The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

"Sarah Penner brings history to vivid life in this atmospheric and evocative whodunnit steeped in suspense, mystery, and illusion." —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Maid From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding tale about truth, illusion and the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love. May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium… 1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

When I started reading this, I was pleased because it seemed so much better than the Lost Apothecary (which I thought was ok but not great). This was my Book of the Month book and I got it in the hopes that the author had improved with her second book. But this book turned out just ok. Some reworking could have made this a very good story. Like others have said, this book was very well researched. It's clear the author put a lot of work into the spiritualism parts of the book. The story itself had issues. The main character, who is unlikable, is also an idiot in a lot of the situations she finds herself in. This is also a “men are creepy and terrible” book. When one male character seems to be redeemed, the author makes sure to tell us that, no, he's really not a good guy after all. The reveals are eye-rolling or unsurprising. There's no chemistry between characters who are supposed to be romantically involved, after knowing each other all of two weeks. The author felt the need to include cringey “50 Shades Lite” scenes. The main character is an expert in her field, again, after about two weeks. This author has good ideas but her books so far have needed some rewrites. I don't think I will read another book by this author.

After reading this author's first novel, The Lost Apothecary, I was really looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint. The premise is this - set in London in 1873, Lenna's sister Evie was killed and the police have no leads. She sets out to learn how to conduct a seance under the tutelage of Vaudeline D'Allaire, who is well known and respected for her seances that are used only to communicate with murder victims in order to find justice. Vaudeline is invited back to London as a favor to find out what happened to someone, and the story grows from there with suspicious activities happening at the London Seance Society, a gentlemen's club in London. The author's notes at the end of the book are very good and clearly state what is historical custom versus author's imagination. Very well done!

This book is a solid ghost murder mystery with a Sapphic twist with a rich, historical backdrop. I'd actually love to see this book adapted into a movie or limited series.