Smoke and Mirrors (The Brighton Mysteries 2)

Brighton, Winter 1951. Falling snow hides a sinister secret. Two children lie dead beneath it, the girl's red hair bright against the white ground, colourful sweets scattered around them. The eerie scene reminds DI Edgar Stephens uncomfortably of Hansel and Gretel.

With fairytales on his mind, he turns to magician and wartime comrade Max Mephisto, himself immersed in fantasy, starring in the pantomime on the pier. When a third body is found, Edgar enlists Max to help him navigate the shadowy theatrical world he believes holds the key to the murders.

But this is a world that thrives on deception, where the first rule is that nothing is quite as it seems - and Max and Edgar can't risk being led astray.