The day for Stilwell’s makeover arrives. Due to a scheduling error, Assistant District Attorney Tory Welch is at Cutter’s surgicenter concurrently with Stilwell. Tory is there to consult with Cutter about having a mole removed from her neck, which she irrationally believes is cancerous. The inevitable happens when Stilwell finds Tory there. He goes crazy, threatening to strangle Tory, doubly upset when he realizes she is Assistant D. A.

Tory alerts her boyfriend, surgeon and amateur magician, Jack Merlin, who helps to subdue Stilwell without anyone getting seriously injured. Jack wants to report the incident to the police, but Cutter objects.

A few days later Tory and Jack are followed on their way home from a restaurant. A gun is fired and the tire on their Cherokee is shot, forcing Jack to lose control of the vehicle. When Jack finally gets the car stopped, they are confronted by a man they believe to be Stanley Stilwell who forces them out of the car and into the woods. They are handcuffed and, as they are about to be shot , they are “rescued “ by a man in a ski mask who subdues Stilwell with the skillful use of an ice pick. When the masked man leaves, Jack administers CPR to Stilwell with the vague hope that he will recover sufficiently to name his assailant. Something is very wrong in Marshall Cutter’s surgicenter, and Tory is determined to find the answers.

Tragic Wand follows Abra Cadaver and Hocus Corpus in relating the exploits of Jack Merlin, a Pittsburgh surgeon and Tory Welch, Assistant D. A. and Jack’s love interest. It is a worthy successor to James Tucker’s previous two mysteries. The story, which when summarized seems fantastic and unbelievable, is rendered quite logical in the capable hands of Mr. Tucker. The bizarre medical events are carefully explained by logical medical procedures and the incidents where coincidence rears its ugly head are deflected by other occurrences that make the original situation much more likely. Why was Tory at Marshall Cutter’s office? She was concerned about a mole that she thought was cancerous. Why was she there on a day when no other patients were scheduled? A receptionist, previously documented as having been preoccupied with her own personal problems, mis-scheduled her appointment.

The rapid pace with which the story moves will keep most readers turning pages. The medical data are easily understood by laymen while lending authenticity to the tale. A few magic tricks by amateur magician, Jack Merlin add a touch of frivolity to the proceedings. The reader who fancies himself an amateur sleuth should enjoy this volume also. It is not obvious who the murderer is, or if they bad guys are all in it together, so there are several possible logical scenarios. The final explanation, however, makes perfect sense, although the reader has to make some assumptions without actual facts to back them up to come up with the correct solution.

I must admit Mr. Tucker’s choice of names for his characters i.e. Jack Merlin, for a fellow with an interest in magic or Marshall Cutter for a plastic surgeon makes me groan a bit, but - Tragic Wand is quite a delightful diversion, with just enough factual information to make one feel it has some educational value. I hope to see more of Jack Marlin and Tory Welch in their future adventures.

--Andy Plonka