Book info

• Title Jonathan Creek: The Fantom of the Acropolis
• Author David Renwick
• Year 2026
• Genre Mystery

Ten years after he escaped death at Daemons' Roost, Jonathan Creek has returned to his roots as a creative consultant to the stage magician, Adam Klaus. Joining them on tour is a Czech illusionist called Jana Kablitsky. But someone - or something - else has come with her to London's Acropolis theatre. One of Jana's jaded former lovers is stalking her, while the haunting figure of a Hell Hag is prowling the West End stage and threatening to bring the production to its knees. Meanwhile, Jonathan is reunited with his former sparring partner, Maddy Magellan, the one-time investigative journalist who's back from America. Together, Jonathan and Maddy must expose the identity of the vicious killer and deduce how an assassin can disappear through an open window without being seen by a guard on the other side, or leaving a single footprint in the freshly laid snow.

Thoughts

I followed this book from conception to production and funded it along the way, so I was well disposed to read it. It went down very quickly as theatre scripts do, and I could easily visualise all the action as it was happening on the page. There are quite lengthy descriptions of the magic acts, which are slightly less interesting to me, but otherwise it’s a good script and an interesting mystery. It was so lovely to have Jonathan and Maddy back together again.

I had some question marks around the timeline because this is a sequel but there were things happening that have either already happened or at least deserve a recollection of prior episodes. The back cover does explain it was written to “complement the television series incorporating some of its funniest moments.” Feels a bit weird, but a minor complaint because I love these characters too much to worry about it for long!

Rating: 4 / 5