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Smoke and Mirrors

The Brighton Mysteries 2
3.93 goodreads logo

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( 9,369 ratings, 847 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Smoke and Mirrors by Elly Griffiths is set in a post-war seaside town where the disappearance of two children prompts an investigation led by Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens. As they delve into the mystery, secrets from the world of theatre and magic reveal themselves, intertwining the magic of storytelling with a gripping crime puzzle full of unexpected twists.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a gripping crime and thriller novel immersed in the atmospheric setting of 1950s England. It's perfect for fans who enjoy intricate mysteries, rich character development, and the eerie allure of a classic whodunnit that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Brighton, 1950s, mid-winter. Two missing children are found buried under snow in this chilling new case for DI Stephens and Max Mephisto.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Brighton, winter 1951. Max Mephisto's star pantomime turn in Aladdin has been overshadowed by the murder of two local children. With fairy tales in the air, it's not long before the press have found a nickname for the case: 'Hansel and Gretel'.

DI Edgar Stephens has plenty of leads to investigate. The missing girl, Annie, used to write plays and perform them with her friends. Does the clue lie in Annie's unfinishedβ€”and rather disturbingβ€”last script? Or might it lie with the eccentric theatricals who have assembled for the pantomime?

Once again Edgar enlists Max's help in penetrating the shadowy theatrical world that seems to hold the key. But is this all just classic misdirection?

Series: The Brighton Mysteries

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  • The Zig Zag Girl
    Brighton, 1950. When a girl's body 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,...
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  • The Midnight Hour
    THE THRILLING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'If only all history mysteries could be as good as The Midnight Hour' The Times An old man lies dead and it looks like poison, but his wife isn't the only one who had reason to kill him. Brighton, 1965 When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found dead in his retirement home, no one suspects...
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  • Now You See Them
    A gripping Brighton-based mystery from the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway series – a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, cosy crime, and TV series such as Grantchester and Midsomer Murders. Three young women have gone missing. A girl called Rhonda has vanished from her boarding school. Maybe she ran away, but there are disturbing similarities to the...
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  • The Blood Card
    On the eve of the Queen's coronation, DI Stephens and Max Mephisto uncover an anarchist plot and a ticking bomb at the same time as solving the murder of a man close to them - from the author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries. 'Mixes cosiness and sharpness in a way that recalls the best of Agatha Christie' -...
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  • Smoke and Mirrors
    Brighton, winter 1951. Max Mephisto's star pantomime turn in Aladdin has been overshadowed by the murder of two local children. With fairy tales in the air, it's not long before the press have found a nickname for the case: 'Hansel and Gretel'. DI Edgar Stephens has plenty of leads to investigate. The missing girl, Annie, used to write plays and...
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • The Vanishing Box
    The fourth Stephens and Mephisto mystery from the author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway series - a must-read for fans of Bryant and May. 'Mixes cosiness and sharpness in a way that recalls the best of Agatha Christie' Sunday Express (on Smoke and Mirrors) What do a murdered Brighton flower seller, the death of Cleopatra and a nude tableau...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Smoke and Mirrors is lauded for its excellent mystery plot and the authentic atmosphere of postwar Brighton. Reviewers praise Griffiths' skill in evoking the charm and gritty allure of the era, capturing both the seedy appeal of provincial theatre and the drabness of rationed Britain. The novel is compared to classic detective stories, striking a balance between cosy and sharp narrative elements.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784290283

Publisher: Quercus Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 October 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Quercus Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Elly Griffiths was born in London. She worked in publishing for many years. Her bestselling series of Ruth Galloway novels, featuring a forensic archaeologist, are set in Norfolk, and have three times been shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and twice for the CWA Dagger in the Library. Her new series is based in 1950s Brighton. She lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist, and their two children.

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    A gruesome discovery at an old children's home lays bare terrible secrets from Norwich's past in the second gripping mystery for Dr Ruth Galloway. The setting is enticingly atmospheric . . . a really intelligent murder story' Independent Dr Ruth Galloway's forensic skills are called upon when builders, demolishing an old house in Norwich, uncover the bones of a childβ€”minus...
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  • Marple: Twelve New Stories
    A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors. This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the...
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  • The Locked Room
    THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson are on the hunt for a murderer when Covid rears its ugly head. But can they find the killer despite lockdown? 'GALLOWAY NOW SEEMS AS REAL AS MARPLE AND MORSE' The Times 'INTENSELY ATMOSPHERIC AND GREAT' India Knight Forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth is in London...
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  • The Ghost Fields
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  • The House at Sea's End
    WINNER OF THE 2016 CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY. The shadow of the Second World War looms dark over the third chilling mystery for Dr Ruth Galloway. Some buried secrets shouldn't be uncovered. 'A melancholy setting, an eerie discovery, a lone investigator... perfect for the long winter evening' Financial Times Dr Ruth Galloway is called in by a team of...
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  • The Stone Circle
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