"The Plot Thickens" book by Oliver Meech
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Available direct from Oliver Meech
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"The Plot Thickens", a book by Oliver Meech, is an assembly of new themes, using old techniques, that are refreshing in their uniqueness and easy in their execution, a combination that will rock spectators on their heels.

But I've thought that kind of thing about Meech's work for years, since he started appearing on this site. Meech is, without a doubt, one of my favorite thinkers, bar none. Check out some of his stuff around the place and you'll see what I mean.

Meech, you see, is a rare breed. He seems to care less about method than effect. If he can come up with a brand new appearance -- from a spectator's standpoint -- of a basic coin switch, he'll do it rather than expend the energy to try to develop a working that is, in today's marketplace, more "new" than "improved".

I think that's why I love his stuff so much: he sticks to the tried-and-true methods and changes the effect to... whatever warped thing his mind can summon up.

"The Plot Thickens" is loaded with that kind of thinking and, naturally, I love it dearly.

There are twenty-two plots total, so I'll save you suffering through an exhaustive look at each one. Instead, I'll just point out the stuff that will be going into my own personal arsenal of deception.

"Fish Bowl Coin Illusion" takes an old optical illusion and makes it a reality. A bowl is drawn on one side of a coin, a small fish on the other. The coin is spun and, thanks to an optical illusion, it looks as if the fish is in the bowl. The magic? When the coin is stopped, the drawing of the fish has jumped to the other side of the coin, in the bowl where it belongs. Packs small, plays big, and is great as an ice-breaker.

"Touching Transposition" really does fool the spectator's sense of touch. A sugar cube is held in one hand, a coin in the other. The spectator can feel the difference, obviously. That quickly, though, the two objects change places. This is a solid keeper and one of my all-time favorites from the book.

"Not Seeing the Wood For the Trees" is one silly piece of business, but oh-so-good. A card trick where the performer can't seem to find the chosen card, ends up revealing that all the "misses" in fact reveal the card just fine. I'm being cagey here because this one is so simple, but the effect is a good one and gets great reactions.

"Invisible Man" is just plain weird. Essentially a spectator turns invisible allowing another spectator to see through them to reveal a chosen card. Naturally, none of that really happens, but the illogic of it -- reminding me of Paul Harris' "El Warpo", when an entire audience ends up inside a card case -- is just plain funny. Maybe it's not to everyone's liking, but I love this one.

"On With His Head" is my all-time favorite Meech effect. In this one, a stack of photos are shown, including one where the picture was taken too low, cutting off the poor subject's head. Not to worry, though; the photos are tapped on the table and the picture visually moves down, allowing the head to now be seen. This is pure gold.

"Secret Service Load" may just be the ultimate bar trick. In this one, the performer reveals the serial number on a bill that is in the spectator's wallet... without ever touching it, coming near it, seeing it, you name it. Now as much as I love this one, it's extremely limited on when and where you can perform it. But when you can... boy, does this knock them for a loop. "Reputation-maker" just begins to describe it.

And there's more, lots more. I've left off magically finding money inside a candy bar fresh from a vending machine, using your magical abilities to correct your mistakes (hey, it's something we'd do if we really did magic!), making a piece of paper ignite in a spectator's hand, and so much more besides. But the above "choice pieces" will at least give you an idea of what you'll find here: fresh, new stuff the experienced performer won't break a sweat learning.

See, that's the real thing here. None of this is difficult. Oh, sure, some of it would be to an absolute beginner, but to someone who's been around the block a time or two, the workings are very simple. What does this allow you to do, Gentle Reader? That's right: work on the presentations, which will make these as miraculous as they are offbeat.

Now comes the caveat: don't expect to do all of this all the time. Most pieces are limited in terms of real-world practicality. Repeating them can be a no-no, angles can cut you, and some pieces work best one-on-one. Don't be put off by this; relish it. The pieces that are most restrictive are the ones best used for those special times or special spectators and, in that venue, they fry the brain into a congealed mass. The other, more workable pieces? Don't be surprised to find more than a couple in your working repertoire; they're that good and pack that much of a wallop.

I can't say enough about "The Plot Thickens". It's Meech at his weirdest best and that's saying something. If you're looking for new plots, new ideas, that work and leave a mark on the realities of those watching, buy this and buy this now. You won't regret it.

"The Plot Thickens" book by Oliver Meech
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
Looking for new methods? Keep looking. Looking for some downright insane themes, which equals new effects in the eyes of the audience? Stop right here because this is the book you're looking for. Filled with everything ranging quick card and coins pieces to more involved weird happenings, this book is not only filled with quality effects but also will jar more brain cells than an uppercut to the chin.

Quality: 10
Meech's writing style is at once direct and entertaining, with an easy style to read and from which to learn. Meech does an excellent job here.

Illustrations: 10
The book is loaded with black-and-white photos, excellently placed, and make learning the material a breeze.

Presentation: 10
This is what it's all about, and Meech's work shines here. Even the most jaded of audiences will be struck and sunk by the presentations Meech has cooked up.


Shane