I am a fan of Sarah’s work, so I was very much looking forward to reading this, and she doesn’t disappoint- I think I may like it more than The Lost Apothecary….

In short, we have two strong female characters, searching for the truth amongst the dodgy dealings in the Seance Society….

The story really gripped me, and I really was taken by surprise a good few times, the characters are fabulous and the story is brilliant!

My thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The London Séance Society is part historical fiction, mystery and magical realism.

Leena Wickes is searching for truths around her younger sister, Evie's death. She was killed on All Hollows, and her death has left the family with more questions than answers. Leena knows Evie was mixed-up in the world of the supernatural so she travels to Paris with hopes of learning about the occult directly from Vaudeline D'Allaire.

D'Allaire is a world-renown medium known for summoning the spirits of murder victims to identity their killers. She's currently hiding in Paris after the high profile murder of Mr. Volckman, president of the London Séance Society.

Soon she's summoned back to London by Mr. Morley, vice-president of the Department of Spiritualism at the Society, to perform a seance at the location of Volchman's murder who also happened to die on All Hollows Eve. The London Séance Society, a histfic story set in 1873, is dark and ominous as we learn why two people were murdered on the same day.

Thank you Legend Press for the complimentary copy.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner
I give this book 4.stars

When Vaudeline a spiritualist 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…

An atmospheric read set in the Victorian era involving murder,spiritualism and a gentlemen’s club. Told from Lena and Mr Morley’s pov this is a whodunnit filled with vengeance and the power of love. l loved the strong female characters portrayed,the details of this era and the paranormal aspect …. what is real and what is an illusion. As a bonus the author has included interesting facts on funeral customs and recipes of funeral food and drink at the end of the book.With thanks to Netgalley,Sarah Penner and Legend Press for my chance to read and review this book

We meet Lenna Wilkes in Paris, 1873, in the midst of a séance in which she is acting as an apprentice to the renowned spiritualist, Vaudeline D’Allaire. Lenna is by nature a sceptic, but the murder of her sister Evie, who was herself training to become a medium, has led her to explore every possible avenue of finding out the truth behind her sister’s death.

The police have all but given up on finding Evie’s killer, but when Vaudeline is called to the UK to aid in solving the murder of the head of the London Séance Society – a murder which happened on the same night as Evie’s – Lenna accompanies her and finds herself drawn ever further into the murky world of mediumship in Victorian London.

This is a great read, with fascinating details about Victorian London and the art of séances thrown in amid some interesting characters. The relationships between the characters are great, and the plot is nicely paced and twisty. The author takes a firm line on whether the spirits and séances are real or not, and I think I would have preferred that to be more open to interpretation, but I still enjoyed the story.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping book

seances, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night...then this is the book for you

summoned back to london acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire and her student lenna wicks are about to undertake a case that will bring them into danger and may even cost them their lives...

lenna is a sceptical student and has yet to see a ghost but this adventure she is about to undertake may find all that she believes may be tested to the limit

a slow burner and at times i felt frustrated with lenna but the end result was worth the weight in gold....hope there are more stories like this to come from the author

The author is a favorite of mine having read her first book "The Lost Apothocary". that is a brillantly written book.

This is a step into the gothic world of 1800's London and Paris. To the underworld of a famous medium. I loved everything about this book . The setting is masterfully done, the charcters are rich and brought to life. Thr subject is mysterious and the mystery is expertly plotted in how the author weaves the clues and people together. The author's work is so well designed she captivated me from the beginning to conclusion. I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy a mysterious histioric setting of mediums and London and Paris. Well done to the author.
I look forward to her next book.

Thank you with gratitude to Net Galley, the publisher and to the author. My review opinions are my own.

The London Seance Society
by Sarah Penner

"May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium"

This is a historical fiction, murder mystery set in Victorian London at the height of the craze for seances. The Victorians were such a superstitious lot. Science hadn't come up with many of the answers to their burning questions about life and death yet, so society was primed for anything that would fill that space, clairvoyance, mediumship, magic writing, sudden scents, flickering lights, things that go bump in the dark.

Many people that probably should have known better, but were desperate for communication with their dearly departed, became fodder for those that would manipulate and take advantage of their vulnerability, and the richer they were, the better.

When I was much younger I was absolutely fascinated by the occult and the whole seance scene. If you didn't get to mess around with an ouija board in the 1970s or 80s, were you even a teenager? Penner has perfectly captured that atmosphere of rabid curiosity where your brain gets completely over-ruled by that part of you that turns to what-ifs.

The book opens with "The Seven Stages of a Seance", the formula for correctly and safely evoking, isolating, and inviting a deceased person to entrancement in order to ascertain the circumstances of their death. Lenna and her tutor, the world famous medium Vaudeline D'Allaire are invited to the London Seance Society, a gentleman's club in London, to investigate a death, but they soon become suspicious about the nature of the club and fear for their own safety.

With themes of secrecy, truth and illusion, lqbtq romance, male entitlement, female vengence and paranormal activity this is a suspenseful, propulsive and highly entertaining read. I flew through it.

Publication date: 21st March 2023
Thanks to #netgalley and #legendpress for the ARC

This is my second novel by Penner and after loving The Lost Apothecary, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The London Seance Society! I’m happy to report that I found this one to be just as enjoyable and thoughtfully written as her first.

Penner’s books always feel well researched for the historical era or time periods and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her author’s note regarding the inspiration behind this novel.

The blend of historical fiction, inspired by real historical data, along with the occult theme, the undercover exposé of the secret men’s only society, and the murder mysteries made for such a compelling premise! I found myself completely invested in Lenna and Vaudeline as characters and in their dynamic. I also absolutely loved the conclusion of this book!

I will continue to be a fan and reader of Penner’s work and look forward to whatever she puts out next. Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row publishing for this gifted eARC! I’m rating this 4.5 rounded up to 5.

The lost apothecary was one of my favourite books last year and I was excited to read this new book by the same author.

It’s wonderful story full of intriguing characters and an interesting plot. Set in 1873 in London and Paris, mostly about a gentleman’s club, where a woman is trying to find the truth about her death sister.
It’s so beautiful plotted with so many interesting and interwoven real stories from history from that time period in England and France. The beliefs of spiritual groups and their actions, the conjuring those spirits and the investigations taking place in a ethereal world.
I loved the main characters. Lenna is smart and interesting and a female character that will do just about anything to find out what happened with her sister and why has she passed away, that means even infiltration into the close circle of well acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire.
With a few suspenseful moments, sometimes I thought that Lenna was taking the bad decisions in this investigation but the author was always turning the cards onto her and I think the ending is quite satisfying.
It’s a beautiful story that many people will enjoy, maybe a bit more than the previous one.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy.

The story begins with Lena Wilkes a 23 year old understudy to a popular, well-known medium Vaudeline D'Allaire, specializing in contacting victims of violent crimes to bring justice for their families. Lena's younger sister who had also trained with the famous spiritualist was murdered in London on All Hallows Eve, Lena is training to try and bring justice for her sister.
I loved reading about this time in history and the author totally captures the true essence of victorian society, the do's and don'ts and social taboos that were so strictly adhered to.
The book is filled with a cast of quirky characters, the other- worldly atmosphere of seances, ghosts and spirits that lurk just outside our reach.
Sometimes the story did drag a bit, but then it would pick the pace back up, so overall a fairly good, interesting story with a unique plot. I give 4 stars and will recommend.
Thank you to Legend Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

What a brilliant read that was. Not something I would normally choose but so glad I did. I was genuinely hooked from start to finish. And the Authors Notes at the end were most interesting. A well written, well plotted historical novel set in 1873 in London and Paris at a time when Victorians were deeply believing in spiritualism and Séances were a regular occurrence. A well written and immersive storyline about a gentleman’s club, The London Séance Society, told mainly from the POVs of Lenna and Mr Morley a member of the Society.

Briefly, Lenna Wickes travelled to Paris to meet with Vaudeline D’Allaire, a famous spiritualist, to ask for help contacting her sister Evie who was murdered. Vaudeline is know for contacting murder victims to ascertain who killed them and is going to London to try and find a killer and Lenna is going with her as an understudy. Unbeknownst to them they are about to place themselves in serious danger.

The spiritual elements were well incorporated into the murder mystery and although I’m as sceptical as Lenna it was done in such a way I found it quite spooky at times. I liked both of the main female protagonists and there were some good red herrings which fooled me - the big reveal was a total shock! A dark mystery with paranormal elements this was a good enthralling read with a smattering of romance. Very enjoyable.

Set in 19th century London, Lenna sets about investigating the circumstances of her sister Evie's death after she realises she was mixed up in séances and shadowy world of The London Séance Society. The society is exclusively for men but Evie is permitted to drum up business for the group, most of which is a sham - smoke and mirrors. Evie is however interested in genuinely communicating with the dead and meets Vaudeline who seems to be the real deal. After Evie dies, Lenna meets Vaudeline and together they seek the truth. This was a quick and enjoyable read but I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters.

This ARC (advanced reader copy) was kindly gifted to me by Netgalley. And don’t worry, ARC reviews will always be spoiler free so no need to run!

INITIAL THOUGHTS

I’m a sucker for whodunnit plots, and even more so when the setting is in two countries close to heart – England and France.

I was quite interested to discover how the author would incorporate the mystical, spiritual element in, without making it too tacky. When I’m visualising, I want good imagery – not the stereotypical ones.

Having read the book, I can understand what the references in the cover are alluding to. However, I feel like at first glance, the cover is too cheery and doesn’t give any mystical vibes!

A séance led by a world renowned spiritualist is to occur at an abandoned chateau in Paris. Unlike other spiritualists, of which most are fraudsters, Vaudeline D’Allaire is able to assist murder victims find justice by identifying the killers.

Lenna, following the harrowing death of her sister, has joined Vaudeline’s group as an understudy in order to find closure and the killer’s identity. However, along the way she struggles with her belief in all things spiritual vs all things factually proven by science.

In the end, what appears to to be a singular crime appears to all contain dark connections, and perhaps more than one life has been claimed…

Considering the book is set in the Late Victorian era, it embodies that quite well with the characters reflecting the social norm of that time in their thoughts and actions. It’s quite evident the oppression of women exists, and that sexuality was a taboo subject in most places. It was also a period where we begin to see a shift towards beliefs being founded on science rather than the traditional authority or religion and spiritualism. This ties in well with some of the characters unwavering loyalty towards seances and its outcomes, but also some characters doubt.

The plot was quite intricate and well weaved. It wasn’t predictive and each character had a solid backstory that added value to the overall story.

The visual imagery was sufficient and I could tell a great depth of research went into seances. However, it was never forced down the reader’s throat, rather gracefully intertwined into the plot. At times, the pace of the novel did feel like it was slightly dragging but overall, thoroughly enjoyed the story.

IF I COULD TWEAK ONE THING…

We see some romance blossom between some of the characters, but at times it seems unnecessary and not adding value to the overall plot, or it seems to spring up at unsuitable moments – like I didn’t need to know in that much detail considering the overall genre of the book! (but maybe I’m just a hater of people being happily in love).

The story follows a young English woman in search for answers to her sister's murder. To do so, she joins forces with the popular medium her sister trained under.
As the two women grow closer, so do the dangers of London.

This was a sweet and fairly quick story. I particularly enjoyed the mood and haunted ambience. The two protagonists had a lovely chemistry, amplified by the yearning that the late 1800s required. I wish we had a stronger build up of tension, with more spooky elements throught the story. I enjoyed the ending, overall it was a light and pleasurable read.

I want to start this review off my saying that I was a huge fan of Sarah Penner's first book, The Lost Apothecary'. So, when I got an ARC of her second book, I was really excited to read it.

This book was ok to me. I didn't love it nor did I hate it. I had a few problems with pacing. It took a long period of time to start to unravel the actual mystery. There are 42 chapters in this books and it didn't really start to hook me until halfway into the book. Like I said, it wasn't a bad read for any stretch. Just took longer to get to the bigger picture.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who likes historical mysteries with a touch of the supernatural.

I was a huge fan of Sarah Penners book The Lost Apothecary. So I had to read and review this as well. For those of you that are fans of Victorian Era Seances this is a good book for you to read. It's a historical fiction/mystery.
Eva is trying to find out who murdered her sister Evie . Evie was getting involved in the London Seance Society which is actually limited to men only. Evie decides to go there to investigate.

This is a good book. It is especially if you are interested in Victorian Era and Seances of that time.

I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️‘s. After enjoying Penner’s first novel, The Lost Apothecary, I couldn’t resist grabbing this on NetGalley. In London 1873, seances are the sought after way for the living to reach out and ‘speak’ to the dead. Told in dual narratives, the author immerses the reader into the Victorian era and spiritualism. The mystery is a slow burn, yet comes to conclusion quickly and unsurprisingly. If you are looking for a different type of historical fiction than you normally read, this was still engaging and well written!

This was an interesting concept and normally I love books set in this era but for me it was a bit slow and lacking in the paranormal side of things, but I did enjoy the dual pov and the characters were nicely fleshed out!

Paris, 1873
Lenna is wondering what happened to her sister after her death. She wants answers!

Now in an abandon chateau a seance is about to start…Do you believe what you see and hear?

Lenna decides to train as a medium under Vaudeline D’Allaire after she is called to London to help solve a murder. They end up working with men from the London Seance Society.

This novel is like a puzzle. I was trying to put all the pieces together.

I remember dabbling with the Ouija board as a teen, but never thought about seances. I think I would be afraid of what or whom I would conjure up.

There are of twists and turns in this with interesting character's and the mystery itself was interesting. However the romance side of things felt very much wedged in as an after thought and just seemed awkward and added nothing to the story. Also the POV's kept moving from first to third depending on the character which was a bit confusing especially in regards to the mystery so 3/5. This is the first book by this author I have read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.