Larry Wallace is excited when his parents give him a present: a new magic set. As he learns about the magician's craft and diligently practices his tricks, he finds that he has become skilled enough to perform for others. But he is distracted from his delight in this new-found gift by a string of robberies in his neighborhood.

A series of clues cause Larry and his friend Jimmy Sheridan to try to discover the identity of the burglar. But soon Larry finds himself caught in a dangerous situation that takes a lot more than magic to resolve.