Falsely accused of plotting to overthrow King Claudio, scholarly Mangus the magician, along with his street-smart servant boy, Fabrizio, face deadly consequences unless they can track down the real traitor by the stroke of midnight.

Ever since he was cursed by an old carnival game, Rex Dexter has had the ability to communicate with ghostly animals, and this time he is confronted by a roomful of magicians' rabbits who are suddenly dead and want to know why; the Astounding Isabel tells him that the problem was her malfunctioning magic hat, but she cannot understand why it keeps happening--and soon Rex and his friend Darvish are neck-deep in dead bunnies, and a mystery that just...