Missing in Action by Craig Petty & Mandy Roth

Missing In Action by Craig Petty and Mandy Roth takes that old 52-on-1 card gag and actually makes it do something interesting. It's gone from a bit of a novelty to a full-on trick that might just catch you off guard, in a good way. Here's how it rolls out: You casually place an envelope with a prediction card in it where everyone can see it. Nothing sneaky yet. Your spectator picks a card, signs it, and you lose it in the deck like you're supposed to. When you reveal the prediction, it's the classic 52-on-1 card. Cue the groan or polite laugh. Then, here's where it gets cheeky, your signed card keeps showing up on top of the deck before pulling a Houdini and vanishing. Take another look at the gag card, and the chosen card's mysteriously missing from it. For the big finish, you flip that prediction card over, and there it is, the signed card, doing its best barnacle impression on the back. And yes, everything's up for inspection, so don't worry about someone calling you out. It's like three tricks in one: the gag, a bit of classic card magic, and a cool little souvenir to end things with. You get a deck full of special gimmick cards, each a bit different, so repeat performances won't get old fast. And if you've got a favourite card, you can let it steal the show. Craig Petty gives you the lowdown with the main routine and a stack of variations. It's surprising how something that starts as a joke can end up genuinely impressive. I still can't wrap my head around why the card vanishing bit works so well, but it does, and that's magic for you. Have a crack at it, you might find yourself grinning more than you expected.