Cordelia Frances Biddle, The Conjurer

The Conjurer

Cordelia Frances Biddle

St. Martin's Press, Feb 2007, $23.95

ISBN: 0312352468

In 1842 Philadelphia, wealthy financier Lemuel Beale vanishes without a trace. His only offspring, overly-protected and obedient to a fault, Martha finds her father's secretary Owen Simms ordering her about. Already having her fill of her demanding father, Martha begins to revolt by insisting the city investigate the disappearance of Lemuel.

Mayoral assistant Thomas Kelman is assigned to learn what happened to the influential Beale though the city government assumes he is dead. Although he is tied up with another inquiry into a serial killer murdering female child prostitutes, he makes time to search for the missing banker with the help of Martha, though Simms tries every trick, including drugs, to keep the heiress under his thumb as he plans to marry her and her money. As Thomas and Martha work on both of his cases, a societal conjurer favorite Eusapio Paladino makes all sorts of proclamations on the prostitution homicides that lead to him to being the prime suspect. However, complicating the Kelman inquiries, Paladino is arrested for allegedly killing John Durand, the husband of the magician's upper crust paramour Emily Durand.

In some ways this is more a historical tale than a mystery as much of the storyline provides depth to 1842 Philadelphia's upper and lower classes; thus fans of American whodunits will find the mid-nineteenth-century tidbits at times too much as that takes away from the investigations. Still fans, especially those who appreciate a deep period piece, will enjoy Martha Beale's dangerous coming out gala.

Harriet Klausner