From the Publisher
“
Danger in the Dark is good summer reading. It will also entertain in fall, winter, and spring.”—Sid Fleischman, author of
The Whipping Boy
“Readers will delight in the many references to Houdini’s magic, and to New York in 1911. Pair this one with Gary Blackwood’s Second Sight (2005) and look for sequels.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Lalicki not only includes lots of information about Houdini, but also brings the period to life.”—School Library Journal
“The action is nonstop. Lalicki puts his extensive knowledge of Houdini into creating an engaging, credible character that pairs well with likeable Nate.”—Booklist
Children's Literature
- Mary Loftus
Nate is Nathaniel G. Makeworthy Fuller IV, and he is working as a clerk's assistant at Bennet & Son, Gentlemen's Hatters in New York, when a customer who "seemed like a circus strongman" visits the hattery. The customer convinces the junior assistant Winchell to allow him to take a new hat, although he has no money. When Nathaniel goes round to collect the bill, he learns that the amusing stranger is none other than Houdini. This rather elaborate set-up kicks off the mystery. Lucky for Nate, Houdini takes an interest in the young store clerk and invites Nate to a performance of his show. Nate attends with his mother, who shares her family story with Houdini's wife. It just so happens that Nate and his mother live with Aunt Alice, who has come under the influence of Mr. Trane, a fraudulent medium. It just so happens that Houdini is devoted to routing out phonies like Mr. Trane. Houdini helps Nate bust Mr. Trane, and while elements of the mystery are engaging, overall Nate's story is just the platform built up to showcase Houdini. There is no doubt that the author is an expert on Harry Houdini—he has written an acclaimed biography of the man—but the shift from nonfiction to fiction has resulted in a story that feels contrived.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-7-Lalicki, author of Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini (Holiday House, 2000), mines his vast knowledge of the magician for this first novel in the series. In the summer of 1911 in New York City, 13-year-old Nathaniel G. Makeworthy Fuller is working as a clerk's assistant in a Fifth Avenue hat store. He and his widowed mother live with his wealthy great-aunt. After Houdini buys a hat, leaving his calling card but no money, Nate is sent to the escape artist's home to present the bill. Houdini's wife befriends him, and he comes to trust her and her husband enough to share his concerns about the late-night s ances that his aunt's new friend, David Douglas Trane, holds at her house. Working together, Houdini and Nate uncover Trane's scheme to convince Aunt Alice, through bogus exchanges with her late husband, to make him the beneficiary of her sizable estate. He is exposed, but not before Nate is knocked unconscious, kidnapped, and nearly murdered, and his mother drugged. Lalicki not only includes lots of information about Houdini, but also brings the period to life with many historical references. The author is a scrupulous researcher, and while the history integrated into the novel is interesting, at times it impedes the plot. However, readers who are fascinated by Houdini as well as those who enjoy a combination of mystery, adventure, and historical fiction, with a hefty dose of melodrama, will eagerly await the next installment.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Since his father's death, 13-year-old Nathaniel Greene Makeworthy Fuller IV and his mother have been living in New York City with Nate's wealthy, paternal great-aunt Alice. For some time, Nate has been secretly listening to the "spooky, late-night gatherings" taking place at their apartment involving great-Aunt Alice's new friend, Mr. Trane. Nate is hoping these meetings will end once they all leave for their summer holiday. Unfortunately, this summer, stern Aunt Alice has Nate working as a "dogsbody" (a worthless drudge) at Bennett & Son, Gentleman's Hatters, where he has the good fortune to meet Harry Houdini. The Houdinis are a warm and welcoming couple who eagerly befriend Nate and his mother. When the Houdinis learn that Mr. Trane is using these late-night s‚ances to try and steal Aunt Alice's wealth, Nate and Houdini work together to unmask the charlatan. The suspense builds to a thoroughly enjoyable climax in this fast-paced historical-fiction mystery. Readers will delight in the many references to Houdini's magic, and to New York in 1911. Pair this one with Gary Blackwood's Second Sight (2005) and look for sequels. (Fiction. 9-14)
