The London Seance Society is an engaging historical fiction story with elements of mystery and the paranormal, a touch of romance, and a wonderfully dark, atmospheric setting of 1870's London.

Lenna Wickes is studying to become a medium after the murder of her younger sister, Evie. She's searching for answers. Evie was a believer in spiritualism and studying under Vaudeline D'Allaire, a medium renowned for conjuring murder victim's spirits in order to discover the identity of their killer. We also have the point of view of Mr Morley, the Vice President of The London Seance Society, a prestigious gentleman's club that organizes seances and other clairvoyance services. The club president was murdered the same night as Evie and hints of a dark connection between the two deaths quickly emerge once Lenna begins searching for answers.

I loved this book's strong sense of time and place. It vividly captures the Victorian era, with its love of spiritualism and challenges facing women as they struggle to move beyond a limited place in society. We follow several resourceful women as they rebel and push back against the stifling limitations being forced upon them.

There is mystery present in this story but much of the focus is on tangled, tumultuous bonds, the resulting guilt and pursuit of answers and vengeance after unexpected loss, and women struggling to forge their own path in life.

The paranormal aspect was a major part of the story and yet subtle enough that it didn't overpower the narrative. The reader is often left wondering what is real and what is manipulation as events unfold and secrets are brought to light.

This was an atmospheric, engrossing, and at times creepy tale about complex, multilayered characters searching for answers in a time of superstition and deceit. The author found a nice balance between the different elements of this story and provided an ending I found both fitting and satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley and Legend Press for providing me a copy to read and review.

It’s February 1873 and Lenna Wickes is in Paris at an abandoned Château where are dark séance is about to take place. Lenna is there to learn the appropriate skills to become a medium by studying with Vaudeline D’Allaire, renowned for her skills in summoning ghosts and thus identifying their killers. Despite this, Lenna is sceptical, she’s unsure if any of this is proven but she has an excellent reason for her presence. Her much loved younger sister Evie is murdered one All Hallows’ Eve and Lenna is prepared to commit to anything to reconnect with Evie as she’s on the pursuit of justice. Meanwhile in London, Mr Morley, Vice President of the London Séance Society is also after justice following the murder of the society’s President Mr Volckman which takes place the same night as Evie’s death. Is this a weird coincidence or is there a connection? Morley asks for Vaudeline’s help, she agrees and Lenna will accompany her and in addition Vaudeline will do a séance for Evie too. The story is told in the third person by Lenna and in the first by Morley.

Sarah Penner has done it again in this Victorian tale of trickery, revenge and skulduggery. The author wonderfully captures the Victorian enthusiasm for séances in this atmospheric story. Places are cleverly used to create suspense and tension, it’s full of danger and wickedness around every corner of Victorian London and what is achieved is a compelling Gothic tale. It gives you the chills and goosebumps as discoveries are made and sinister revelations unmasks cheats and liars. It’s spooky, dark and very creepy as the storytelling leads us one way and then in an entirely unexpected and shockingly unpredictable direction. The séances are quite simply entrancing .

This is beautifully written with some wonderful creative images, it’s very evocative of the times with the contents of the novel enhanced by the lovely cover. A murder mystery lies at the heart of this but there’s also a romance element and some accompanying sensuality. I highly recommend this especially if you are a fan of Gothic storytelling.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Legend Press for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I loved The Lost Apothacary and so I was so excited to get the chance to read and review this book and I wasn't disappointed. The writing once again hooked me in from the start and kept me in its clutches until the very end.
The book is well written with a compelling storyline centred around the Victorian Era and the wave of spiritualism that became popular in this time and I completely loved it, as this is a thing that I find totally fascinating.
The story was fast paced and had a good amount of twists which kept me guessing.
I loved it.

I DO like a good book about the victoriana and spiritualism.
This is a good book.
It's fast paced with quite a few turns along the way.
A clever, strong female lead in a time where being female and clever wasn't always encouraged.
I got a few surprises along the way, and a lot of enjoyment from this book.
Nicely done.

The London Seance Society was a great mix of mystery and historical fiction. I loved delving into the world of mediums and spirits. Very enthralling, easy to read. I would read this author's work again.

Ahhhh I absolutely loved this book! It was delicious and I couldn’t put the thing down, I was hooked!

When her sister is murdered, Lenna Wickes decides to train with the medium her sister trained with and revered. While she is a scientist, Lenna has a hard time believing what she can’t see and prove. Though it seems she truly does have talents of her own, she will have to decide whether they will help her get answers to her sisters murder.

When Vaudeline is called back to London to help solve the murder of her friend and the head of London’s Seance Society, Lenna returns to London with her. Together they will have to try to solve one murder and then that of Lenna’s sister, Evie. If only Lenna can trust herself and Vaudeline’s talents.

This book was FABULOUS! I read it in one sitting and could not put it down. The mix of mystery and mediums and spirits made it the perfect read for a cold rainy day. This is the first book by this author I have read and I am completely won over. I can’t wait to read more of her work as she is a very talented writer who spins tales that enthrall the reader.

I loved this book so much, there were so many twists that I was getting whiplash, my opinions of the characters changed throughout the book and the world building was an accurate portal of London for that time area. The descriptions of London and feelings used throughout this book left your imagination able to feel like you was there and could be part of the world,

Of an age where wealthy men were deemed above women, and that women had no place in their world, you discover nothing is what it seems.
A multiply POV storyline you follow two main characters.Mr Morley, who is wanting to find the murderer of the president of the London Seance Society and Lenna who ‘s sister Evie was brutally murdered on the same night

Both Mr Morley and Lenna need help from Vauldeline, an infamous medium in spirituality and Evie’s old tutor.
Through seances Vaudeline can find a murderers name and both Leena and Mr Morley are looking for answers.
Lenna finds herself under the same tuition as Evie being learnt the practise of the occult from `Vaudeline like her sister did years before, even though Lenna herself is a sceptic, Together they are thrown into a murky world of deception, murder and the occult to try and solve the murders of lost family and friends
Along the way you find you don’t know who you can trust, thrown into a world of lies, and deception where no one is safe.

This was such a fun read and an enjoyable page turner, with a hint of romance and an ending worthy of the book.
Thanks Netgalley and Legend Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review Of this book.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner is an excellent historical fiction that takes us into the heart of the Victorian fascination and fever towards the Spiritualism movement. I loved every minute of it.

I really enjoyed Ms. Penner’s previous novel, The Last Apothecary, so I was excited to read her sophomore effort. No slump here…

I already have read quite a bit on England’s history and gravitational pull towards the spiritual and “other-worldly “ fad that took place during the Victorian era at its height…but being able to read a HF involving said subject, really brought it to life.

Taking place mainly in London (although peeks of Paris as well) in 1873, we are thrust into a narrative of mystery, suspense, action, murder, intrigue, passion, secrets, deception, and surprises around every dark corner. I loved the alternating viewpoints between Mr. Morley and Lenna and felt that by including both POV, we really got involved and invested into all the action.

There were nail-biting moments that really increased my heart rate…and I loved it. I loved the pacing, the subject matter, the characters (especially Lenna), and I loved the ending.

An excellent book that I highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Legend Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/23/23.

The London Seance Society is a story about ghosts and murder and the untold stories the deceased leave behind. Like a shadow in mirror or a faint smell of something familiar long after someone has gone, the memories and truth of their endings leave behind a spectral fingerprint that only those with the gifts of the otherside may bring to light. We meet such women in this book, women who possess the gift of communicating with the dead. The only trouble is, Victorian London is a man's world that prefers to control and profit from such gifts. This story explores those themes by exposing the deception and deceit that could have existed in spiritualist circles at the time. We see women supporting each other, using their intelligence and intuition to navigate the treacherous male dominated seance society, a society that seeks to entrap vulnerable women, who are grieving and desperate for answers. It's up to Vaudeline and Lenna, a gifted medium and her apprentice to use their talents to expose the seen and unseen forces who will stop at nothing to sabotage and scam their way to power and money.

I enjoyed the empowering message in the story and the smartly crafted whodunnit. It was more of a crime thriller than anything else as the supernatural aspects were not the primary focus. I would have liked more background information on Vaudeline because she was an interesting character that we did not learn too much about. I also think the atmosphere needed to be spookier or the settings more descriptive.

Overall I liked The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner because it had mystery, crime, suspense, and a bit of the occult. By pitting the spiritualist community against the gentlemen clubs of the nineteenth century, the author was able to tell an important story about the shadowy world of Victorian spiritualism. If you liked Penny Dreadful or enjoy reading contemporary Victorian ghost stories, you would probably like this book.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ghosts have come into fashion in London society during the second half of the 19th century and different groups are making seances, spirits, and spooks a profitable business. Ectoplasm lectures, apportation sales, ghost hunts, flame readings, and card interpretations are easily separating the wealthy from their money.

We have two POVs: Lenna Wickes, a 23 year old young understudy to the accomplished and free-thinking Vaudeline D’Allaire, whose specialized seancestry to uncover the perpetrators of crime by inviting the ghostly victim to testify. Lenna is a doubter, but she is still apprenticing to possibly find out who murdered her younger sister Evie (a true believer) on All Hallow’s Eve back in England. Vaudeline does not want to return to London for mysterious reasons, but she’ll teach Lenna in Paris the proper incantations to investigate Evie’s murder herself.

Then there is Mr. M. Morley, a first person POV, properly employed by the London Seance Society in the Department of Spiritualism (not as busy as the Department of Clairvoyance which does hundreds of approved readings and has a steady source of income— yes, it sounds like Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic). Our narrator is 36 years old, otherwise handsome except for an extensive port wine stain birthmark. Mr. Morley is vexed by the lack of resolution regarding the recent murder of the Society’s president, Mr. Volckman, coincidentally also on Halloween night. After all, shouldn’t it be obvious to his gentleman’s club of clairvoyants and mediums who did it? One of Morley’s potential solutions is to entice Vaudeline back to England to be a spiritual detective and conduct a seance for Mr. Volckman. Vaudeline, of course, will insist that Lenna accompany her.

Sarah Penner gives us such a descriptive and evocative sense of London in the 1800s, it’s as if you personally experience the reek of the Thames, the enveloping fog of night, and the slippery dampness of the cobblestone streets. It’s obvious the author meticulously researched the world of long ago spiritualism. There’s the subtle acknowledgment that 30 year old Vaudeline and 36 year old Mr. Morley are considered middle aged and Lenna is reaching spinsterdom. The plot is twisty and satisfying and even sultry. Such a tremendous follow up to her equally atmospheric “The Lost Apothecary” — this novel will assuredly be another bestseller. 5 stars! Bravo!

Thank you to Legend Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Thanks to the séances, a lot of eyes are closed. Vaudeline has “cloud-colored” eyes and I have no idea what color that could be…white? Overcast blue?
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES A vase of decaying pansies and forget-me-nots in February, even if abandoned since October, is unlikely since neither of those flowers would bloom in those months

I love Victorian era and I love anything to do with Spiritualism and seances. Having also previously read Sarah Penner's The Lost Apothecary I was super excited to read The London Seance Society. Also, isn't it an excellent title?!

In Penner's second novel we follow Lenna, a spiritualist understudy, who together with a famous medium Vaudeline D’Allaire arrive in London to investigate a crime... From the very beginning, we're thrown into this mysterious adventure with ghosts and seances in the middle. The London Seance Society is brilliantly researched and fast-paced. The female characters, their relationships and development are very well-written and interesting to follow. There are twists and turns and although I didn't necessarily love the reveal, I enjoyed how the story ended. I would be interested to see what Sarah Penner writes next.

I adored the lost apothecary and jumped at the chance to read this novel. I found it spooky and atmospheric and enjoyed the fact that it was set in Victorian Paris. It was well written, as I now expect from this author, and very vivid in its descriptions. I would recommend it highly to all readers of historical novels who like this period.

The murder of a sister that needs to be solved, a secret society of Séances done by gentlemen, and two women who have opposing beliefs on whether or not Séance actually work. Lenna Wickes believes in science while her sister has always believed in the supernatural and was training to become a medium under the famous spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. When Lenna discovers her sister’s dead body she knows something is suspicious and the only option she has in solving her sister’s murder is reaching out to the beautiful and mysterious Vaudeline who notices Lenna’s natural talents in being a medium. Vaudeline offers to train Lenna to be a medium because she herself refuses to return to London due to the threats to her life... yet when a mysterious letter from London’s exclusive Séance Society for gentlemen arrives begging for Vaudeline to come and help investigate the murder of their leader both Vaudeline and Lenna find themselves returning to London from Paris. While struggling with her beliefs against the occult Lenna is also struggling with her feelings for Vaudeline. Yet the more time they spend together investigating the mystery the more Lenna begins to question what is real and if she is willing to risk her heart and fall for a woman who’s beliefs are so different from her own. The more they look into what Lenna’s sister was doing and how she was involved in this secret society the more they discover the sinister secrets of the society and that they deal in something much darker than spirits. This was a fantastic read, I adored the setting and the world, I especially enjoyed Lenna as a protagonist. She questions things but isn’t afraid to try them despite what she thinks, she is determined to solve the mystery of her sister’s death and she’s not afraid to reach for what she wants or who she wants. The romance was sweet and the mystery was a fun one to read. I definitely think this is a great cozy read on a cold or rainy afternoon!

*Thanks Netgalley and Legend Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I love anything Victorian, set in London, dealing with magic, so I was very excited for this read. The author takes us to Victorian London in vivid detail and gets the atmospheric mood right: it's dark, and foggy, and I could see gaslamps and hear the clip clop of horses and carriages on cobblestones. As a Victorian and history buff, I found the book to be well-researched. Some universal themes are explored here, such as loss, grief, the pursuit of justice, and the means we'll turn to when we're desperate for answers and closure.

It was a pleasant read, but not a standout - the mystery element wasn't quite strong enough for me, and the prose was overly fluffy at times. As a reader of history and 'serious' historical fiction, this felt more like a cozy, light read to me, which I'm sure some will appreciate, but for me this was just a fun read and not something substantial.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

Oh This was fun fun fun fun funnnnn for the late October spooky vibe. It reminded me a lot of the author's first work THE LOST APOTHECARY but also it was different. A nice exploration of London in the past, and a wonderful execution of séance and witchy/spooky/cult vibes.

In Victorian Paris, Lenna Wickes has suspended her disbelief in the supernatural in the hopes that a celebrated medium will reveal the truth about Lenna’s sister’s death. Spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire is known worldwide and sought after by the families of murder victims in the hope she will reveal the name of their killer. Despite her previous assumptions, Lenna finds herself impressed by Vaudeline and when the famous medium is summoned to London to help solve a case, Lenna goes with her, hoping to learn from her mentor. The women find themselves working with the Seance Society, a group comprised only of men, where they are made to feel less competent because of their gender. But they have bigger problems as even as they try to solve a crime it seems they are caught up in one themselves. I loved The Lost Apothecary and was thrilled to have a chance to read Penner’s new historical novel. This is an author to watch