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.