The London Séance Society: A Mystery Novel

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A great choice for fans of historical European settings, the power of women, and the fringes of the paranormal' Booklist Starred Review Written with alluring suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that explores the blurred lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.

Lenna isn't sketched well, and comes across as neither likeable nor sensible. She acts on her impulses without considering the long-term impact of her decision, which is quite contrary to her portrayal as a logical woman with a scientific bent of mind. (I didn’t see her using her common sense any time except in the climax.) To add to the irritation, Lenna is written as a character who thinks of physical attraction during any situation, even in the face of danger. Penner brings history to vivid life in this atmospheric and evocative whodunnit." --Nita Prose, author of The Maid Ghosts, spirits, the connection between two bloody and brutal murders, the relentless efforts of spiritualists to communicate with these restless souls and uncover the killers – I enthusiastically embrace all of these elements! It's impossible to resist the allure of yet another brilliant historical thriller crafted by the ingenious mind of Sarah Penner. Readers will savor this suspenseful tale of the occult as they are drawn into a world unlike any other.’Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of T he Lost Girls of Paris

Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love. Amid the shrouded parlours of Victorian London, two daring women hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead. THE LONDON SEANCE SOCIETY is released March 7, 2023 by Park Row Books. For more on the author visit sarahpenner.comAlso mentioned in this podcast: HESTER by Laurie Lico Albanese. To hear Olivia’s previous conversation with Laurie about this book, listen to this podcast episodefrom October 20, 2022. Mesmerizing, seductive and absolutely irresistible... The London Séance Society is completely spellbinding." —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The House Guest

The characters were so bland and the story itself, though interesting enough, seemed kind of pointless. Lenna jumps to ridiculous conclusions constantly and this is one of those frustrating stories where you're just internally screaming for her to JUST SAY SOMETHING. Instead of making all these dumb conclusions when the real answer is so painfully obvious. We the reader are really treated like a moron - given obvious red herrings and pointless diversions. I just was not vibing with this at all. The Department of Spiritualism was mine to steer, after all, and the Society’s mission stated peace and satisfying curiosity.Now, the parts I didn’t love so much…the pacing. Somehow I was bored at times, and just wanted to get to the juicy stuff. It seems like that’s what the author was trying for, as there’s some sort of “dun dun dunnnn” reveal/revelation at the end of just about every chapter for a good stretch. That kind of pacing made it a little cliché for me. The author’s note at the end of this novel is one of the most interesting I have read in recent times. It casts light not just on the Victorian beliefs regarding the spiritualists but also has a couple of surprises to offer. Don’t miss it! I think in the middle there were also aspects, particularly surrounding a romance, that I didn't care for. It felt unnecessary to me and I wished that certain characters could have just been two people working together towards a common goal, instead of wanting to jump each others bones. Set in Victorian London and Paris, the book's title The London Séance Society comes from an exclusive men’s club. Members only, thank you.

Once Vaudeline and Lenna discover this, they make it their mission to finish the journey that Evie had started to take the Society down. Although their journey is not statically linear, given that several mishaps on the way lead Lenna’s trust in Vaudeline to waver, they eventually succeed in quelling the Society’s immoral ploy. They use the inherent power that lies in tapping into one’s femininity to put the Society down once and for all. In the end, the men that were trying to make fools out of Lenna and Vaudeline become the fools themselves. I’m so sad that I didn’t like this book. After not liking the ending of “The Lost Apothecary”, but generally liking the book enough, I badly wanted to love this one to renew my hopes for Sarah Penner’s work.

Member Reviews

Initially skeptical of the deceitful practices of spiritualism, Lenna gradually becomes convinced that the enigmatic Mr. Morley might be connected to her sister and hold valuable secrets that could aid her quest for justice. Eventually, she agrees to collaborate with Vaudeline, even if it puts both of their lives at risk. While not without a refreshing twist and vivid descriptions of gothic Victorian-era characters, readers’ enjoyment of The London Seance Society will depend on their reading mood; specifically their appetite for escapism and entertaining crime mystery tropes. For me, Sarah Penner’s second novel was a very enjoyable read. Mlle D’Allaire, accompanied by her understudy Lenna, is summoned to London to assist in solving the high-profile murder of the Society’s president and to add a bit of polish to its recently tarnished reputation. The London Seance Society is a suspenseful historical fiction with a touch of spice set circa 1873 in Victorian England that explores the mysterious world of seances, the paranormal, and secret societies.

This book takes place in 1873 in London, where Lenna works to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister Evie. Along with an accomplished seance spiritualist Vaudeline, she goes to the London Seance Society to ask questions about the death of the leader of the organization. It's hard to believe, but Penner surpassed her other book, The Lost Apothecary, which is one of my all time favorites. Penner is an author to watch."Mr. Morley, vice-president of the Department of Spiritualism at the Society, has elicited Mlle. D'Allaire professional skills in the investigation. Leena will travel with Vaudeline to London, as her understudy. The whole thing just seemed really poorly put together. We get the story from both Lenna and Mr Morley, so that does keep things interesting but at the same time it felt kinda messy, and I'm not entirely sure what the point of dating each chapter was, especially when Morley kept reminiscing about the past? I found it kind of confusing, actually. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.***