Introduction
For the fourth episode of the podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Gaspard, the author of the Eli Marks Mysteries, a series of novels which follow the adventures of a professional magician and amateur sleuth. John's unique perspective as a non-magician writing about magic has resulted in a series that appeals to both magicians and general readers alike.
From Screenwriting to Novel Writing
John's journey into writing began with his background in low-budget filmmaking. As he explained:
"I remember having a pretty big-deal screenwriting teacher who came to the Twin Cities and taught here for a while, and I took his class. And he looked at my script and he said, 'Everything that's wrong with your movie, is in the script, and it could have all been fixed in the script.' So I took that to heart."
John felt this was a valuable storytelling lesson, and proved helpful as John transitioned from screenwriting to mystery novel writing.
Early Influences: Mystery and Magic in Literature and Media
When I asked John about his early influences, John highlighted a mix of literary and televised mysteries that shaped his approach to writing.
As a child, John was drawn to the Encyclopedia Brown series of 29 books written by Donald J. Sobol, featuring the adventures of boy detective Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia" for his intelligence and range of knowledge. John also recalled enjoying Sobol's Two Minute Mysteries and Five Minute Mysteries series, which influenced John’s approach to creating solvable mysteries for readers.
Television played a role in shaping John's storytelling techniques, particularly the Ellery Queen TV show. John was intrigued by its format, where the detective would directly address the audience before revealing the solution, challenging viewers to solve the mystery themselves. This engagement with the audience inspired John's approach to creating fair-play mysteries in his own work.
As his literary tastes matured, John found inspiration in Lawrence Block's writing, especially the Bernie Rhodenbarr series. John appreciated how Block blended good mysteries with humor, noting:
"That's kind of where I've always tried to land. There's a good mystery that's kind of funny."
This combination of intriguing puzzles and lighthearted moments became a hallmark of John's Eli Marks series, appealing to both magic enthusiasts and general mystery readers alike.
The Eli Marks Mysteries: A Unique Blend of Magic and Sleuthing
The Eli Marks series follows the adventures of a magician in his early thirties who finds himself solving mysteries. John described the premise:
"Eli Marks, when we meet him in the first book, which is called The Ambitious Card, all the books have magic trick titles. He's in his early thirties. He is recently divorced from his wife who is an assistant district attorney. She has married essentially a coworker, homicide detective Fred Hutton, who's the bane of Eli's existence."
Each book in the series is named after a magic effect or routine, starting with The Ambitious Card in 2013 and continuing through The Professor's Nightmare in 2023. The complete list of novels and short stories cane be found at the foot of this page.
Crafting Magical Mysteries: John's Writing Process
John describes himself as "three-quarters plotter, one-quarter discovery writer." He typically outlines the first three-quarters to four-fifths of each book, knowing the killer, their motive, and how Eli will solve the case. However, he leaves the final quarter more flexible to accommodate changes that arise during the writing process.
On incorporating magic into his plots, John explained:
"The goal is to make it a nice seasoning, but don't over-season the stew and make people spit it out."
To ensure accuracy and authenticity, John explained that he has asked magicians including Scott Wells and Joe Diamond to proofread his manuscripts.
Praise from the Magic Community
John's efforts to accurately portray the world of magic have not gone unnoticed. He shared a particularly memorable response from Teller of Penn & Teller:
"And then he wrote, 'And I especially like the accurate behind-the-scenes aspect of it. Usually, magic detective stories don't really have a clue about the mentality and preoccupations of magicians. Yours is true to life.'"
Beyond the Books: The Eli Marks Podcast
In addition to writing the series, John co-hosts Behind the Page: The Eli Marks Podcast with Jim Cunningham, the audiobook narrator for the series.
The podcast, which has over 400 episodes, features interviews with prominent figures in the magic community and provides listeners with free chapters from the audiobooks.
A New Eli Marks Mystery
John was hesitant to make firm commitments, but during our interview, he hinted at the possibility of a tenth book in the Eli Marks series, potentially co-authored with another writer and set at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.
What John Has Learned About Magicians
When asked if he's learned anything surprising about magicians during his writing journey, John reflected:
"On the whole, magicians are really smart, a little on the neurotic side, and have a weird way of looking at the world. And that makes them really interesting and sometimes really annoying."
This unique perspective on magicians has undoubtedly contributed to the authenticity and appeal of the Eli Marks character.
As our conversation drew to a close, I was struck by John's dedication to crafting engaging mysteries that respect both the art of magic and the expectations of mystery readers.
Whether through his novels, podcast, or interactions with the magic community, John Gaspard continues to enchant magicians and general readers alike with his Eli Marks Mysteries.
Learn more about John Gaspard and the Eli Marks Mysteries at https://www.elimarksmysteries.com/
Eli Marks Mysteries
The Ambitious Card (2013)
The Bullet Catch (2014)
The Miser's Dream (2015)
The Linking Rings (2017)
The Floating Light Bulb (2018)
The Zombie Ball (2019)
The Magic Square (2020)
The Self-Working Trick (2022)
The Professor's Nightmare (2023)
Eli Marks Short Stories
The Invisible Assistant (2016)
The Last Customer (2020)
Magician in Trouble (2023)
Eli Marks Prequel
The Curious Mysteries of Eli Marks (2023)
John’s Reference Library:
Thirteen Steps to Mentalism by Corinda
Twelve Have Died by Ben Robinson
Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz
Stars of Magic edited by George Starke
Tangled Web by Eric Mead
Flim-Flam! by James Randi
Parlour Tricks by Morgan and West
Offbeat by Nick Diffatte
Handsome Jack, etc. by John Lovick
Beating A Dead Horse: The Life and Times of Jay Marshall by Sandy Marshall
Timestamps
00:00 Learning novel writing from screenwriting
06:12 Magic and mystery merge in detective fiction
10:16 How research and study led to creating Eli Marks
13:14 John learns magic effects from professional magicians
17:27 Scott Wells and Joe Diamond helped refine text
22:22 Self-publishing allows faster release and control
26:02 John performs B'Wave while speed dating at Malice Domestic convention
31:19 Encyclopedia Brown and British TV mysteries
33:20 Prequel for middle grade readers
36:48 How John met audiobook narrator Jim Cunningham
40:44 Beginning work on the tenth Eli Marks book
43:26 Magicians are smart, neurotic, and intriguing characters
48:46 Magicians are not the main mystery readers
50:20 Connecting with John