Professional magician Jim Kleefeld reflects on six decades of performing magic, revealing his strategic journey from children's performer to mentalism authority. Jim discusses writing "Locked" to establish credibility before tackling "The Book Test Book" - a comprehensive encyclopedia covering 600+ book tests from 1584-2020. He shares his meticulous research process, his wife's suggestion for the book's Easter egg, and insights on building respect and lasting friendships in the magic community.

Professional magician and historian Mike Rose discusses documenting magic's forgotten innovators, from Joe Karson, creator of the Zombie floating ball, to Phil Thomas, Baltimore's "Ambassador of Magic." Mike reveals how Joe's early Zombies were made from glass, how Phil survived a devastating shop fire, and the influence of an "Unholy Trio" of magicians. Mike shares insights on the evolution of research and the passion driving his preservation of stories about Baltimore's magic scene.

In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Josephy discusses her book "Magic, Magicians, and Detective Fiction." As editor of a unique collection of essays, she explains the surprising extent of overlap between performance magic and mystery writing, from magician-detectives to magical criminals. Dr. Josephy reveals how author Maurice Leblanc drew from the French magic scene to create the character of Arsène Lupin and explores how magic appears in detective fiction across different cultures and time periods.