SHOTS AT SEA

Lalicki’s second historical mystery finds escapologist Harry Houdini and his protégé Nate Makeworthy Fuller IV on board the Lusitania, there to uncover the identity of Theodore Roosevelt’s would-be assassin. While they are taking a walk one evening on board ship, a shot is fired; though it’s aimed at Roosevelt, Nate and Houdini suffer minor injuries. Nate has been practicing his skills of observation, so he’s sure he can identify the shooter. Danger lurks around every corner, but Houdini and Nate are well-prepared. Familiar characters, such as stuffy Aunt Alice and Nate’s devoted mother, make an appearance, as does Houdini’s wife Bess. To catch the villain, Houdini puts on a spectacular performance. Lalicki is well-versed in his subjects, but the historical detail sometimes overwhelms the light-heartedness of the story. Readers interested in fiction with historical characters will drink this one up, and it’s also for fans of Dan Gutman’s Qwerty Stevens, Back in Time mysteries. (Historical fiction. 8-12)