The Pinkerton and the Wizard

The Pinkerton and the Wizard by Harvey Hetrick is a thrilling time travel science fiction novel that will have you hooked from the turn of the first page. The author takes the reader on a mysterious and magical journey alongside a Pinkerton detective, a Lloyd’s insurance detective, and the famous wizard, Merlin, to solve a case. Hetrick masterfully writes a 19th-century Philadelphia tale where Merlin must time travel with his wife Gwen from medieval England to escape the evil witch, Morgana. After Merlin and Gwen book a room in the same boarding house as Blake, soon the wizard and detective unite and begin crime solving using Merlin’s magical abilities and Blake’s detective skills. The cases the pair attend all draw elements from classic detective fiction. As Merlin and Blake get closer to unraveling these cases, Merlin attempts to pass as an ordinary, 19th-century man but begins being suspected by Edward Frost, a coworker of Blake’s. With a fast-moving storyline, the novel takes elements from different genres such as detective fiction, fantasy, and crime drama and mixes them all up into one exciting read! Hetrick has crafted a fun and captivating read despite how serious it can be at times. The characters are charming, and you grow to love them all, especially Merlin. It was interesting to read about Merlin’s time travel and how he came into a different place and time and had to learn how to fit into this unknown era. The story can be dark at times, but that is to be expected when a crime is involved. Hetrick’s use of descriptions is noteworthy as you are able to clearly picture scenes in your mind. The Pinkerton and The Wizard is a short but thrilling read that readers that love mystery, science fiction, and time travel will enjoy.