Rating: 
Summary: Magickal!
Review: This book has everything. Magic, mystery, wonder, romance and love lost and found again, intrigue, treachery and tragedy. The evocation of the era of the early part of the 20th century is beautiful and captivating, the characters are well realized and the illustrations are beautiful. I don't know if this counts as a fantasy or not. If it does it is the finest modern fantasy written since Tim Powers _Last Call_ or James Blaylock's _The Last Coin_. Regardless, it is one Hell of a novel. Bravo Mr. Gold! Encore! Encore!
Rating:
Summary: Gold the Great!
Review: Really overjoyed by this debut from a (more than just) promising author! I am a big fan of late 19th and early 20th Century magicians, so this was an easy one to pick up. Hate to make comparisons, but this book made me feel like I was living in the world of "Kavalier and Klay" all over again. Gold has taken me back to a place that I have never lived (does that make sense to anyone?).
The mastery is really in the details, and you will find yourself going back to re-meet characters once you figure out who some of them are. I had hoped the story wouldn't end...but alas, it did. I'm supposed to pass it to one of my peers, but I think I'm going to hang onto it for a second read.
BUY! BUY! BUY!
Rating:
Summary: Magical debut will delight lovers of mystery and history
Review: Here is a book that will delight fans of historical fiction, clever mysteries and magic. Moves trippingly through the history of magic in the early 20th century, including Houdini and his competitors. The best parts of the book is the background of Carter the Great, his jarring upper middle class childhood, his interesting parents and the pals he befriends on his way to becoming a master magician. Also, watch for lots of plot twists and red herrings, so pay attention! Gold has written a memorable tale--not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: very enjoyable
Review: Gave this book to My Dad and He said it was so good that in fact
it was better than any fiction He written.
Rating:
Summary: Shake the World Off Your Shoulders!
Review: When a news reporter asks Carter the Great why he does magic, his final, somehat evasive, reply is "What I mean is, the world is an awful place, isn't it? Magic makes it less awful for a moment or two...If I can shake the world world off a man's shoulders, I feel better."Glen David Gold's debut novel does exactly that, and more, for several of the best reading hours I've spent in years. The five hundred pages fly by like doves out of a hat in a novel worthy of the best of American fiction. If you like John Irving, Doctorow, or Mark Helprin at their best, Gold is their equal first time out. A wonderful, wonderful, captivating read!
Rating: 
Summary: Alakazam!
Review: A terrific novel. Just the book to take to the beach, the hammock or the airplane. It moves fast, has interesting characters and a subject that fascinates us all...magic. It also shows us a period in our recent history that few of us remember. The 20's. Bootleggers, mobsters, flappers and guys like Carter, trying new ways to entertain the public. Glen Gold uses his own kind of prestidigitation to enthrall us. This being his first novel is also a kind of magic. I think there will be many more terrific novels from him. Read it, you'll like it!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Debut
Review: As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I genuinely admired Glen David Gold's CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL. This mystery is a thoroughly enjoyable novel. It involves the world of illusion in an age when illusion was taken quite seriously indeed. Carter performs a magic trick involving President Warren Harding merely hours before that president dies. To certain government agents, Carter becomes a suspect in Harding's odd death. Again, this novel is a fun read. The characters are well-drawn. The world of magic and magicians is convincingly rendered. The plot is swiftly-paced, and it takes some unusual twists. Gold's writing is wonderful. I recommend this book highly.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Adventure and Exciting Read!!!
Review: Glen David Gold's first novel is nothing short of fantastic. The book mixes history with fiction, excitement with wonder and swirls of suspense. I put down the book deep into the night, only to continue the adventure as soon as I had a spare hour or three. Books like this make one forget about movies, television, etc.
Rating:
Summary: abracadabra...buy this book RIGHT NOW!
Review: I'll admit it... I rarely have the patience for a long novel. This book, however, is very, very different. It's funny. It's clever. It's filled with joy and wonder and emotion and I cried twice. I can't remember the last time I read a novel that I enjoyed so much. How much? At one point, I sat on an airplane (After a four hour flight) for ten minutes after we landed, trying to finish a chapter. They finally had to ask me to leave the plane so they could finish cleaning it. Don't let the magic connection fool you. It has more to do with Ragtime than it does with a kid's birthday party. As a fan of magic, though, I can tell you that the references to big-time, old-fashioned vaudeville magic were terrific. Sorry for the long review but I wanted you to realize that this is a must read. I wish I could read it again for the first time. Buy a few copies, and give them to friends.
Rating:
Summary: Carter Beats The Devil
Review: I have just finished reading one of the best novels I have read in years. As a magician I found it a fun read. As a reader I found it hard to put down. The characters in the novel are written as if by someone who lived in the era. I am waiting for Mr. Gold's next project.
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