1
The Man Who Died Twice
Thursday Murder Club #2 (works standalone)by Richard Osman
4.62022400 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a warm and clever tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
10 Best Books Like Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery
If you loved Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery by Clayton Rawson, here are the most similar books our readers recommend.
Quick Answer
The best books like Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery are:
- 1The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman4.6#2
- 2Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd4.3
- 3When Will There be Good News? by Kate Atkinson4.4#3
- 4Give Unto Others by Donna Leon0
- 5A Death on Corfu by Emily Sullivan4.4
- 6Into the Water by Paula Hawkins4.3
- 7Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry4.1#1
- 8The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie0
- 9Still Life by Louise Penny4.3#1
- 10Caramel Pecan Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke3.6
When two occultists are found murdered in locked rooms under seemingly impossible circumstances, the NYPD calls upon The Great Merlini—a retired stage magician turned Times Square shop owner—to solve crimes that defy logical explanation. With suspects including an escape artist, a medium, and a ventriloquist, Merlini must navigate the shadowy world of stage magic and supernatural charlatans to unmask a killer. This ingeniously plotted locked-room mystery combines the golden age of New York magic with a puzzle so complex it was named one of the top ten impossible crime novels of all time.
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Detailed Recommendations
2
by Jess Kidd
4.32026336 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a atmospheric and unsettling tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
3
When Will There be Good News?
Jackson Brodie #3 (works standalone)by Kate Atkinson
4.42008352 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a darkly hopeful tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
4
by Donna Leon
0
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a contemplative and melancholic tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
5
by Emily Sullivan
4.42025288 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a atmospheric and determined tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
6
by Paula Hawkins
4.32017386 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a dark and brooding tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
7
Murder Runs in the Family
Magical Cats Mystery #1 (works standalone)by Tamara Berry
4.12025256 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a light and quirky tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
8
by Agatha Christie
02010
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a cozy and clever tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
9
Still Life
Inspector Gamache #1 (works standalone)by Louise Penny
4.32008312 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a gentle and contemplative tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
10
by Joanne Fluke
3.62022288 pages
Why you'll love it:
This mystery shares a cozy and comforting tone that will resonate with Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery fans.
Quick Comparison: Books Like Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery
| Book | Author | Rating | Year | Pages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Man Who Died Twice | Richard Osman | 4.6 | 2022 | 400 | Closest match |
| Murder at Gulls Nest | Jess Kidd | 4.3 | 2026 | 336 | Similar vibes |
| When Will There be Good News? | Kate Atkinson | 4.4 | 2008 | 352 | Similar vibes |
| Give Unto Others | Donna Leon | 0 | — | — | Similar vibes |
| A Death on Corfu | Emily Sullivan | 4.4 | 2025 | 288 | Similar vibes |
| Into the Water | Paula Hawkins | 4.3 | 2017 | 386 | Similar vibes |
| Murder Runs in the Family | Tamara Berry | 4.1 | 2025 | 256 | Similar vibes |
| The Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie | 0 | 2010 | — | Similar vibes |
| Still Life | Louise Penny | 4.3 | 2008 | 312 | Similar vibes |
| Caramel Pecan Roll Murder | Joanne Fluke | 3.6 | 2022 | 288 | Similar vibes |
Authors Who Write Like Clayton Rawson
If you enjoy Clayton Rawson's writing style, explore these similar authors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What books are most similar to Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery?
The most similar books to Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery are The Man Who Died Twice, Murder at Gulls Nest, When Will There be Good News?.
What should I read after Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery?
After finishing Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery, readers most commonly pick up The Man Who Died Twice next.
Who writes books like Clayton Rawson?
Authors similar to Clayton Rawson include Rex Stout, Stuart Turton, Richard Osman, Agatha Christie, Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
What genre is Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery?
Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery is a Mystery novel by Clayton Rawson, published in 1938.
How long is Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery?
Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery is 312 pages long.
About Death from a Top Hat: A Great Merlini Mystery
Now retired from the tour circuit on which he made his name, master magician The Great Merlini spends his days running a magic shop in New York’s Times Square and his nights moonlighting as a consultant for the NYPD. The cops call him when faced with crimes so impossible that they can only be comprehended by a magician’s mind. In the most recent case, two occultists are discovered dead in locked rooms, one spread out on a pentagram, both appearing to have been murdered under similar circumstances. The list of suspects includes an escape artist, a professional medium, and a ventriloquist, so it’s clear that the crimes took place in a realm that Merlini knows well. But in the end it will take his logical skills, and not his magical ones, to apprehend the killer. Reprinted for the first time in over twenty years, Death from a Top Hat is an ingeniously-plotted puzzle set in the world of New York stage magic, which was at its pinnacle in the early twentieth century. In 1981, the novel was selected as one of the top ten locked room mysteries of all time by a panel of mystery-world luminaries that included Julian Symons, Edward D. Hoch, Ellery Queen’s co-creator Frederic Dannay, and Otto Penzler.