"Accomplished young journalist Ian Frisch, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Vice, Playboy and The New York Times, threads together a personal story of the sudden death of his father, his mother's escape to the poker tables, and how his fascination with the modern magicians and their swift resurgence in popular culture led him to discover The 52, magic's most brilliant young minds who are gathering in secret and revolutionizing the art form, under the mantle MAGIC IS DEAD. Full of fascinating characters, many of whom came to magic after tragic childhoods, drug addiction or lives of crime, and peppered throughout with cameos from marquee names like David Blaine and Penn Jillette, The 52 takes readers on a journey from the dark alleys of London and Blackpool, England to Las Vegas to Los Angeles to Ian's childhood in a camper going up and down the East Coast. Written with a keen eye for detail, The 52 is an engrossing tale that will keep you guessing until the very end, when Ian himself is invited to join"--