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Reviewed by Blues Shark

Charles Carter, known to his audiences as Carter the Great was one of the best magicians of the 1920's, generally regarded by most as the Golden Age of Magic. The book tells his life story, from escaping from a brank¹
after misbehaving, to finally confronting his rival, the evil magician
Mysterioso. On the way, he meets a host of characters, from Houdini, to a scientist who has invented a magical wonder, television. Can Carter save the world of magic, slowly being taken over by cinema? And, most
importantly... did he kill the President?

For, as if Carter's life wasn't complicated enough, he has an FBI agent trailing him to try and arrest him for the murder of President Harding, who died shortly after attending one of Carter's shows and performing in the finale. The reader is kept guessing right until the end, making 'Carter' a lengthy and weighty read.

But don't let the size of the novel put you off. I guarantee you'll be gripped from the start. What sets 'Carter' apart from other books with a similar attention to detail is that, while most of the events are pure fiction, Carter the Great is a real 1920's magician. And by writing of his interactions with famous characters from history, as well as the vividly portrayed fictional ones, 'Carter' has the added benefit of realism. Gold's evocation of a forgotten age of Magic is tone perfect, and Carter's triumphs (and occasional failures) leap from the page in vivid detail, thrilling the reader just as Carter must have electrified audiences in the 1920's.

There is just one disappointment. While Gold gives lengthy descriptions of magic tricks, it is generally from the audience's perspective. He mentions a couple of levitating devices, but anyone hoping to learn the secrets of a truly great magician will have to look elsewhere. Still, think of it as like this, you wouldn't want me to tell you the book's ending, would you? Like any great magician, Gold clings jealously to his secrets, and it is bad form to give away endings, not to mention all the twists and turns in what is an astonishing debut novel.

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