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“WHO-DINI?: THE MAGICAL MURDER MYSTERY WITH A DOCTOR'S VANISHING ACT”

Who-Dini? offers one of the most inventive setups of the Star Tales anthology—a whodunit set in 1920s Chicago that unfolds across multiple incarnations of the Doctor without the narrative ever breaking stride. The first half of the mystery is tackled by one Doctor (implied to be Twelve), who believes they’ve solved the case, only for Thirteen to swoop in seconds later (from the bystanders’ perspective) and prove otherwise. It’s a clever, timey-wimey conceit that turns the Doctor into a kind of relay baton passed across regenerations.

The central hook? Harry Houdini, the legendary escape artist, is accused of a series of brutal murders targeting fellow magicians. The Doctor, one of his long-standing (and oft-referenced) friends, drops in to clear his name and uncover the truth—because of course the Magician Murders aren’t being committed by a mere mortal. They’re the work of a shapeshifting alien once used as an unwilling assistant in magical illusions and now seeking vengeance against the showmen who enslaved him.

MAGIC, MURDER, AND METAPHOR

There’s a rich metaphor at play here, drawing clear parallels between magicians and the Doctor: both use disappearing boxes, sleight-of-hand tools, unpredictable personas, and assistants. It’s not subtle, but it’s satisfying. Houdini and the Doctor are spiritual cousins—showboaters with secrets, fiercely independent, yet ultimately guided by a strong moral compass (well, usually).

The story also explores the dark underbelly of showbiz with surprising nuance. Houdini, for all his charisma and legend, is shown as flawed and morally compromised, willingly using the alien creature as a tool for fame. Bess Houdini, meanwhile, emerges as the emotional heart of the tale, shown to be more compassionate than her husband—persuading the shapeshifter to adopt the form of a younger Houdini, not just to rekindle her lost youth, but to offer the creature kindness it has long been denied.

The alien itself is a tragic villain, enslaved by generations of magicians and now lashing out. The moral ambiguity here is well played: it’s killed, yes—but it was used and mistreated, and its eventual redemption comes through helping the Doctor save Houdini and Bess. That it gets through the story without punishment is debatable, but it reinforces Doctor Who’s tradition of compassion toward monsters with understandable motives.

TWO DOCTORS, ONE STORY – SORT OF

The biggest structural gimmick—having the same mystery tackled by two different incarnations of the Doctor—is inspired. Unfortunately, the execution is a little muddled. The first Doctor (intended to be Twelve) doesn't really sound like Twelve at all, with no distinctive voice or quirks to anchor him. Without foreknowledge, most readers wouldn’t be able to pin down which incarnation he’s supposed to be.

Thirteen fares slightly better. Her characterisation is shaky at first, but settles into something more recognisable by the end. She feels more “right” when she’s wrapping things up and delivering the emotional and thematic payoff. Her companions—Yaz, Ryan, and Graham—get just enough lines to feel accurate, though none of them have much to do beyond mild reactions.

MAGICIAN VS MOBSTER

The supposed “main villain,” a rival magician and mob boss named King, feels underwritten. He comes and goes with little impact, overshadowed by the more emotionally resonant alien shapeshifter. In fact, one could argue the real antagonist of the piece is the hubris of showmen like Houdini himself—willing to manipulate anything and anyone, including extraterrestrials, for the sake of applause.

WRITING THAT MISSES THE TRICK

While the ideas are solid and the plot offers more layers than expected, the prose occasionally stumbles. Dialogue sometimes clunks, especially in the early scenes, and there’s an overall stiffness to the narration that prevents the story from truly singing. Houdini is portrayed well—like Tesla in “Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror,” he’s a larger-than-life figure grounded by his humanity—but he occasionally veers toward cliché.

Still, it’s nice to see Doctor Who finally deliver a proper Houdini team-up after so many offhand references over the years, from Planet of the Spiders to The Witchfinders. The setting—1920s Chicago, all smoke, alleyways, and vaudeville theatres—adds to the noirish mystery vibe, and the magic-themed killings give the whole story a bit of pulp flair.

📝 VERDICT: 60/100

Who-Dini? is a mixed bag with an inspired concept, emotionally resonant themes, and a satisfyingly tragic monster—but hampered by inconsistent character voices and uneven prose. The split-Doctor setup is clever, the Houdini partnership long overdue, and the alien twist classic Doctor Who. While it doesn’t quite stick the landing, it’s a compelling reminder that behind every great trick lies a cost. A flawed but fascinating tale of magic, murder, and monsters in the wings.