Member Review
Review by
Sara B, Reviewer
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
Thank you Netgalley and Legend Press for an arc ebook for an unbiased review.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Apothecary, and so was extremely excited to read this arc.
Lenna's sister Evie is killed. Up until then, Lenna Wickes was driven by a belief in the sciences, and most certainly not by something she had considered to be meaningless and irrational.
Now, Lenna travels to an abandoned château, where she asks the renowned medium, Vaudeline D’Allaire, to see if she can get answers about Evie's death. Despite becoming Vaudeline's understudy, Lenna still finds it hard to accept séances as anything other than exaggerated parlour games.
From the château, we then end up in London, where at the bequest of Mr Morley, Vaudeline accompanied by Lenna, travels to try and find a killer.
I won't say more, as it might verge into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, there are layers of complexity and connection that not only were surprising to me as we went along, but could easily become too entangled, and yet Sarah manages to weave them nicely.
Engaging, vivid and once it got past an initial slow buildup, was superbly paced. Murder and mystery aren't always something that can be pulled off, yet here it works. From the abandoned château to Londons Séance Society, we are drawn into a world that is rich with the right amount of gothic vibes. We have some romance, and usually, in the kind of setting such as this it would annoy me, yet it isn't the focus here, and so blends into the background without distracting you from the book's true purpose.
I am so tempted to just give 5 stars, but I felt the pacing was just a tad too slow initially, and that pulls the star off. Well more of a ½ star. Others could easily give it 5 stars, and I wouldn't have any qualms about them doing so. In one way I feel almost disappointed in not giving it 5 stars myself. Argh, the dilemma! lol
Certainly a book I will place onto my bookshelves once released, and have no problem gifting or recommending it to others.
4/5 stars 🌟
Thank you Netgalley and Legend Press for an arc ebook for an unbiased review.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Apothecary, and so was extremely excited to read this arc.
Lenna's sister Evie is killed. Up until then, Lenna Wickes was driven by a belief in the sciences, and most certainly not by something she had considered to be meaningless and irrational.
Now, Lenna travels to an abandoned château, where she asks the renowned medium, Vaudeline D’Allaire, to see if she can get answers about Evie's death. Despite becoming Vaudeline's understudy, Lenna still finds it hard to accept séances as anything other than exaggerated parlour games.
From the château, we then end up in London, where at the bequest of Mr Morley, Vaudeline accompanied by Lenna, travels to try and find a killer.
I won't say more, as it might verge into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say, there are layers of complexity and connection that not only were surprising to me as we went along, but could easily become too entangled, and yet Sarah manages to weave them nicely.
Engaging, vivid and once it got past an initial slow buildup, was superbly paced. Murder and mystery aren't always something that can be pulled off, yet here it works. From the abandoned château to Londons Séance Society, we are drawn into a world that is rich with the right amount of gothic vibes. We have some romance, and usually, in the kind of setting such as this it would annoy me, yet it isn't the focus here, and so blends into the background without distracting you from the book's true purpose.
I am so tempted to just give 5 stars, but I felt the pacing was just a tad too slow initially, and that pulls the star off. Well more of a ½ star. Others could easily give it 5 stars, and I wouldn't have any qualms about them doing so. In one way I feel almost disappointed in not giving it 5 stars myself. Argh, the dilemma! lol
Certainly a book I will place onto my bookshelves once released, and have no problem gifting or recommending it to others.
4/5 stars 🌟
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