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Publishers’ Weekly 22nd June 2009


As if by Magic Dolores Gordon-Smith. Soho Constable, $25 (288p) ISBN 978-1-56947-588-1
Gordon-Smith’s intricate third 1920s mystery to feature writer-sleuth Jack Haldean (after 2008’s Mad About the Boy) opens with an intriguing setup: George Lassiter, a down-on-his-luck South African, breaks into what he thinks is an unoccupied London house, only to overhear what he’s sure is a woman’s murder. When the police collar him for burglary, he relates what happened, but the authorities find no evidence of foul play at the house. Fortunately, Haldean, who flew with Lassiter during WWI, learns of his situation and goes to his rescue. When Lassiter tells Haldean he’s been cheated out of a bequest by an imposter, Haldean discovers that the people whose house Lassiter burglarized may be tied not only to the scam that deprived Lassiter of the bequest but to a series of murders reminiscent of the Ripper killings. While the answers to the various puzzles may not satisfy every reader, Gordon-Smith does a solid job presenting fair-play clues. (Aug.)

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Magical Resolution, 10 Jul 2009
By Suzette A. Hill (UK)


As If By Magic seems an entirely fitting title for this third novel in the Jack Haldean series. Dolores Gordon-Smith's capacity for tortuous plotting is intrinsically absorbing; but even more satisfying is the way that all the threads are drawn together in the end - as if by magic! For fans of Agatha Christie and other redoubtable 'plotters' this novel holds considerable appeal. However, it is not simply the ingenuity of the plot itself which holds our attention, but also the way that the 1920s' social scene is smoothly incorporated: the fusion of sedate tea parties and dope-ridden nightclubs comes over well; and the excitement of fast cars - and in particular fast aeroplanes - is beautifully recaptured. Gordon-Smith also has an unerring ability to render the physical tangibilities of experience: her recreation of the cold, isolation and bleakness of London on a drear Friday night is brilliantly portrayed - and unnerving! As indeed is her acute perception of the anxieties and disillusions of personal relationships. I can recommend this novel as an entertaining and intriguing read, but also as a reflective one.

Thanks, Suzette - I'm really grateful for that! Incidentally, if anyone wants a really good - and very funny - read, you could do no better than read Suzette's "Bones" trilogy. The latest one, "Bone Idle" is out now. Great stuff!

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Rachel A Hyde wrote this review on MyShelf. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Rachel yet, but gosh, there's a drink waiting for her when I do!

As If By Magic
A Jack Haldean Murder Mystery - Book III

by Dolores Gordon-Smith


South African George Lassiter is down on his luck after being cheated out of a huge inheritance. Ill, penniless and desperate he staggers into a house that looks oddly familiar... and witnesses a murder. But when the police arrive the body has vanished, and George is taken to hospital. It is only by chance that novelist Jack Haldean hears of him and remembers his old wartime comrade-in-arms. Rescued and installed in Jack’s apartment it is time for the pair to start trying to find out why somebody pretending to be George has already claimed his birthright.

Only the third book in the series, and already there is a totally different setting and cast, apart from Jack. We have had a country fete and house party setting for the previous two, and now London is the venue for what is, in my opinion, the best so far of a very good bunch. This is a story that constantly surprises, and which does not really even hint on the flyleaf—or in the description above—what the book is about. Something happens on every page, and what follows is a melange of old family secrets, assorted dastardly doings and shenanigans in the world of aviation. Apart from all this delightfully convoluted plotting we get to know a new cast of characters considerably well quite quickly, but even this is not the most impressive feature of this book. My admiration in particular has to be for the way in which the author depicts the heady world of aviation when it was still new enough to be exciting. This was a time when war planes were giving way to those used for pleasure, and people had dreams of owning their own and all that could entail. There is a palpable enthusiasm for this lost world in here, which is as enjoyable as the actual murder mystery. Here is a book that sets a high standard, and I find myself eager to read book four. If you enjoy writers like Barbara Cleverly then this will appeal—very highly recommended.

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5.0 out of 5 stars terrific historical mystery, August 21, 2009
By Harriet Klausner

In the 1920s in London, South African expatriate George Lassiter breaks into a house he believes is empty. However, instead he hears voices in what sounds like the murder of a woman. Not sure what to do, he goes to leave quietly only the police arrest him accusing him of attempted burglary.

He tells the cops what he believes happened inside the house, but they find no evidence of a homicide. Private investigator Jack Haldean learns of his WWI flying mate's problems and goes to get him out of jail. George explains to Jack what he heard, why he was in the house and who owns it. Jack believes George that a murder probably occurred and that he was cheated by an impostor out of his inheritance. Jack investigates and learns the owners of the house are relatives of George who probably abetted the con artist who stole his bequest. Jack begins to piece together something more horrifying as an apparent serial killer is the loose while London remains ignorant.

The third Jack Haldean 1920s whodunit (see A FATE WORST THAN DEATH and MAD ABOUT THE BOY) is a terrific historical mystery that brings to life London through the eyes of an emigre author just after WWI. The story line is fast-paced from the moment George breaks into a house he believes he owns. Fans will relish Jack's inquiry as he finds much more than he expected.

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The beginning could come straight from Agatha Christie. A man witnesses a murder, but when the police arrive, the body has disappeared. An heir is cheated of a legacy. And an aviation executive's disfigured body is found floating in the River Thames.
But in As If by Magic (296 pages, SohoConstable, $25), the third instalment in her Jack Haldean series, the stamp is unmistakably that of Dolores Gordon-Smith.
The mischief begins on a cold night in 1923, and it's not long before Haldean, a World War I veteran and a writer of detective stories, is called in to help an old friend. What he uncovers is a multitude of lies that force him to use all his inductive and deductive powers to uncover the truly evil villain.
Gordon-Smith pays homage to the mysteries of the Golden Age -- the final-chapter explanation from the amateur sleuth is one example, his amiability another -- but brings a 21st-century sensibility to her task. The result is period-piece delight that never seems dated.

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AS IF BY MAGIC
DOLORES GORDON-SMITH
Soho Constable August, 2009
George Lassiter is sick, cold, and hungry. He breaks into a stranger's house for warmth and food. While he is there, he witnesses the murder of a beautiful girl. When the police arrest him for burglary, he tells them what happened but they find no evidence of foul play.
Jack Haldean, who flew with Lassiter during World War I, learns of George's situation and goes to his rescue. When Jack learns of the events of the previous night, he believes, like the police, it was a nightmare brought on by delirium. A corpse just does not vanish, AS IF BY MAGIC.
If anybody is going to figure out this puzzle, it is going to have to have to be Haldean, because the London police are trying to solve a series of murders reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper killings. RECOMMENDED.
- Marion E. Green

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Dear Ms. Gordon-Smith:
I just finished reading "As if by Magic" and thoroughly enjoyed the book. When reading mysteries, I like to try to figure out who the culprit is, and while I knew hypnosis was involved and two of the characters, the explanation of the plot at the end of the book was wonderful.
I recently came across my copy of "And then there were none" by Agatha Christie. This was the first "grown-up" murder mystery I read as a teen (besides Nancy Drew mysteries), and I have added it to my reading list for the month. I have tried several English authors in the past, and have had difficulty getting interested in their books. However, you have a wonderful writing style and I am looking forward to reading your other books.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year.
Sincerely, Joan Bare

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This was posted by Kim Malo on the Crime Thru Time website.



Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, belated happy Chanukah and
Festivus, early happy Kwanzaa to those who celebrate those instead,
my best wishes to anyone who celebrates something else this time of
year and my apologies for not knowing about it to name it.

There's a nice new interview with our own Dolores Gordon-Smith up on
the web if you're looking for something that will go down nicely with
the morning coffee. It's very like a chat over coffee - Dolores has
such a lovely, strong conversational "voice" that I was actually
hearing one for her in my head as I read, and I think Robin Agnew,
who interviewed her does a nice job with author interviews anyway. Of
course I may be a bit biased there - the reason I know it's available
now for your viewing pleasure, even before Dolores herself does
(assuming she wouldn't be too modest to tell us if she did), is
because I run Robin's website and put it there ; )
http://auntagathas.com/interview.html If you click on the link to
Historical to the left you can also read Robin's review of Dolores'
latest book. That strong conversational voice and the smile I had
while listening to it reminded me that I'd been meaning to read it.

I like the bird watching analogy when you explained it, Dolores, and
really enjoyed your discussion of why you used the setting you did
and how you arrived at the person who is Jack (including your
reference in answer to a specific question to what has become known
here as Cabot Cove syndrome from the Murder She Wrote TV series). Not
to mention the image of you standing under the eaves so you could
"write what you know" as they always say to ; ) Now THAT's dedication.

Enjoy the interview and the holidays all.

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This is the interview Robin Agnew of Aunt Agatha's Bookstore posted on her website. Robin has the knack of asking questions that ellicit a real spark to respond to.

I was so interested in Dolores' book I asked her to answer a few questions, which she nicely agreed to. Enjoy!

Q: Did you have a prior interest in aviation, or did it come about as you were writing? I appreciated the notes at the end of the book.

A: My Dad, who's still very much with us, I'm glad to say, was a pilot in the Second World War, and perhaps it's because of him that I have such a strong interest in early flying. I never had the money to do it for real—I was born in a very small terraced house (more about this later!)—but one of my earliest memories is sitting with Dad watching grainy black and white pictures of Spitfires scrambling on a TV programme called All Our Yesterdays while he told me what was happening. I was only about three at the time and I think that was my first encounter with History, as such; the idea that life had once been different. As I grew older, I read the Biggles series—I don't know if they're known in America—about the WWI fictional flying ace. W.E. Johns, the author, had been a WWI pilot and all sorts of middle-aged Brits (usually men, I have to say) go soggy when Biggles is mentioned. Naturally, it's one thing to have an interest in a subject and quite another to amass the sort of detail need for a book, so I had to do a lot of research, but, because of that life-long interest, knew the sort of thing I was looking for. I don't know why I go wobbly at the sight of a bi-plane, but I do!

Q: What's your writing process? Your plot was very complex with many details neatly dovetailing, so I am wondering how much advance planning you do.

A: I tend to start off with an opening scene that I find intriguing, such as poor old George at the beginning of As If By Magic. George is clearly a gent but destitute and he witnesses a murder. I live those first scenes in my head. CS Lewis likened this part of the process to bird-watching and I know exactly what he means. You have to be very still, and let it all unfold. Then come the questions; who are these people? what are they doing and why are they doing it? There's a lot of trust at this stage; you think out answers and trust it will carry you along the 80 to 100 thousand words or so, but you get a sense for the sort of "thickness" of the material. I play the fairness game with myself; the murderer doesn't murder in a playful sense of fun to make life complicated, but as the most obvious solution to a problem. His or her actions have to be logical. Actions always have consequences though, and the consequences are the plot.

Q: Lots of my favorite adult books seem to have roots in really good children's literature—a good story, well told, just can't be beat, in my opinion. And that's what all really good children's books do—tell a great story. Any children's influences that you feel carried through to your present writing? The reason I ask is I was so strongly reminded of C.S. Lewis' THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW in the scene when Jack goes from one row house to the next through the connected attics.

A: I couldn't agree more about good children's books. They have clarity, simplicity and economy and also let the reader do enough work to fill in details and make them live the story rather than beat you to death with details. I first read THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW at the age of eight, by which time I was an experienced attic explorer in the terrace I mentioned earlier! There's whole rows of terraces in my home town that I, together with friends, burrowed through. As a householder (and mother!) I'd play merry hell with any kid, mine or otherwise, I found trying it as it's dangerous, apart from anything else, but we were never caught. It's part of that rich, secret world of childhood which is such a brilliant resource for a writer. Lewis was certainly an attic explorer and he uses the attic eaves to explain the Wood Between The Worlds in THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW. The eaves are part of the house or world but not in the house or world. In one of his theological books he uses the image again, to illustrate the difference between being interested in religion and actual belief. In AS IF BY MAGIC the attics were a perfect solution to get Jack (and, later, the club raiders) into the dodgy club. I still live in a terraced house and went and sat under my own eaves before I wrote the scene, absorbing the smell and the feel and noticing how the wind and the sounds from the street come up under the slates. This left me with a) a lot of material b) the thought we should get some decent insulation!

Q: I liked the emotional connections you set up in this novel with George and his family—that's very powerful stuff. Do you plan to include George in future books, or will Jack go on his own path?

A: I absolutely loved George and got so attached to him that this can't possibly be his only outing. Besides that, although "old friends" are a very convenient way for Jack to get into the story, Jack's not so single-minded as to only look up old pals when they've been troubled by sudden death. It would make any old pal look askance at poor Jack if he was always a harbinger of mortality!

Q: How did you come up with the character of Jack? It's interesting that he's a writer—I especially liked the part where he proves to George that writers actually work. You included a lot of attitudes that would have actually been present in 1922 in a very subtle way.

A: Inventing Jack was like watching paint dry! I knew what sort of person I wanted but getting there was very long-winded. I wanted him to have been in the war, so although young he could be mature, know a great many sorts of people and he had to be a pilot, which sounded exciting. He's half-Spanish, to make him a bit of an outsider, as all classic detectives are, and a Catholic, which puts him outside the mainstream too. He needed well-off relations so he could do country house mysteries (which I love) but I didn't want him to be rich himself, as to be unconcerned by money is a state of affairs I find nearly unbelievable! Poirot's Belgium thrift is, I think, a very endearing characteristic whereas Wimsey's careless wealth does irritate me. So he had to have a job but what? The obvious choice is policeman, but I so loved private eye stories, that I wanted him to be independent. However, you can't run round detecting if you're constantly begging time off work. Doctor, architect, lawyer? My favourite choice, for a while, was artist, but it's difficult being a Twenties artist. You're either traditional, which is dull, or a Cubist or Neo-Vorticist, which is too radical. There was an "Uh? Duh?" movement when I realised he was a writer and, naturally, he writes detective stories. In MAD ABOUT THE BOY? the second book, there's a whole sequence in which the mystery at hand is analysed by strict detective story rules. I found that tremendous fun to write. Oh yes, and I wanted to fancy him rotten. All of this was worked out before I wrote a word. The "writer" sequence is my response to all those who think writing is like literary knitting—a mere pastime—filtered through the attitudes of the Twenties.

Q: On that same note, how difficult is it to get into the head of someone who existed in 1922? Is it like being possessed by the past?

A: I find it dead easy! I've read shedloads of early Twentieth century books and stiffened them up with real history. It's not possession, as such—I usually remember what year we're in—but there's a real double vision.

Q: I noticed on your jacket flap that you have 5 children! How do you manage your life? What's a typical day for you?

A: When the children were young I couldn't do anything but be a full-time Mum but, now the youngest is 15 and the eldest (and still at home) is 22, life's a lot more relaxed. I'm very lucky in that we all get on very well, so it's all fairly smooth, really. Once I've seen everyone on their way, I do any outstanding housework jobs, then get cracking. If I hit a snag, I can always do some more housework, as it's fairly endless, and mull things over at the same time. If they gave out gold stars for ironing, I'd have a constellation by now! However, I think the real writing heroes are those who have a "proper" job as well. I find that really impressive.

Q: Is there any element of fantasy at work here? I know Dorothy Sayers, when she was struggling financially, gave Wimsey a butler and a glamorous life so she could live vicariously through him. What's especially appealing to you about 1922?

A: Fantasy? In a way, yes. I've always loved the Agatha Christie/PG Wodehouse type world and can't help thinking that the stork stopped off at the wrong address when he dropped me in the middle of the Twentieth Century rather than the end of the Nineteenth. I should have been partying in Mayhem Parva by 1922. However, we can't have everything in this life!

Why the Twenties? It was war that changed everything (you get the same idea about the South in Gone With The Wind). The Twenties, marked by a reckless love of sensation, sense of fun and deliberate flouting of previous shibboleths is an attempt to drown out the memory of mud, blood and heartbreak. At the same time, the old world of convention and formality is vigorously alive. What emerges is an edge; a clash of two worlds and the idea that nothing is ever quite what it seems. It's heady stuff.

Q: And finally, any contemporary writers you especially admire? (I say "contemporary" because I was tired of getting the answer "Jane Austen" when I asked this question).

A: One of the nice things about going to Crime-writing festivals is meeting new (to you) authors in the flesh. I try to read as much as I can before I go and have discovered some real stars. Louise Penny was one, with her richly imagined world of Three Pines, Suzette Hill, with her very funny "Bones" books, Lesley Horton with compelling stories of Yorkshire crime with a racial element and another Yorkshire woman, Jane Finnis, who writes terrific stories set in Roman Britain. Terry Pratchett is an absolute favourite. Discworld is a stunning creation, a place to lose yourself in, wise, moving and very funny. The Counting Pines in Mort are up there with the best of Wodehouse. And did I love Harry Potter? You bet. Oh, and by the way, I love Jane Austen too!

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As if by Magic by Dolores Gordon-Smith

Before you skip ahead, after seeing this is an historical novel in hardcover by a virtually unknown author, take into account that Gordon-Smith was recommended to me by no less than Louise Penny. While I had to work my way through a gigantic reading pile before getting to Gordon-Smith's book, I was chastened when I finally picked it up, as it was several months after Louise had recommended it, and after I started I wanted to slap my forehead in disgust at myself. This is the long way of saying that this is a terrific book.

This novel may have one of the better opening sequences that I've read almost ever. It's 1922 London, and a starving, ill man named George Lassiter is lurching around Mayfair when he sees a warm looking, cozy kitchen that seems to call to him for some reason. When he sees all the servants leaving, he looks under the mat, finds a key, and lets himself in, to get warm by the fire, eat some sandwiches, and where he eventually falls asleep. When he wakes up in the darkened kitchen he thinks he sees a murder, but when he runs into the street, virtually into the arms of a policeman to report what he's seen, the body is gone. Shortly after, the seriously ill George collapses, and from there Gordon-Smith's storytelling wizardry takes hold and the book is off and running. You'll be seriously hooked at this point.

Gordon-Smith's series character is one Jack Haldean, a crime writer who, it turns out, served in the war with George Lassiter. Jack takes George in as he has nowhere to go, and from there the story is almost Dickensian in terms of coincidence, though as you're reading it it probably won't strike you as a bit far fetched. You'll be too caught up in the story. I imagine that someone who possesses as strong a narrative gift as Gordon-Smith obviously does has so much fun thinking up the details of her story, it's hard to leave juicy plot points out, and indeed, they do nothing but enhance the novel.

I don't want to give too much more away of this ingeniously constructed novel other that it say it involves early aviation, a lost fortune, a dodgy club, and an apparent serial killer that has the police completely stumped. Throw in a little romance and the ebb and flow of two old friends sharing a small flat and the resulting book is a wonder. It's structured in a very traditional way, and the historical detail provides just enough background, but not too much—it feels natural. Any fan of either the traditional British mystery or of the historical mystery should be in heaven.

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As If By Magic by Dolores Gordon-Smith:

It is a depressingly cold night in London in the early twenties when this book opens and Dolores Gordon-Smith wastes no time in drawing the reader in to the atmosphere of that ever popular bygone era. Her attention for detail remains impressive from the start to the finish of this clever and unique murder mystery. If you are a fan of this period, you will love this book, if you aren’t, I would still highly recommend it, Gordon- Smith is a great story weaver.

George Lassiter is ill, destitute and desperate enough to break into a house in London for warmth and hopefully something to eat. I could almost taste and smell the smog on the streets of London as this happened. But why does he feel this strong sense of déjà vu, once inside this house? And is the murder of the beautiful girl a hallucination, a sign of his desperate plight, and need for immediate medical attention? His very old friend Jack Haldean, who flew with him in the war, then comes to his aid, and helps investigate George’s claim of witnessing this murder; but, along with the police, Jack believes that it was indeed a figment of George’s imagination brought about by his illness, as every bit of evidence has vanished- just- as if by magic. The consequences of this then move the story on and take Jack and George on a long journey involving the theft of George’s rightful inheritance, as well as tracking down a ruthless killer. The plot is clever, it’s full of red herrings and wrong turnings and keeps us guessing. Gordon-Smith is a fine craftsman of crime-writing, as well as a first class story teller. Her writing is clear, and so atmospheric one can almost smell the smoke from the cigarettes in their long holders and the strings of pearls on the flappers. Next Gordon-Smith book eagerly awaited.

Linda Regan. WWW.lindareganonline.co.uk

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5.0 out of 5 stars 'As if by Magic', 5 Jan 2010
By LornaM "LornaM"
I am an avid Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Georgette Heyer and Dorothy L Sayers fan and this is the best detective story I have read since I finished reading all of the books of all of the aforementioned authors! Couldn't put it down! Have just ordered 'A Fete Worse Than Death' and can't wait for it to arrive!

Thanks, Lorna! I really hope you enjoy "Fete".

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This is Kim Malo, writing on the Mystery Blog HEY, THERE'S A DEAD GUY IN THE LIVING ROOM on 24th January 2010.
The article also talks about THE SEVENTH DAUGHTER, by Cecilia Chang and Rhys Bowen's much-loved Royal Spyness series, set in the 1930's.


Dolores Gordon-Smith’s Jack Haldean series set a decade earlier,[than Rhys Bowen's series - DGS] during the 1920s, falls in the same category of fun, light reading that brings to life and left me interested in a setting that wouldn’t on its own pique my interest. The books have a strongly Golden Age (Allingham, Sayers et al) feel but stand on their own and are not blatantly derivative. A big part of why they made me interested in the setting is Haldean himself, who is not just a popular part of the social scene but also someone who carries his own scars from the recent war. Scars (mental and physical) which didn’t leave him the sort of deeply, visibly tortured person Charles Todd depicts with Ian Rutledge, but scars nonetheless. The fact that they are largely buried gets you thinking all the more when they do appear about comparable not so visible scars that period must have left on countless other regular people, including the sort of person you or I would have been and known. They come out in small ways, such as when Haldean suggests a friend who is acting very strangely "see someone (i.e. a shrink of some sort)", and the friend looks at the confident, well adjusted man saying this and asks what he knows about such things, since he’s never... Haldean just smiles... oh. It leaves the reader with an impression of how much well hidden damage that time must have done to how very many people, in a way that all the more obviously scarred Rutledges of the world can't, because this could be me or you.