Harry Houdini--the world's greatest escape artist--is in need of a new hat. That is what brings him to Bennett & Son, Gentlemen's Hatters of Fifth Avenue, where young Nathaniel G. Makeworthy Fuller is working for the summer. A surprising friendship develops between the world-famous daredevil and the boy clerk, and it comes just in time. A suspicious stranger has recently wheedled his way into the confidences of Nate's wealthy great-aunt. Now their house is filled with spooky late-night gatherings, the purpose of which is kept secret from Nate. What is going on? Houdini is just the man to tackle this tangled mystery--and help Nate and his family escape the grasp of an imposter more cunning and dangerous than Nate could have imagined.

Originally published as: SPELLBINDER: The Life of Harry Houdini. He was born Ehrich Weiss but, at an early age, he chose another name for himself. He wanted a name to suit his career of magic and entertainment and he chose a name that paid homage to one of the legendary magicians of all time: Robert Houdin. His illusions and escapes were more astonishing and more challenging than anyone had ever done before and he eclipsed the names of all other magicians as his fame reached around the world, made him famous and made him the most famous illusionist ever. Houdini disappeared through brick walls. He escaped from straitjackets and then straitjackets immersed in water. He performed escapes in public places and from jail cells in major cities--and the crowds flocked to his performances. Tom Lalicki tells Houdini's story with a fascinating mix of text and images, revealing the facts and juxtaposing them with startling images of a master entertainer performing masterfully and mysteriously, mesmerizing his audiences and mystifying experts with his skill and his invention.