John Gaspard has written nine books in the Eli Marks mystery series, all of which follow the titular character, a magician who also is very good at solving crimes.
A 10th book came out this July called Twisting the Aces, and this one is written instead by Michael Varma and takes place at The Magic Castle. Here’s the official synopsis of the story:
When world-renowned magician Mason Drexel announces his final performance at the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood, magician Eli Marks and his famous uncle Harry can’t miss the show. But what begins as a spellbinding and exciting evening turns into tragic magic when Mason collapses and dies on stage—with Eli standing beside him as his volunteer assistant.
With a lifetime of magical knowledge at stake and the dead man’s cryptic last words echoing in his mind, Eli must unravel what really happened during those final moments on stage in order to keep himself from being charged with the crime.
The book came out July 15, 2025, and there are also two free short stories by John Gaspard, “The Invisible Assistant” and “The Last Customer,” that Genii readers can peruse at their pleasure.
Eli Marks book covers courtesy of Michael Varma