Carter Beats the Devil
by Glen David Gold
Recommended by Rob Delaney and Amy Winehouse
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Starts like a spectacle: lush sensory detail, backstage color, and an appetite for small theatrical wonders. What works best is its ability to conjure an era of vaudeville-era showmanship and a central stunt that keeps curiosity alive, often by trading tight plotting for atmosphere. Its main limitation is a taste for digression — long asides, ornate prose, and melodramatic turns that slow momentum and test patience. Best enjoyed by readers who like to linger in scene and voice rather than race to answers.
Read this if...
- •a theater director preparing a 1920s-style revival opening in the next few months — useful now because it supplies vivid backstage rituals, prop and costume cues, and sensory detail you can lift into set and wardrobe decisions
- •a book-club organizer picking next month’s discussion title for a talk-focused group — good this month because the novel plants moral dilemmas, reputational conflicts, and scene-rich moments that produce long conversations
- •a parent with a two-week summer break who wants an immersive, slow-burn read — fits when you have extended reading blocks to savor ornate passages and episodic set pieces without rushing
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the narrative drifts into long historical digressions or repeated ornate metaphors that stall the plot; momentum slackens midbook
- •annoying if you prefer taut, modern prose or a tightly plotted mystery — pacing favors atmosphere over puzzle mechanics
- •not a good fit if you demand strict historical accuracy or clear, logical solutions to every plot thread; fictional liberty and melodrama take precedence
Charles Cartera.k.a. Carter the Greatis a young master performer whose skill as an illusionist exceeds even that of the great Houdini. But nothing in his career has prepared Carter for the greatest stunt of all, which stars none other than President Warren G. Harding and which could end up costing Carter the reputation he has worked so hard to crea...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a theater director preparing a 1920s-style revival opening in the next few months — useful now because it supplies vivid backstage rituals, prop and costume cues, and sensory detail you can lift into set and wardrobe decisions
- a book-club organizer picking next month’s discussion title for a talk-focused group — good this month because the novel plants moral dilemmas, reputational conflicts, and scene-rich moments that produce long conversations
- a parent with a two-week summer break who wants an immersive, slow-burn read — fits when you have extended reading blocks to savor ornate passages and episodic set pieces without rushing
- you'll likely put it down when the narrative drifts into long historical digressions or repeated ornate metaphors that stall the plot; momentum slackens midbook
- annoying if you prefer taut, modern prose or a tightly plotted mystery — pacing favors atmosphere over puzzle mechanics
- not a good fit if you demand strict historical accuracy or clear, logical solutions to every plot thread; fictional liberty and melodrama take precedence
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Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Mystery & Crime, and Fantasy.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Rob Delaney
“@FrankenTer @BBCTwo I’ve recommended before I’m sure. Love that book. | A great novel.”
View sources (2) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Recommended by 5 sources.
“This sprawling, detail-rich historical novel follows cathedral builders, nobles, and townspeople across decades, delivering immersive scene-setting and a steady accumulation of plotlines. Its useful part is the sustained attention to craft—architecture, politics, rivalry—that makes the medieval world tangible. The main limitation is repetitive melodrama and swings in pacing: long, satisfying set pieces sit beside stretches that feel slow or contrived. Better read slowly rather than skimmed; readers who stick it out will find payoff in the concluding convergences.”
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How recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.