The Conjurer by Cordelia Frances Biddle

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Everyone has secrets to hide. When wealthy financier Lemuel Beale disappears during a hunting expedition in 1840s Philadelphia, his sheltered, unmarried twenty-six year old daughter Martha's quiet world unravels as she learns secrets and reprehensible scandals of Philadelphia's privileged class. As her father's disappearance stretches into days and weeks, Martha, along with the help of Philadelphia mayoral assistant Thomas Kelman, begins to question his disappearance and comes to the conclusion that Lemuel may have been the victim of foul play. Meanwhile, suspicious and horrific deaths of prostitutes have Philadelphia's lower class talking, and a conjurer/mesmerist named Eusapio Paladino claims to have visions of all wrong in Philadelphia. This is Biddle's first mystery starring Martha Beale, but not her first mystery: Biddle and her husband Steven Zettel write the crossword puzzle mystery series under the name Nero Blanc.

If you like reading historical mysteries or stories set in a historical era, pick up this book. Biddle's extensive research shines through in The Conjurer. 1840s Philadelphia comes to life; one can picture the scenes and the characters. The characters themselves have their own unique attributes. The chapters give the characters' viewpoints in the third person, showing how their own secrets and scandals intertwine with the main mystery - the disappearance of Lemual Beale. Like pieces of a puzzle, Biddle connects everything in the end to make an enjoyable read.

I am very partial to good historical novels and stories; my interest in history, particularly American history, drives me to pick up books set in a historical time. I was not disappointed picking up this book, and I am sure you will not be disappointed either!

Reviewed by Jessica