Review :: The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

I know we aren’t supposed to judge books by their covers, but I’d be totally lying if I said it wasn’t that gorgeous cover that first caught my attention. I’m glad to say I absolutely loved the contents too!

What is Sarah Penner’s The London Séance Society about?

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…

My review of The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

Oh my goodness, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was pretty sure when I picked it up that I was going to enjoy it, but it was really even better than I expected. The Séance Society club element of the story gave it a real ‘dark academia’ vibe which I always really love. Vaudeline and Lenna were both great characters and having them star against the background of an exclusive men’s socitey worked so well. I also thought the contrast of third person perspective from Lenna and first person from a Mr Morley (a high up member of the society) was a really great way to build tension and suspense, and to keep the reader guessing what was going on. And it worked – this book surprised me a bunch of times and I was so hooked that I just had to keep reading to find out what was next.

This was one of those books where I can’t quite put finger on exactly what it is I love so much about the writing, but I just got along so well with it. I actually went right out and bought Penner’s previous book The Lost Apothecary. One other element of the book that I really want to mention is the relationship that develops between Vaudeline and Lenna as they get to know each other and the way we see Leena in particular grappling with what her feelings mean.

If you’re after a fabulous Victorian era ghost-y thriller with a side of sapphic tension then you have to pick this one up! Let me know if you’ve read this one, or The Lost Apothecary, in the comments!

xo Bron
***

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner
Out now from Harlequin Australia
Source: I received a free ecopy from Harlequin Australia (via NetGalley) for review (thank you!). All views are my own.
Category: Historical fiction, supernatural thriller
Format: ebook
The London Seance Society on Goodreads

You can keep up with the latest from Sarah Penner online on her website here

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