The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner ~ Review

A spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.

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…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal, Mystery, Thriller

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2023

Get Your Copy: Amazon | Goodreads | B&N

I love it when a book is written from different points of view and it’s done well, as is the case with this book. We hear from Lenna who is studying under well known spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Lenna is looking for both evidence of a spiritual world and closure from the death of her sister Evie. We also hear from Mr. Morley who is head of the London Society’s Department of Spiritualism and also looking for answers regarding the murder of the former head of the Society, Mr. Volckman.

As both stories unfold, intertwine, and become one, we are submerged into a world of spirits, seances, mystery, and magical realism. If you pay attention to details, it’s not challenging to figure out “who done it” but I was relieved that there were no ridiculous twists or unrealistic hidden plots. I found the plot twists to be subtle, believable, and satisfying as a reader who longs to correctly figure out what’s really going on between the lines before it’s revealed. I thought the pace of the book was perfect, just fast enough to keep you hooked, wanting more, and the whole story concluded over the course of several chapters, (instead of a rushed and abrupt ending that I often find in books of this genre).

The spiritual and magical elements are subtle and respectful, nothing over the top that takes you out of the scene. I appreciated the way Lenna was a researcher by nature and while she preferred tangible evidence she allowed herself an open mind hoping to find something that could make the spiritual realm real for her. Main characters of this nature can often hold too much skepticism that results in coming across as bitter and judgmental, however Lenna’s character was refreshingly realistic in both her hope and her doubts.

NYT Bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary (Park Row Books/HarperCollins), to be translated into 40 languages worldwide. To learn more, visit SarahPenner.com.