Trick Review: Double Coincidence by Devin Knight and Al Mann

I’ve never been a big fan of book tests, but “Double Coincidence” is one that I like and want to perform. This routine has it all: 1) a random page in an ungimmicked book that is selected by a spectator and the mentalist can describe what’s written on the page; 2) a word in a sentence is freely picked by the spectator and 3) a dictionary that’s been sitting in plain view has the selected word already circled within its pages.

“Double Coincidence” is a strong, multi-phase routine that is baffling and is not difficult to perform.

You tell the audience that before the show, a lady was given a dictionary, red crayon and envelope and asked to secretly circle a word and seal the dictionary in the envelope. You call two people onto stage.

The sealed envelope with the dictionary is retrieved by one of the spectators who holds onto it in full view. You pick up a 300 page book, turn your head away, riffle through its pages and have a spectator select a page from it. The book is opened and given to the spectator. The page number is not called out.

You ask the spectator to silently read the first few lines on the left page. With no questions or fishing, you describe what the person has just read.

You then ask the spectator to read the first sentence on the right page and form a picture of it in his mind. Without fishing, you describe the sentence that the person is thinking of.

For the finale, the spectator is asked to call out any word on that line. The sealed envelope is opened and the other spectator removes the dictionary. There is note with the dictionary that you read outloud, which states the page number on which a word has been circled.

The spectator opens the dictionary to that page (and can riffle the dictionary to check that this is the only page with a circled word) and shows the audience the circled word. The word is read outloud by the spectator and it is the same word that was freely chosen from the book.

Since the first phase doesn’t call out a page number, there’s seemingly no way that you could have memorized the book or referred to a cheat sheet. The second phase with the dictionary relies on some subtle gimmicking that can withstand casual examination. The spectator can freely and quickly riffle through the pages of the book and not discover its secret.

The effect comes with the 300 page novel, erasable board, marker and dictionary. There’s some sleight of hand that’s required during the first phase that is technically not difficult, but may make some nervous. For these magicians, Devin Knight offers some easier alternatives.

There’s also some clever dialogue and suggestion that fortifies the routine. To teach you the effect, Knight offers excellent instruction that’s based on his years of experience.

“Double Coincidence” offers a powerful and baffling book test. This is one book test that I like. It’s worth the money.

-Wayne N. Kawamoto

MSRP: (US) $89.95

Dealers can purchase from Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.