Since his father’s death, 13-year-old Nathaniel Greene Makeworthy Fuller IV and his mother have been living in New York City with Nate’s wealthy, paternal great-aunt Alice. For some time, Nate has been secretly listening to the “spooky, late-night gatherings” taking place at their apartment involving great-Aunt Alice’s new friend, Mr. Trane. Nate is hoping these meetings will end once they all leave for their summer holiday. Unfortunately, this summer, stern Aunt Alice has Nate working as a “dogsbody” (a worthless drudge) at Bennett & Son, Gentleman’s Hatters, where he has the good fortune to meet Harry Houdini. The Houdinis are a warm and welcoming couple who eagerly befriend Nate and his mother. When the Houdinis learn that Mr. Trane is using these late-night séances to try and steal Aunt Alice’s wealth, Nate and Houdini work together to unmask the charlatan. The suspense builds to a thoroughly enjoyable climax in this fast-paced historical-fiction mystery. Readers will delight in the many references to Houdini’s magic, and to New York in 1911. Pair this one with Gary Blackwood’s Second Sight (2005) and look for sequels. (Fiction. 9-14)
