Book description
Charles Carter, dubbed Carter the Great by Houdini himself, was born
into privilege but became a magician out of need: only when dazzling an
audience can he defeat his fear of loneliness. But in 1920s America the
stakes are growing higher, as technology and the cinema challenge the
allure of magic and Carter's stunts become increasingly audacious. Until
the night President Harding takes part in Carter's act only to die two
hours later, and Carter finds himself pursued not only by the Secret
Service but by a host of others desperate for the terrible secret they
believe Harding confided in him.
Seamlessly blending reality and fiction, Gold lays before us a
glittering and romantic panorama of our modern world at a point of
irrevocable change. Glen David Gold was born in Hollywood and raised
in San Francisco where he began his life-long love of the strange and
dazzling aspects of history. His first novel, CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL was
published in 2001, when it was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book
Award, and has been translated into 14 languages. His second novel,
SUNNYSIDE, was published in 2009. He lives in San Francisco with his
wife, Alice Sebold.
