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The Murder Wheel

By Tom Mead
Series: A Spector Locked-Room Mystery
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Brief Description
A sparkling return to the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, where even the most fiendish of mysteries can be unlocked by a keen eye and a sharp mind... 1938, London. Ambitious lawyer Edmund Ibbs has got his teeth into the case of a lifetime – defending... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
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A sparkling return to the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, where even the most fiendish of mysteries can be unlocked by a keen eye and a sharp mind...

1938, London. Ambitious lawyer Edmund Ibbs has got his teeth into the case of a lifetime – defending the young woman accused of shooting her husband in the infamous ‘Ferris Wheel Murder’ case. Despite a plethora of evidence against his client, Ibbs is certain he can secure her acquittal.

But after a night of magic and illusion at London’s Pomegranate Theatre, Ibbs finds himself behind bars, accused of a double murder. The renowned prestidigitator Professor Paolini and the operator of said notorious Ferris wheel are dead, and as far as Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint is concerned, all signs point to the lawyer’s guilt.

Luckily for Ibbs, illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector also attended the theatre that night. Can Spector’s eye for detail pierce the veil of deceit in a world of illusion and misdirection, where seeing is not always believing?

Reviews for Tom Mead's Spector Locked-Room Mystery series

'In Joseph Spector, Tom Mead has created an amateur sleuth to rival Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.' M.W. Craven

'Great fun.' The Times

'An affectionate tribute to the Golden Age locked-room mystery.' Irish Times

'Highly entertaining.' Sun

'An absolute masterclass in the locked room mystery... I love this series.' Victoria Dowd

'A sharply drawn period piece with memorable characters.' New York Times

Series: A Spector Locked-Room Mystery

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  • The Murder Wheel
    A sparkling return to the Golden Age of Crime Fiction, where even the most fiendish of mysteries can be unlocked by a keen eye and a sharp mind... 1938, London. Ambitious lawyer Edmund Ibbs has got his teeth into the case of a lifetime – defending the young woman accused of shooting her husband in the infamous ‘Ferris Wheel Murder’...
    By Tom Mead
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The House at Devil's Neck
    LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES! This gripping locked-room mystery sees Joseph Spector investigate his most sinister case yet: murderous machinations at a haunted manor house. A former First World War field hospital, the spooky old mansion at Devil's Neck attracts spirit-seekers from far and wide. Illusionist-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector knows the house of old. With stories...
    By Tom Mead
    Hardback
    $4899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Death and the Conjuror
    LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES! An enthralling locked-room murder mystery inspired by Golden Age Crime Fiction, Death and the Conjuror is the critically acclaimed debut novel by Tom Mead. 1936, London. A celebrity psychiatrist is discovered dead in his locked study. There seems to be no way a killer could have escaped unseen. There are...
    By Tom Mead
    Paperback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The House at Devil's Neck
    Pre-order
    The House at Devil's Neck
    LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES! This gripping locked-room mystery sees Joseph Spector investigate his most sinister case yet: murderous machinations at a haunted manor house. A former First World War field hospital, the spooky old mansion at Devil's Neck attracts spirit-seekers from far and wide. Illusionist-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector knows the house of old. With stories...
    By Tom Mead
    Paperback
    $2499
    Pre-order
    Out 3 Nov 2026

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781837932542

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 June 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 210g

Pages: 288

Collections

Arts & Culture Classic Crime & Mystery Fiction Classic Fiction Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Historical Crime & Mystery Historical Fiction Series: A Spector Locked-Room Mystery Tom Mead

About the Author

Tom Mead is an aficionado of Golden Age crime fiction. His short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Lighthouse, as well as Best Crime Stories of the Year. Death and the Conjuror, his debut novel, featuring illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector, was highly acclaimed by the UK and US press and was one of Publishers Weekly's Mysteries of the Year. He lives in Derbyshire, England.

Follow Tom at tommeadauthor.com, @TomMeadAuthor and facebook.com/tommeadauthor

Also by Tom Mead

View all
  • The House at Devil's Neck
    LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES! This gripping locked-room mystery sees Joseph Spector investigate his most sinister case yet: murderous machinations at a haunted manor house. A former First World War field hospital, the spooky old mansion at Devil's Neck attracts spirit-seekers from far and wide. Illusionist-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector knows the house of old. With stories...
    By Tom Mead
    Hardback
    $4899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Death and the Conjuror
    LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES! An enthralling locked-room murder mystery inspired by Golden Age Crime Fiction, Death and the Conjuror is the critically acclaimed debut novel by Tom Mead. 1936, London. A celebrity psychiatrist is discovered dead in his locked study. There seems to be no way a killer could have escaped unseen. There are...
    By Tom Mead
    Paperback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The House at Devil's Neck
    Pre-order
    The House at Devil's Neck
    LIKE LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERIES? YOU'LL LOVE TOM MEAD'S JOSEPH SPECTOR SERIES! This gripping locked-room mystery sees Joseph Spector investigate his most sinister case yet: murderous machinations at a haunted manor house. A former First World War field hospital, the spooky old mansion at Devil's Neck attracts spirit-seekers from far and wide. Illusionist-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector knows the house of old. With stories...
    By Tom Mead
    Paperback
    $2499
    Pre-order
    Out 3 Nov 2026

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