
With two mysteries happening at once, this book never slows down. Both stories feature some great twists along the way to a logical conclusion. The book is filled with outstanding characters as well, both returning and new. About the only thing that bothered me was Eli’s crippling fear of heights, which never seemed to bother him at home.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 5, 2014
Thank you Net Galley and Henery Press for also owing me to yet again enjoy a great book. Here is my honest review.
This was my first book by John Gaspard and it did not disappoint. While at first I thought it was going to be all about the slight of hand, etc. of magicians and that was it, I was wrong. It actually did have a pretty good story with many subplots going on. I was definitely entertained and really enjoyed reading the book. I read it all in one sitting because it was pretty short, less than four hours and held my interest.
Henery Press comes through yet again!!
This was my first book by John Gaspard and it did not disappoint. While at first I thought it was going to be all about the slight of hand, etc. of magicians and that was it, I was wrong. It actually did have a pretty good story with many subplots going on. I was definitely entertained and really enjoyed reading the book. I read it all in one sitting because it was pretty short, less than four hours and held my interest.
Henery Press comes through yet again!!
January 29, 2018
Not quite as good as the first one, but still good. Very affecting when one of the minor characters dies. Kind of suspected the killer all along, but it was still well revealed. I'd read the next one.
Read
July 27, 2017“This is an instant classic, in a league with Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Arthur Conan Doyle.” – John Lehman, Rosebud Book Reviews
January 9, 2017
Title: THE BULLET CATCH - Eli Marks Mystery Book 2
Author: John Gaspar
Published: 11-4-2014
Publisher: Henery Press
Pages: 264
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Amateur Sleuth; Humor; Craft & Hobbies, British Detectives; Cozy Mystery
ISBN: 13: 9781940976433
ASIN: B00N11OBX2
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.25
I received a copy of "The Bullet Catch" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Description From the Publisher:
Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.
At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations -- while saving his own neck -- may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.
Books in the Eli Marks Mystery Series:
THE AMBITIOUS CARD (#1)
THE BULLET CATCH (#2)
THE MISER'S DREAM(#3)
THE INVISIBLE ASSISTANCE (A SHORT STORY)
My Review of "The Bullet Catch":
Eli Marks is an unusual lead for a murder mystery. He is a magician with ties to the legal system. His perceptions of murder scenes and crimes in general are different than the norm in that he looks for the slight of hand point of view. Eli's character is well rounded and believable. The story is full of humor. The are two story lines to follow so the reader is kept interested. I found no lagging spots or repeated scenes. "The Bullet Catch" is a fast paced novel filled with twists and turns along with a climatic conclusion of both plots.
My rating of "The Bullet Catch" is 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N11OBX2/...
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-b...
GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Author: John Gaspar
Published: 11-4-2014
Publisher: Henery Press
Pages: 264
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Amateur Sleuth; Humor; Craft & Hobbies, British Detectives; Cozy Mystery
ISBN: 13: 9781940976433
ASIN: B00N11OBX2
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.25
I received a copy of "The Bullet Catch" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Description From the Publisher:
Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.
At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations -- while saving his own neck -- may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.
Books in the Eli Marks Mystery Series:
THE AMBITIOUS CARD (#1)
THE BULLET CATCH (#2)
THE MISER'S DREAM(#3)
THE INVISIBLE ASSISTANCE (A SHORT STORY)
My Review of "The Bullet Catch":
Eli Marks is an unusual lead for a murder mystery. He is a magician with ties to the legal system. His perceptions of murder scenes and crimes in general are different than the norm in that he looks for the slight of hand point of view. Eli's character is well rounded and believable. The story is full of humor. The are two story lines to follow so the reader is kept interested. I found no lagging spots or repeated scenes. "The Bullet Catch" is a fast paced novel filled with twists and turns along with a climatic conclusion of both plots.
My rating of "The Bullet Catch" is 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N11OBX2/...
Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-b...
GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
August 20, 2020
The Bullet Catch by John Gaspard
Eli Marks has always had acrophobia (fear of heights) but lately he was feeling something new each time he was anywhere near to an edge that was high up – his inner voice was telling him to jump and it was terrifying because he was afraid he would eventually listen to it. So he was, for the first time in his life, seeing a therapist to find out why and to stop it. So far it wasn't going particularly well. The therapist told him this was not that uncommon and asks if there is any stress in Eli's life. So Eli tells him about his ex-wife – an Assistant DA – having an affair with a homicide detective leading to his divorce about the fact that a few months before he was suspected of being a serial killer (see The Ambitious Card, book #1) and was being investigated by his ex-wife's new husband, how he was left for dead in a cave with his neighbor and landlord, Megan, who was also going thru a divorce, by Megan's husband to die of asphyxiation, and how, when they survived, he and Megan started a relationship that she recently put on hold because they were moving too fast. The therapist responds to all this by saying he will need to see Eli 2 to 3 times a week to start.
Eli is also attending his high school reunion with a former pal, now a well-known actor, Jake North. He is currently filming a movie about an infamous magician who spent part of his career divulging the secrets that magicians have held sacred for years, on TV, making him hated by his fellow magicians. He then died doing a very dangerous trick, The Bullet Catch. Jake approaches Eli because he feels that someone is trying to kill him on the movie. He thinks that they are going to kill him with the Bullet Catch trick to get publicity for the movie. Eli agrees to be the magic consultant for the film to make sure that doesn't happen and to watch Jake's back. Meanwhile, dead bodies start appearing, Eli's ex-wife and her husband are questioning him again, Megan is sending out mixed signals and all of a sudden a girl from his high school days who didn't even know his name back then is hanging on his arm and laughing at his jokes, a sure sign that something is wrong. You can find out how Eli discovers the truth about everything if you just read the book! Enjoy!
Eli Marks has always had acrophobia (fear of heights) but lately he was feeling something new each time he was anywhere near to an edge that was high up – his inner voice was telling him to jump and it was terrifying because he was afraid he would eventually listen to it. So he was, for the first time in his life, seeing a therapist to find out why and to stop it. So far it wasn't going particularly well. The therapist told him this was not that uncommon and asks if there is any stress in Eli's life. So Eli tells him about his ex-wife – an Assistant DA – having an affair with a homicide detective leading to his divorce about the fact that a few months before he was suspected of being a serial killer (see The Ambitious Card, book #1) and was being investigated by his ex-wife's new husband, how he was left for dead in a cave with his neighbor and landlord, Megan, who was also going thru a divorce, by Megan's husband to die of asphyxiation, and how, when they survived, he and Megan started a relationship that she recently put on hold because they were moving too fast. The therapist responds to all this by saying he will need to see Eli 2 to 3 times a week to start.
Eli is also attending his high school reunion with a former pal, now a well-known actor, Jake North. He is currently filming a movie about an infamous magician who spent part of his career divulging the secrets that magicians have held sacred for years, on TV, making him hated by his fellow magicians. He then died doing a very dangerous trick, The Bullet Catch. Jake approaches Eli because he feels that someone is trying to kill him on the movie. He thinks that they are going to kill him with the Bullet Catch trick to get publicity for the movie. Eli agrees to be the magic consultant for the film to make sure that doesn't happen and to watch Jake's back. Meanwhile, dead bodies start appearing, Eli's ex-wife and her husband are questioning him again, Megan is sending out mixed signals and all of a sudden a girl from his high school days who didn't even know his name back then is hanging on his arm and laughing at his jokes, a sure sign that something is wrong. You can find out how Eli discovers the truth about everything if you just read the book! Enjoy!
May 14, 2023
I don't know if the author practices magic or not but he can certainly pull of the slight of hand trick, I would never have guessed who the killer was. I am just loving this series. When I discover an author I like, I normally space the books out so I don't finish the series to quickly and it lets the story sink in if it is broken up by a totally different book inbetween but I have discovered that isn't possible with this series and as soon as I finish one I am on to the next. Each book is written as standalone mystery but as each is just as good as the last I would recommend working your way through, that way you ask get to know the characters a lot better. I really like the characters who are delightful and very entertaining. However it is the mystery that I found captivating, just When you think you know what is going on the author pulls off another trick and takes the story in a different direction. There is so much going on that it never gets boring he kept me hooked until the very end. Long may the show continue.
An old friend, Jake, returns to town needing Eli's help first he wants Eli to attend there high school reunion with him and second he needs his help staying a live. Both could turn out to be deadly.The reunion goes as expected with lots of drama but it is only when the police arrive on his doorstep that he learns his much. The girl he spent his school days dreaming over becomes a widow over night when her husband is killed in a mugging. The police want to know what happened at the reunion. Jake is an actor and for his next film he is playing a magician who died during a trick and he is worrying that the only way the film we be a success is if he dies performing the same trick. Can Eli pull off his own trick and keep his old friend alive? And find a killer? Than another class mate dies and E!i ends up with more to fear than heights.
I like the narrator and hope he sticks with the series because for me he is the voice of Eli Mark and nobody else will do.
An old friend, Jake, returns to town needing Eli's help first he wants Eli to attend there high school reunion with him and second he needs his help staying a live. Both could turn out to be deadly.The reunion goes as expected with lots of drama but it is only when the police arrive on his doorstep that he learns his much. The girl he spent his school days dreaming over becomes a widow over night when her husband is killed in a mugging. The police want to know what happened at the reunion. Jake is an actor and for his next film he is playing a magician who died during a trick and he is worrying that the only way the film we be a success is if he dies performing the same trick. Can Eli pull off his own trick and keep his old friend alive? And find a killer? Than another class mate dies and E!i ends up with more to fear than heights.
I like the narrator and hope he sticks with the series because for me he is the voice of Eli Mark and nobody else will do.
February 4, 2023
The second Eli Marks mystery begins when he attends his fifteenth class reunion. Eli is recently divorced and "on a break" from his new relationship. He runs into an old crush who is married to another one of their former classmates - one Eli could never stand.
Eli also reconnects with on old friend who has become a television actor trying to transition to movie actor. The movie is being shot in Minneapolis and, since it concerns the mysterious death of a magician, the friend asks Eli to be his magic consultant. The climax of the film includes a dangerous classic trick called the Bullet Catch which has killed a number of magicians. The actor is afraid that the trick will kill him which will guarantee an audience for the film but not be at all good for him.
When the old crush's husband dies in what looks like a particularly brutal mugging, Eli is there to offer support to the grieving widow. He also gets drawn into the victim's history and business dealings as people around the victim are also being killed. A mysterious character who is filled with movie quotes also interacts with Eli because the first murder victim owed him money and he wants Eli to look into the death.
I loved the Minneapolis setting. I also loved the group of retired magicians who are friends of his Uncle Harry and who have served as Eli's mentors as he learned to be a magician. I liked the various magic tricks performed. I liked Eli who is smart and observant.
The narrator did a great job bringing all the various characters to life and illuminating their personalities with his voice.
Eli also reconnects with on old friend who has become a television actor trying to transition to movie actor. The movie is being shot in Minneapolis and, since it concerns the mysterious death of a magician, the friend asks Eli to be his magic consultant. The climax of the film includes a dangerous classic trick called the Bullet Catch which has killed a number of magicians. The actor is afraid that the trick will kill him which will guarantee an audience for the film but not be at all good for him.
When the old crush's husband dies in what looks like a particularly brutal mugging, Eli is there to offer support to the grieving widow. He also gets drawn into the victim's history and business dealings as people around the victim are also being killed. A mysterious character who is filled with movie quotes also interacts with Eli because the first murder victim owed him money and he wants Eli to look into the death.
I loved the Minneapolis setting. I also loved the group of retired magicians who are friends of his Uncle Harry and who have served as Eli's mentors as he learned to be a magician. I liked the various magic tricks performed. I liked Eli who is smart and observant.
The narrator did a great job bringing all the various characters to life and illuminating their personalities with his voice.
September 27, 2020
Sometimes its best NOT to attend a HS reunion with an old friend that is now a handsome actor. They arrive and everyone surrounds the 'hunk' and Eli finds his way to a lonely table to have a drink and watch what is happening from a safe distance. The first person who spots him is now an insurance salesman, very jolly and friendly but they finally part ways and you'll never guess who sits by him next-give up? The Senior Prom queen, yes his HS crush. She looks lovely still and unlike Eli she isn't divorced but this married. Yes married to the HS bad boy, she doesn't appear to be too happy about it either since he is very drunk and making passes at all the woman. Any way it is finally over and every one has to leave, hunk, Eli, bad boy and the queen share an elevator to the first floor, you may be asking so where is the bullet? Well as an elder phone psychic friend tells Eli she had a vision of a man being shot died but the man who was shot wasn't the died man, he was only pretending to be the dead man he just caught the bullet. Puzzled? Well read the book. Thanks John for the free book I read it, loved it and reviewed it.
August 30, 2023
Eli's actor friend approaches him to consult about a new movie he's in. A dramatization of a magician turned debunker that died while preforming a trick call "catch the bullet".
That's the A plot.
The B plot is both of them attending a highschool reunion and their old classmates dropping like flies.
The two tie in together in the end but while reading clash horribly, like two different stories forced into one to fill up a page number quota!
Overall it's an ok read and the magic trick parts interesting. A new side character is introduced that I really liked called Mr. Lime. Just imagine the critic from Ratatouille aged up around 100 years after he mellowed up to that fancy salad he was served and you get the idea.
Again you have the men writing women thing where any viable partner is infantized, any none viable partner is a Matriarch or starts acting like the wicked witch of the west out of the blue. It's the fly that keeps ruining an otherwise perfectly serviceable dish.
That's the A plot.
The B plot is both of them attending a highschool reunion and their old classmates dropping like flies.
The two tie in together in the end but while reading clash horribly, like two different stories forced into one to fill up a page number quota!
Overall it's an ok read and the magic trick parts interesting. A new side character is introduced that I really liked called Mr. Lime. Just imagine the critic from Ratatouille aged up around 100 years after he mellowed up to that fancy salad he was served and you get the idea.
Again you have the men writing women thing where any viable partner is infantized, any none viable partner is a Matriarch or starts acting like the wicked witch of the west out of the blue. It's the fly that keeps ruining an otherwise perfectly serviceable dish.
October 29, 2023
I've always been intrigued by magicians and illusionists, which is probably why this series caught my eye. I enjoyed the first book enough to continue the series.
I like Eli, the MC, who is well-known enough in the world of magic to be called in to assist with the making of a movie about a magician who died performing a trick that most won't even touch. Eli has a good group of friends, and I love his uncle Harry, but I wouldn't want to spend much time with most of the 'movie people' in this story.
It took a while to determine if the first victim's death was accidental or a murder, and there were quite a few clues that would support either verdict. When other bodies started piling up, though, it became obvious. I had my suspicions about a couple of the characters, but only had part of the solution correct. The motive wasn't what I expected, but it made sense.
I have the next several books in this series in my audio collection, so I'll listen to them eventually, I'm just not sure when.
I like Eli, the MC, who is well-known enough in the world of magic to be called in to assist with the making of a movie about a magician who died performing a trick that most won't even touch. Eli has a good group of friends, and I love his uncle Harry, but I wouldn't want to spend much time with most of the 'movie people' in this story.
It took a while to determine if the first victim's death was accidental or a murder, and there were quite a few clues that would support either verdict. When other bodies started piling up, though, it became obvious. I had my suspicions about a couple of the characters, but only had part of the solution correct. The motive wasn't what I expected, but it made sense.
I have the next several books in this series in my audio collection, so I'll listen to them eventually, I'm just not sure when.
March 14, 2021
High School reunions are to be dreaded but despite that, Magician Eli decides to attend. There he has to confront his paralyzing fear of heights as well as running into schoolmates he barely remembers. But he does remember Jake who is now a B-list actor who is working on a low-budget movie about the Famous Bullet catch, which killed magician Terry Alexander. Because Jake really could use some help in playing the deceased magician, he gets Eli on the set to help.
Along the way, one of the classmates gets killed causing nosy Eli to wonder why.
A really solid story with wonderful characters and situations. I totally plan on reading the series.
Along the way, one of the classmates gets killed causing nosy Eli to wonder why.
A really solid story with wonderful characters and situations. I totally plan on reading the series.
August 7, 2021
Magical! Don't run if no one is chasing you.
I loved this book. A very clever plot sees magicians in their daily lives, solving a murder case with a real twist. Just who is dead, and who isn't, creates a puzzle of magical proportions. There's a bah-humbug homicide detective who is now married to the D.A., who happens to be the ex-wife of Eli, the hero magician of the plot. Eli is afraid of heights, among other things. Through his rose coloured glasses, the prom queen he lusted after 15 years ago, now appears to want him. Or does she?
I loved this book. A very clever plot sees magicians in their daily lives, solving a murder case with a real twist. Just who is dead, and who isn't, creates a puzzle of magical proportions. There's a bah-humbug homicide detective who is now married to the D.A., who happens to be the ex-wife of Eli, the hero magician of the plot. Eli is afraid of heights, among other things. Through his rose coloured glasses, the prom queen he lusted after 15 years ago, now appears to want him. Or does she?
March 23, 2022
Second in the series about Eli Marks, magician who solves crimes. Fun background about magic tricks, without revealing anything about how they are done. Here a movie is being made about a magician who died while performing the Bullet Catch. It is believed that there was foul play involved, but another magician has given out information that it was just an accident, and reveals how the trick should be done. This will draw interest away from the movie's speculation, so Eli must come up with other ways the trick can be done.
July 21, 2021
The plot of this second installment of the Eli Marks series wobbles around like a car that needs an alignment, never gaining the traction I look for from a who dun it. The reveal falls flat, mostly because there are virtually no bread crumbs for the reader to pick up. Good mysteries give the reader a trail to follow. Then in the final pages, the author drops in a second reveal/twist that had nothing to do with the main story. It didn’t help that I’d seen coming almost from the beginning.
September 2, 2021
Eli Marks magician reluctantly plans to attend his high school reunion with his long time friend. He meets up with the girl he had a secret crush on in high school and as they are chatting find they are enjoying getting to know each other. She married the bad boy and regrets her choice as he has lived up to his reputation. When her husband ends up dead sometime the next morning she contacts Eli for his help. Well written, enjoyable read.
September 9, 2021
Wonderfully written. Sometimes it made me smile just because a sentence was both witty and well constructed. I would give it 5 stars, but that is reserved for astounding works of literature. I like the protagonist very much. He has a delightful, dry sense of humor. He's a magician who helps the police solve crimes. His ex-wife is an assistant District Attorney and her new(er) husband is a homicide detective. I liked it well enough that I have already ordered the next book in the series.
September 7, 2017
I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways. I enjoyed this mystery. This is the first book I have read from this series. There characters were well developed and the plop kept you guessing. I wish I had a little bit more background on main character but it wasn't necessary to get a feel for the main character Eli Marks.
September 15, 2021
I found this difficult to get through. First, I am not a magician fan (should have been my first clue). Secondly, being involved with 2 separate murder plots was bad enough, then for both to have similarities was just ridiculous. Also, the editing was not good. I will not be reading anymore from this series.
December 21, 2022
Once again we have a mystery that intertwines magical illusion with murder. Eli Marks reluctantly goes to his 15th high school reunion and is drawn into untangling a murder mystery that is not what it appears to be. Eli is a very different kind of protagonist/detective and uses his knowledge of professional stage magic to apprehend a devious killer.
January 28, 2024
I would call this a cozy mystery. I like magic, so I was interested in the details about magic tricks and magic history; someone who doesn't care for magic may not enjoy this book as much. I like the main character and the plot did keep me guessing.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes mysteries.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes mysteries.
July 27, 2019
3, maybe more like 3 1/2 stars. Nothing really special about this book but it’s well written, easy reading, and just a very enjoyable story. A good filler until something better comes along (and the latest Leo Waterman story from G. M. Ford just showed up so that’s what’s next.) -JS
February 21, 2020
Great fun mystery with characters who make you laugh a lot. There is a real plot filled with twists, red herrings, and misdirections but it's the fun that I will remember at odd times!
The audio is narrated by Jim Cunningham who really adds to it all.
The audio is narrated by Jim Cunningham who really adds to it all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews