Two men, one a magician and puzzle solver known as "The Great Merlini," and the other, Ross Harte, are called out to Skelton Island in New York to check out a medium who was planning to hold a seance. As they arrive, they run into trouble immediately and discover a woman dead, seated in a chair. Problem is the woman lived on the other end of the island and never left her house because she had an incredibly severe case of agorophobia. Add to this a fire, footprints in the ceiling in the room where the dead woman was found, a blue man, a man who was discovered dead of the bends in a hotel in New York City, and you've got a very strange case. The Great Merlini and Ross have their hands full, and their job is not made easier with a multitude of suspects.

Not a bad effort, but it is so involved that it begins to be a bit convoluted after a while. The solution to the mysteries is also a bit convoluted but overall, it works. I don't know if I'd classify this is an "impossible crime," but it was an interesting one.

The characterizations fall a bit flat, although I kind of enjoyed the Great Merlini ... a man with a solution to everything. He makes the tough New York cops look a little silly when he sets his mind on problem solving.

This is the second in a series, and I'd recommend it probably only to people who enjoy these Golden-Age mysteries. It may be quite involved for modern readers, and cozy readers may be put off for the same reason. I wouldn't put it on the mystery readers' must haves, but it was okay. ( )