The Man Who Walked Through Walls

Vincent Hardare #1

by James Swain

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published November 1, 1989

About the author

James Swain is the national best selling author of seventeen mystery novels, and has been published in twelve different languages. His books have been chosen as Mysteries of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and have received three Barry Award nominations, a Florida Book Award for Fiction, and France’s prestigious Prix Calibre .38 for Best American Crime Fiction. Born in Huntington, New York, he graduated from New York University and worked as a magazine editor before moving to Florida to run a successful advertising firm. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys researching casino scams and cons, a subject on which he’s considered an expert.

Reviews

[Fred Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Swain is one of my favorites so it was a treat to pick up this, his first novel. I enjoy his material, especially the Tony Valentine series of the retired detective who helps casinos figure out how they are getting ripped off. Enjoyable because I always learn something. Houdini's "secret" revealed in this one but as with that and other tricks James tries to remain true to the magician's code and not reveal anything that can't easily be found in the public libraries. True the book is a bit rough around the edges especially compared to his later works but still an interesting read.

[Michel Sizaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different from the books I usually read, very enjoyable.

Loved this conversation:
Jan: "Do you shoot everyone who asks to see how your tricks are done?"
Hardare: "Not everyone"

[Mphoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a fascinating little story about heroes and hero worship. Houdini is the hero: the protagonist is the worshipper who has to become the hero he worships. (Houdini, at the time this book takes place, has been dead for decades. The hero he worships is the *idea* of Houdini, which is more intimidating, more immortal, more perfect, than the real man could ever have been.)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An escape artist must break his daughter out of a Mexican drug lord's prison.
Ta Da!
One learns some Houdini stage show background and some of the magicians' tricks of the trade while reading this book.
It's a fun story to escape into.

[Jerry Blackerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this several years ago. It is about a magician, a nephew of Houdini, who helps break out people from an impenetrable dungeon.The author, James Swain, is a magician himself. This is the only book of his I have read, but intend to find others he has written and read them also.

[Justin Tyner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Houdini the one and only has a nephew Hardare who knows the magicians secrets. He has to use them to free his daughter from drug dealers. I enjoyed it because I live Houdinin and Magic. It was far fetched and I still don't know how he broke into his daughters jail cell.