Rating: 
Summary: My favourite novel published this century
Review: I don't really like much modern fiction - most of it is too self-absorbed (that is, the author thinks he or she is really smart and wants you to know it) or too negative (we all have to be cynics now). This book was a real surprise - it is intellectually stimulating without disappearing up its own bottom, and it maintains an essentially affirmative view of the human condition without being naive.As other reviewers have noted, Gold is a very talented plotter. The book is a long one, so this is dangerous - if you decide you can't put it down, you may be up until tomorrow evening. There are love scenes, chase scenes, and everything else you'd expect in a supermarket best-seller, but much, much better done. I doubt anyone will be disappointed in this book, and the reader who longs for some good, innocent but lively reading entertainment will be utterly delighted.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but not profound
Review: I enjoyed this book in general. The story is engaging, and the plot has enough twists and turns to keep the reader fascinated without becoming confusing. Gold has definitely done his homework: his depiction of the magician's apparatus, the world of vaudeville, and the physical locations where the story takes place, never rang false to me. (As someone who grew up in the Bay Area, and lived for many years in and near Oakland, I found his picture of the city's early days especially fascinating.) However, I felt that the characterization was uneven: Carter himself, and his family, are well-rounded, and some of the historical figures (such as Houdini and President Harding) are presented in enough detail to be credible, but others are so one-dimensional as to be almost "props" in the story -- e.g., in spite of his repeat appearances, I never got a clear picture of what Borax Smith was like. The book is fun, and Gold's writing style is a pleasure to read; but more in-depth characterization would have made the book a good NOVEL, not just an "entertainment."
Rating:
Summary: Historical Fact and Fiction Mesh-Pot
Review: Charles Carter (aka Carter The Great) is a magician with quite a lot of baggage. He's being taled by a secret service agent (Griffin) who believes he helped assassinate President McKinley; he can't make enough money to support his own magic shows; finds love and loses it in a most unpleasant manner; and has a horde of people after him, trying to steal his magical ideas (including, amazingly, television). Carter Beats The Devil is an even handed novel that blends fiction and fact with wonderful ease. The events surrounding McKinley's 'death' have never been completely understood. Nor has the development of television (which was in the public eye long before the 1940's). Add to these facts that Charles Carter was a real, live magician, owned the first BMW motorcycle in America, had met Houdini on more than one occasion, and that he was present in President McKinley's room just prior to his passing, and you've got A LOT of material to work with. A fine fictional read that moves in between the shadows of history. Definitely recommended reading. A- rating.
Rating: 
Summary: Abracadabra
Review: In Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil, we tread through historical facts to follow the fictional life of Charles Carter. Gold's historical knowledge runs deep, and he expertly weaves this knowledge into his wonderfully written story. However, for me, there were problems. Someone once told me that most writers are either plot-handed or character-handed, much as most of us are right-handed or left-handed. I have a feeling that Gold is a plot-handed writer who desperately wants to be a character-handed writer. The plot is in fact very compelling, complete with interesting twists, turns and roundabouts. The characters, though, seem to be unnaturally following the dictates of the plot, as though Gold's master plan for the novel compelled them to do things that, as developing characters, they would not in fact do. Perhaps because of this, Gold's characters are more like archetypes, and at times, stereotypes. For example, the antagonist (or one of them) is a mustache-twisting magician, with absolutely no minor redeeming traits or contradictions, making him completely unbelievable to my ear. Even Carter himself rings hollow at times, serving more as a vehicle to advance the plot than a living, breathing person. Nevertheless, Gold's story is masterful on several fronts. The writing is impeccable. The plot is engrossing. The details are fascinating. The magic sequences are both revealing and exhilirating. While Gold's novel may not stand the test of time, it is a fine and diverting read.
Rating:
Summary: So well done you'll think its true
Review: I love books that successfully blend fiction with historical facts. There's something about a story that successfully weaves fictional characters into the factual past in such a way that you cannot tell where fiction begins and ends. This book is such a novel. Filled with a number of subplots (e.g., the creation of television, the sudden death of President Warren G. Harding, the mysterious figure stalking Carter) while relating the story of Carter's life, it's a wild, interesting ride that draws you in and literally leaves you wishing for more when it finally concludes. As a mystery, its not perfect, but Gold manages to make most of the pieces fit together without straining credibility. And the fact that Carter was a real person makes the story all the more interesting as, from what little I have gleaned about him after reading the novel, the fictional parts of the story could literally have been a part of his life. Highly recommended, particularly if you're heading for a beach and want entertaining reading while you soak up the sun.
Rating:
Summary: Fun Summer Read
Review: Summer is winding down, but there is still enough time to squeeze this one in. It's a fun romp through the 1920s, with beautiful descriptions of the Bay Area and of the world of magic. At times, Gold does make mistakes (I am still trying to figure out if the property Carter's father buys is in Sonoma or Napa, as it is referred to in both places at different points in the novel--maybe he bought two vineyards, who knows), but overall, the book is a pageturner and a good read on a hot summer afternoon with some iced tea. The book is at its best when it stays tightly focused on Charles Carter--some of the side stories aren't as compelling. But the good news is, after a chapter or two, Gold always comes back to what he does best--describe the life of a man trying to create magic not necessarily because he's good at it (Charles is not a natural) but because he needs to.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect!
Review: I love love love this book. Gold's story is constantly surprising and charming. He's one of the best contemporary authors out there -- no wasted blathering. He just writes cleanly and simply and each page he creates a little moment that sticks with you. And, oh yeah, it's a sprawling swashbuckling adventure, too.
Rating:
Summary: It Never Died
Review: A year ago someone recommended this book to me. I bought it right away, read the prologue, and put it down. A year later, I picked it up again and started on the chapters. I could not put it down! This being Gold's first book, I could nit-pick parts of it and feel justified. However, I had such a fun experience that I refuse to look too closely (like magic, it can be disappointing to over-think the illusion). There are moments where it does slow down, but as a reader, I needed it. To keep the level of drama, mystery, and romance at their peak would be overwhelming. Gold gives enough hints and information where one can guess at what will happen (sometimes getting the resolution right, somewhat close, or utterly wrong). I never felt that he was manipulating the situations beyond plausibile solutions. Overall, this book is in my top five favorites of all-time. Gold blends drama, melodrama, romance, mystery, and history into a grand performance where I gasped outloud during the amazing climax. I look forward to reading future novels from this talented author.
Rating:
Summary: Inconsistant
Review: This book had great potential. At times it lived up to that potential, but mostly it did not. Had Gold focused the story a bit more with a greater focus on Carter's loves and losses, it would have been more enjoyable. This book is about 480 pages and by the middle I was no longer looking forward to picking it up in the eveing. There were just too many detours and distractions to keep my interest for those 480 pages. It was ocassionally riviting, it just needed a bit of editing.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: Weaving fact, fiction, mystery and magic into a stellar first novel, Gold uses the art of misdirection to enchant and thrill. A fantastic ride with a plot as provocative and intriguing as the characters within it.
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