You can purchase Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice from Houdini True Crime. Or, if you happen to be in Appleton this week for the big SAM convention honoring Houdini's 100th, you can buy it directly from Larrian.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
The truth drops TODAY
Today sees the release of Dr. Larrian Gillespie's eagerly awaited book, Houdini: The Man Who Died Twice. Larrian tackles Houdini as a medical detective and, apparently, has uncovered some startling information, especially regarding his death. I've not read the book yet, but I can't wait to dive in!
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Dr. Gillespie has shaken Houdini cannon to its very core. Anyone interested in prying deeper into Houdini lore needs to be careful what they wish for. The contents of these pages are unsettling.
ReplyDeleteCome on. Spill it Leonard.
DeleteSorry--you'll just have to buy the book. Beware--some books are dangerous and not meant to be opened with impunity.
DeleteCanon
ReplyDeleteSorry. 🤭
DeleteOk not buying it…..
ReplyDeleteThat's fine. Only those who are worthy may enter the inner sanctum...
DeleteThen I’ll break in! MWUHAHAHAHA! - Abby Martin
DeleteThe Inner Sanctum is heavily guarded.
DeleteI would unleash my army of cheese… PSYCH!
Delete🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀
Behold! My army of cheese! - Abby Martin
Hey Leonard… how long did it take to get your copy? I need to plan for logistics. - Abby Martin
DeleteI ordered my copy four days ago. I don't believe its been mailed out yet. Haven't received a tracking number.
DeleteThats because I just got back from the convention and books will be going out today and tomorrow. Media mail is about 5-7 days.
DeleteThank you Doctor! Don't forget to sign my copy: " Darlene's Sister" 🤣
DeleteWhat about this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.houdinisghost.com/images/telegramcollins72.jpg
Clearly states that Houdini died at 1:26 pm written the evening of October 31st.
Patrick and I discussed it..and then I showed him the huge error. This book is NOT fiction. Facts are not untruee because you din't believe them...Aldoux Huxley
DeleteNo not buying your bs Leo? Sell many books lately?
ReplyDeleteIt's not my book, Dr. Gillespie wrote it. The death certificate had been falsified. Hardeen wanted his brother dead on Halloween. The trade paper edition is fairly cheap. Don't be a piker and get your copy.
DeleteBut what about Collin’s telegram to Vicory which was sent the evening of October 31 announcing Houdinis death earlier that day? This one bit of evidence destroys the idea that Houdinis died on Nov 1st.
DeleteThat's interesting. I haven't seen the Collins telegram. Do you have a source for it? According to Dr. Gillespie, Houdini died October 30th.
DeleteSee if you can see the mistake?? And remember, anyone who worked for Houdini was sworn by an oath...as Collins said: The truth is whatever the Boss says it is."
DeleteBeing about half way through the book I find it fascinating, but I admit it is not for everyone. Dr. Gillespie pulls back the curtain and shows us the inner workings of Houdini the legend. The Collins telegram is reproduced in the book as well as a copy of notes taken by Dr. Daniel Cohn during Houdini’s last few days. On this single page of notes the date of Houdini’s death was changed, no less than three times, from October 30 to October 31.
Deletehttp://www.houdinisghost.com/images/telegramcollins72.jpg
ReplyDeleteCollins also worked for Hardeen..before and after Harry;s death. The plot thickens!
ReplyDeleteSo one big conspiracy involving all the hospital staff that cared for Houdini for over a week? Not one nurse, custodian no one has spoken out that the death date of one of the most famous individuals on earth was faked? This telegram where Collin’s announces to Vikory Houdini is dead is also part of this conspiracy? Huge and unbelievable stretch of one’s imagination. Significant claims require significant hard evidence.
DeleteThe October 31st Collins telegram says "Houdini passed away at 1:26pm." It doesn't say "today" or "yesterday." So the telegram is inconclusive.
DeleteThe telegram is dated October 31st so the assumption would be that day.
DeleteFirst...you are posting as Anonymous....which shows a certain disengagement personality about yourself. Next....you did not spot the mistake....which leads me to believe you just like to be a contrarian. For a serious discussion of true medical facts ( and I am assuming you are NOT a physician as you did not identify the fraudulent death certificate acknowledged now by The Michigan Vital Statistic Department ( since there are 3 death certificates)) why dont you read the book and then we can have a discussion that would be meaningful.
ReplyDeleteWhat you are saying is a mistake could be you are interpreting the various dates on the document erroneously. (as an example). I do not see any solid evidence for what you are claiming. You need overwhelming evidence to prove eccentric claims.
DeleteAgain....if you want a meaningful discussion without reading the book stop posting as Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteWhen I have the money, I will get my own paperback copy. ☺️ and I’ll come to my own conclusion. I’m always up for new information, the good, the bad and the ugly. ☺️💕✨ - Abby Martin
ReplyDeleteI’m REAAAALLY thinking about buying it! - Abby Martin
DeleteHappy to discuss the book with anyone who has read it....as there is more to come.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to announce that Houdini The Man Who Died Twice has been chosen as one of six finalists for the first Kirkus Indie Awards in Biography/History. This is a tremendous honor in the publishing world. This book will not be reprinted in hardback and it sold well at the Appleton SAM convention and is on its way to the IBM convention, leaving a minimal quantity.
ReplyDeleteTo keep a secret or whatever the boss says is for secret for tricks and business, not to commit a crime and falsify government documents. As far as the doctor's notes attending to Houdini, I'm sure he never made an error! Look how many times we need to look at our phones to recall what day it is when making an appointment or writing a check. So this guy's notes is proof for the entire hospital staff and good people to lie and fudge history. Give me a break. The motive is to make this flimsy story into a made for television movie. Nothing to see here, let's all move on. NEXT.
ReplyDeleteExactly…..
DeleteYour comment is very telling about your personality You don't like being shown wrong ( you failed to spot the huge mistake in the telegram)...classic narcisistic personality disorder. Again, I will not engage in any meaninful discussion with you until you reveal who you are. And regarding another part of your comment, the Kirkus Indie Awards are the most prestigious and esteemed awards in the publishing industry, so I guess I did something right to be chosen a Finalist in the History and Biography category out of 4500 books reviewed. As we say in urology..I'll show you mine if you show me yours!
ReplyDeleteWait...what? There's a huge mistake in the Collins telegram? I need to check it again.
Delete1:26 vs 1:30 I would assume. SUCH A HUGE MISTAKE!
DeleteLeo...look very carefully and then look at the death certificate.
DeleteI will as soon as my copy of the book arrives.
DeleteThis is not investigative journalism. The book organization / award company does not investigate facts.
ReplyDeleteI love The Man Who Died Twice, partly because she reproduces primary source documents in full and makes clear her step by step research and reasoning process.
ReplyDeleteAnd with that mentioned. Does it give conclusive evidence of the fix was on? The Doctors, medical staff, clerk's office, the Bureau of vital statistics were all on the fix, to jeopardize their licenses and careers, all to simply say that Houdini died hours later on Halloween. To go through all the trouble and fool the press, the people. Houdini was on borrowed time despite the death blow. But no one intentionally changed anything to reflect a different death date than when Houdini actually died. So there will be no magic "Warren Commissions" no Oliver Stone film here. Sorry. You can sell books, but you can't change history.
ReplyDeleteMichelle...yes I felt it was necessary to provide the documents rather than just list a source. Due to their size and the limit of the size of the book, I included the QR code to see the documemts online so you can expand them to read all the material and compare. I'm so pleased you like the book, as it IS a true crime investigation.
ReplyDeleteLeo all copies are still waiting today for USPS to pick them up but it will be on its way.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteUSPS just picked the entire batch load so they are now in their hands...tracking should be activated as soon as they scan them in
DeleteWe believe Houdini would be disappointed in this book, that's the real crime.
ReplyDeleteSo are you declaring a split personality or using the Royal We? Either way, until you unmask youself and read the book before you comment.
ReplyDeleteI did something crazy and actually read the book before forming an opinion. I'll be posting a short review later this week or next.
ReplyDeleteNot only that, your post was the 52nd of this thread. Harry's age of death...boo.
DeleteMy copy arrived! It is exquisite! Thank you Dr. Gillespie for the personal inscription I had requested! I love Patrick Culliton's admonition in the Forward: "The reader must step inside."
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are happy with the Collector's edition. I thought the silver edges created a mirror to reflect the magic of Houdini and the UV lettering the same. Yes you will step inside this book, as I wrote it as if you were in my brain, and you experience all the emotions and thoughts I had writing the book and discovering the significant documents that led to my final conclusions. It is not just one question but many that are answered.
ReplyDeleteYes the book is amazing! It has provided me with information and photos I've never seen before like the older Leo's passport photo. All I've ever seen were the dapper young Leo photos sporting a goatee. The photo analysis of Houdini's body is also wonderful. I'm glad you debunked the bullet in left story because I never believed it.
DeleteThere is so much medical/psych/investigative information in the book I am glad you are finding new things to enjoy. I have my favorite chapters but the one involving Whitehead made me weep while writing it. ( I actually cried in a few more sections) so this was an emotional book for me to write as well.
DeleteNews Flash! Houdini died on October 31, 1926. Would have saved a lot of trees...........
ReplyDeleteThat's actually a fairly small part of the book. It's much more about the medical mishegoss leading up to the 31st.
DeleteNot only that, this is the first Houdini book written by a physician that analyzes his anatomy via photos. The bullet wound in the left hand story is debunked based on the photographic evidence.
Delete