The Zig Zag girl by Elly Griffiths

 

Series: Stephens & Mephisto (#1)

Format: 328 pages, Hardcover

Published: November 6, 2014 by Quercus

Mystery Historical

Library

It was good, but hey no Ruth Galloway series! I do love that series. But this one was different, it takes place in 1950. The detective is a man, and I do like her female Povs, but nothing of that here. So yes, different.

Edgar is a detective who was part of a special unit during the war. And now that come back to haunt him.

Magic, people dying, trying to figure who and why. Seems to be a lot more books in the series too, and being a romantic I hope Edgar finds someone ;)

It was good, but Ruth wins heads down, and her Kaur series is better too. But I need to read everything I can find

Brighton, 1950.

When the body of a girl is found, cut into three, Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is reminded of a magic trick, the Zig Zag Girl.

The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, is an old friend of Edgar’s. They served together in the war as part of a shadowy unit called the Magic Men.

Max is still on the circuit, touring seaside towns in the company of ventriloquists, sword-swallowers and dancing girls. Changing times mean that variety is not what it once was, yet Max is reluctant to leave this world to help Edgar investigate. But when the dead girl turns out to be known to him, Max changes his mind.

Another death, another magic trick: Edgar and Max become convinced that the answer to the murders lies in their army days. When Edgar receives a letter warning of another ‘trick’, the Wolf Trap, he knows that they are all in danger…