In essence, the effect is a bait & switch. You lead the participant to believe that you're
conducting a four-card living and dead test (or less morbid version thereof), but then transition,
at last the last minute, to a name divination.
It's the transition that bothers. The first
effect is never resolved, in that the mind reader never proves that he actually found the correct
card. He just stops the effect, right at its climax(!), and asks the participant to reshuffle.
Le Val gamely defends the transition by arguing that mentalism should not look "choreographed,"
and that it's acceptable for the casual performer to apparently figure out the ultimate direction of
his effect on the spot.
If you are in agreement, then this might be a worthy purchase. If,
however, the idea of abandoning an effect right before its climax bothers you, look elsewhere.
A Bit Too Casual
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