I was really looking forward to The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner when I ordered it as part of my Book of the Month box earlier this year. Like many of my books it didn’t get picked up right way, but I thought October was the perfect time to finally pick it up.
Set in 1873 at the height of the Victorian obsession with spiritualism, the story opens in Paris, where famous spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire is about to conduct a séance. Lenna Wickes is accompanying her as a trainee in hopes of eventually being able to communicate with her dead sister, and in so doing, identify her murderer.
I am still torn on this book as it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. They mystery was good, although one of the bad guys was identified quite early. Even so, there were still surprises in store, so I’m glad I didn’t give up.
I guess I was expecting there to be a few more séance scenes, or maybe a few more paranormal happenings. If you go into this looking at it as more of a regular mystery with very few paranormal incidences then I think you’ll be happier with it than I was.
Life, Tea, and Everything 