Escaping From Houdini cover art

Escaping From Houdini

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Escaping From Houdini

By: Kerri Maniscalco
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

 The #1 bestselling series that started with Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula continues its streak in this third bloody installment . . . Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell find themselves aboard a luxurious ocean liner that becomes a floating prison of horror when passengers are murdered one by one, with nowhere to run from the killer. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria , Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow more and more bizarre. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation before more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale? Crime Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Mysteries & Detectives Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Paranormal Science Fiction & Fantasy Thrillers & Suspense Emotionally Gripping

Continue the series
Capturing the Devil cover art
Capturing the Devil By: Kerri Maniscalco

Critic Reviews

Praise for Escaping from Houdini:
"Audrey Rose is a witty, resourceful feminist who refuses to bow to Victorian-era gender norms. This dark, gothic landscape is peopled with nuanced, diverse characters who keep readers enthralled. A gripping mystery with a compelling heroine and just the right touch of romance."—Kirkus
"Every sentence of this novel drips with decadence. The settings and Midnight Carnival performances are lush yet dangerous, beautiful yet terrifying. It was easy to understand just how Audrey Rose comes to be so enthralled with the Midnight Carnival and the performers because, as readers, we're put under the same exact spell.... Masterfully crafted."—Hypable
"Maniscalco's winning combinations of historical fiction, romance, forensics, and a feisty heroine will attract historical-fiction and romance readers....Well-placed hooks advance the plot and sustain the swift pace."—Booklist
"Displaying her usual fierce determination and progressive ideals, Audrey Rose is once again a compelling protagonist. Another delightfully mysterious addition to the series."—School Library Journal
"Young adult readers of crime novels will thrill to Maniscalco's labyrinthine plot and the gruesome secrets it reveals. And yet Escaping from Houdini is also a love story, one in which Audrey Rose's love for the charming and stalwart Thomas is tested by the exhilarating freedom represented by Mephistopheles's unorthodox lifestyle. As one member of the Moonlight Carnival muses, 'Normal is boring. Extraordinary is memorable.' Like-minded readers will find Maniscalco's latest foray into nineteenth-century forensic investigation anything but boring."—Chapter16.org
Praise for Stalking Jack the Ripper:
A #1 New York Times Bestseller from its first week!
"An entertaining debut full of twists and turns, perfect for fans of historical fiction and mystery."
--- School Library Journal
"Maniscalco has created a serious, sharp-minded, and forward-thinking protagonist in Audrey Rose, whose fearlessness will endear her to readers looking for an engaging historical thriller. Abundant red herrings and a dash of romance round out this gruesome but engrossing story."
--- Publisher's Weekly
*"This audiobook has everything: a true-life tale that has intrigued readers for 100-plus years, a young woman who balks at the constraints put upon women during the Victorian era, a marvelous yet somewhat gruesome mystery, and a narrator who brings you down into Spitalfields as Jack the Ripper earns his name. A must-have."---School Library Journal (*starred review*)
All stars
Most relevant
Loved this story and mystery. Definitely my favourite in the series for far. Keen for the next book.

Best in this series so far!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Unfortunately, this book was a huge disappointment for me. I’m going to try my best to keep this review spoiler free, but I need to rant a little.
The mystery plot of this book was fine, I didn’t find it predictable and it was enjoyable enough. More importantly I didn’t really guess who the culprit was. The unfortunate part was, this mystery was completely overshadowed by the absolutely stupid love triangle. The only thing that this love triangle was based on was a miscommunication plotline and a series of increasingly bad decisions by Audrey. These bad decisions are usually followed up or proceeded by an internal monologue to try and provide some reasoning, unfortunately I just couldn’t understand this reasoning in most instances. I spent most of my time reading feeling frustrated and I just wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into these characters.
Overall, I think I’m going to continue the series, just because the book ended alright. But I’m also going to try forgetting that this book was ever part of the series.
(There are several more spoiler-filled reviews on Goodreads (look for Katerina and Sharon) that more clearly outline the problems with this relationship and book in general, I would highly recommend checking them out if you want to know more).

Disappointing Entry

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I jumped into this novel as the firat read of the series. while I didn't need to have pre-read the others (Dracula and Jack the Ripper) I thoroughly enjoyed this story so I'll now back track and read them!
This novel was an enjoyable story of mystery, magic and murder, with a splash of romance for good measure. I loved the intricacies of the characters and couldn't pick the murderer from the Midnight Carnival cohort. I also loved the elements drawn from history but reimagined into this fictional tale. Cant wait to read the others.

Twisted history, murder, romance and magic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The third in Kerri Maniscalco’s Victorian macabre mystery series, ‘Escaping from Houdini’ is set on the Etruria, a cruise ship travelling from London to New York in 1899. Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell, and Uncle Jonathan Wadsworth, A series of gruesome murders present this Victorian forensic science team with a series of challenges and mysteries that must be solved before arriving at their destination.

The story is intricate and complex, dark and dangerous, and completely captivating. Themes of distraction, illusion and deception interweave like a macabre carnival dance. The personal consequences and implications for Audrey Rose, Thomas, and other passengers on the ship are compelling, keeping the audience engaged both mentally and emotionally in the drama as it unfolds.

Nicola Barber’s narration is expressive, fluent and most enjoyable. Barber has a definite gift for characterisation and drama that makes her storytelling lively and most enjoyable.

An excellent audiobook experience

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is one of my absolute favourites. Not only is it an exciting and thrilling story but also pulls on the heart strings. Very well written and one of my most common book recommendations to friends and family and anyone else interested in Crime,Mystery, Historical Fantasy and Romance.

An Absolute Charm

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.