Don’t you just love a good villain? And by good, I mean very bad . . .

Madame Pinchbeck is cunning and vain, alluring and tough; tender too, and just a little bit magical - but dangerous as a devil. She has an appetite for spectacle, drama, fame - and children.

Savvy as he is, orphaned Leander doesn’t stand a chance. He’s instantly bewitched, the trap sprung before he knows he’s in it.

The Vanishing Trick is a gothic, middle-grade delight. It’s a novel of tarot cards and cons, seances and tricks, sleights of hand and showmanship, charms and deception.

Jenni Spangler’s writing is beautiful and seems to echo with all she’s ever read. I enjoyed her culinary garnishes too: “a small pigeon pie and wimberry tart.” Yum.

I found the multiple points of view exasperating and I was always relieved to return to Leander’s narrative. That said, I relished The Vanishing Trick from cover to cover. I loved the folktale elements and the rats, and am a sucker for clues within other books in the tale.

WHAT TO READ NEXT

The Incredible Talking Machine by Jenni Spangler

The Case of the Deadly Desperadoes by Caroline Lawrence