Mrs Wood is a first-class medium in Victorian London. She has her pick of clientele and is lauded by high-society. But when she decides to take on an ‘apprentice’, things begin to take a different turn.

The strength of this book for me is the atmosphere of Victorian society which is so skilfully brought to life in the opening pages. I found myself becoming fascinated with the period and in particular the interest in spiritualism at that time. The fact that the book was set in the area where I grew up – and in fact mentioned the street where I was born – gave the book an added layer of interest as the setting was so familiar to me.

It took a while to get going but once I was past the halfway mark, I was completely hooked. Every character was so well-drawn, the setting was evoked through detailed description and the events leading up to the book’s close were gripping. This book will not disappoint.

Captivating and intriguing, Lucy Barker’s novel is as entrancing as one of Mrs Wood’s grand seances must have been. Superbly atmospheric, it was almost a shock to find I was over a century ahead of the pages open in front of me. Well worth a read.

This was a wonderful historical novel set in the world of psychic mediums back in the day when people were a lot more gullible. Mrs Wood is a medium who decides to take on an apprentice. Sadly, her psychic skills let her down, so she doesn't realise that all is not as it seems with her new protege. As the tale progresses, her student's secrets gradually reveal themselves, threatening everything Mrs Wood has achieved.

It's a truly wonderful insight into the world of Victorian women looking to support themselves and survive in a world where marriage meant you became your husband's property. It also examines the ethics of psychic work when the mediums all know that what they do is a fraud - or is it?

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I began this book with no expectations but was immediately drawn into the world of 19th century London and the spiritualist societies that operated there. Mrs Wood is a widely recognised medium who has reached her position through hard work and scrupulous attention to detail. She knows exactly what her patrons want to see and hear and is conscientious in delivering it to them. When a young girl appears outside her house seeking her attention Mrs Wood listens to her and agrees to take her on as an apprentice. However, dear, sweet, Miss Finch turns into something of a viper and life will never be the same again for Mrs Wood.
The story began somewhat slowly and if I hadn't been fascinated by the details of the rituals and society life including the dresses, the houses and the food, I might perhaps have abandoned it. However, as the tale progresses and it becomes obvious Mrs Wood is made of strong stuff, I was once again engaged and couldn't wait to finish it.
There are several threads running through the book, primarily trust and friendship I think, but also there is a fair amount about the beginnings of the women's movement and their early campaigns for women's rights that would allow women to work for themselves and have independence from men - something Mrs Wood is for the most part able to do.
I very much enjoyed the characters, especially Mrs Wood and Miss Newman who are both strong and determined people. Eliza as the maid is beautifully drawn and I love the idea of her stamping round the house, barely speaking as she carries a ball of anger around inside her. Even Miss Finch, as the villain, is a satisfying creation.
In short a very enjoyable story, which perhaps could have been tightened a bit, but the attention to detail was excellent.
Many thanks to Netgalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Mrs.Wood is a medium, one of the most popular in Victorian London. A seat at her séance table is highly sought after, and she has a book of high brow clients who look to her for spiritual guidance, and remunerate her well for it. Mrs.Wood has managed to work in the competitive world of mediumship for years, forming her own Circle, and avoiding any slips or associations which reveal frauds in the game. She thrives on hosting séances for high society ladies.

However, Mrs.Wood is not getting any younger. There are new mediums coming on the scene. There are reports coming over the water of American mediums materialising full body spirits. Attendees at séances want more than shaking tables, knocking and things falling from thin air into their laps. Mrs.Wood is fighting to keep relevant and fresh. Then at one of her séances she hears a bone chilling sound - a yawn. She knows she needs to do something, and quickly, lest she lose more clients.

Mrs.Wood decides on something that has never been done before, taking on a student. Emmie Finch, a pretty and naïve young girl, tells Mrs.Wood she wants to learn how to become a medium. Young, willing, trusting and harmless, Emmie is perfect to bring some interest and excitement to Mrs.Wood’s séances. But is Emmie everything she appears? Mrs.Wood is desperately trying to hold on to her reputation and her finances, will the spirits help or hinder her?

I really enjoyed this unique story. Set in Victorian London, it took the concept of social norms, and the huge importance of one's status in life, and how one should behave, and mixed in a topic not usually addressed in historical fiction. Victorians loved spiritualism, and seeing the Victorian dry and stuffy side, with the rules and manners to be followed, mixed in with the voracious appetite for communing with the ‘other side’ was a great read. Along with the fun theme of mediums and their prevalence in the era, it is a book filled with strong female characters, the beginning of the women’s rights movement, and the idea that a woman can support herself and doesn’t need to marry for financial independence. Overall a very engaging read.

*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review, but all opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book so much. It was such a refreshingly fun read, with amazing world-building,. . . reading it, you could really feel the thrill and excitement of being invited to Mrs Wood's seance table. The humour landed perfectly too; I genuinely laughed out loud at parts, and the plot was pacey and mysterious enough to keep me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen next. Will definitely be recommending this to everyone. Thanks for letting me read & review!

With thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher 4th Estate for this advanced copy.
This is the story of Mrs Wood , a London medium who finds that her patrons are getting a little tired by her seances. She needs to find a way to spice things up a bit. To this end she brings in young Emmie Finch. Emmie shows amazing ability and starts to eclipse Mrs Wood and there begins Mrs Woods problems. The story continues to show their diverging careers and the effect it has on them.
The story is well written and quite evocative of Victorian London and the changing place of women in society. I found that in turns i liked the main characters then i didn't like them then i felt sorry for them. At the end of the book was a twist i didn't expect but which could have been flashed out a little more,.It seemed quite rushed.
All in all i enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Enjoyable easy read set in Victorian times.

I like reading books set in this era especially when it’s about mediums etc.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gripped me right from the start, it was fun and compelling and the characters were so well developed they could have jumped out of the page. I loved it,

two mediums go toe to toe in this lovely book and it is truly something enjoyable to read!

I very much had fun reading this and would recommend this to my friends :)

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I loved it. The story is compelling, the characters (especially Mrs Wood) are interesting and really come alive, and I thought the ending was perfect. I also enjoyed the way in which the era was depicted, with a real sense of how easily a person could fall into destitution, and how desperate people were to climb out of poverty. The underlying theme of women's rights and independence was also appealing. I will definitely recommend this book.

I totally fell in love with this book. Its characters are well developed and you end up being totally drawn into their world. I am not sure why ii is being called a comedy as there are some funny moments but it is not what I would call in the comedy genre.
I can not praise this book enough it is totally different and draws you in. You really feel like you are in Victorian England at seances The atmosphere created is so good and you end up being drawn to each character. I hope this gets picked up as a film as it would be brilliant. One of the must reads of 2023.

The other side of Mrs Wood
by Lucy Barker

A fascinating start, a wholesome middle but sadly a most unlikely and unimaginable ending.

I really enjoyed reading this book but was very disappointed by what I felt was a weak and convenient ending. I can’t help thinking how much better the tale would’ve been if the young protégé really had the gift herself!

Enjoyable characters throughout, but for me, this is a story of what could have been but ultimately wasn’t.

I'm torn between giving "The Other Side of Mrs Wood" by Lucy Barker 4 stars or 5 stars. The book is set in the middle of the Victorian era when séances were big business. We follow Mrs Wood around her Grand Séances and her private clients, and how she introduces her protégée to society. I was really invested in Mrs Wood, rooting for her all the way, and did find myself booing Miss Finch, like some pantomime character. I was so caught up in the book that I may have missed that this was a comedy.

I absolutely adored this book! There was a few dark elements, but on the whole this wasa fun, quirky story with some mischievous characters. An atmospheric Victorian setting would make this tale perfect for a Sunday evening TV drama!

A well written and atmospheric read set in Victorian London and their obsession with seances and the afterlife. I absolutely adored Mrs Wood as a character and went on a rollercoaster of emotions as the story unfolded. It’s quite difficult to write too much more without spoilers but suffice to say this book is filled with spirits, secrets, lies, deceit, atmospheric seances and class status. Gloriously unpredictable and fabulous! It would make a wonderful TV series ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

At first I had an idea of how the book would turn out, I was wrong but somehow in the end, wasn't surprised by the ending. I really quite enjoyed this.

Well this was certainly different! Most intriguing and hugely enjoyable! Mrs Wood is a celebrated Medium in mid 19th Century London at the height of her career. Looking for something different she takes on Miss Finch, a young protégée who shows great promise! However, Miss Finch proves to be a somewhat different medium altogether and the ‘promise’ is not at all what Mrs Wood has bargained for! I loved the unexpected twists and turns of this story! On reading one page I was sure I knew what was going to happen only to be completely surprised several pages later! I also appreciated that the author never totally reveals the mysteries of the seances - we suspect where certain bumps in the dark rooms come from, with the help of Miss Newman, Mrs Woods assistant and friend but thoroughly enjoyed the few little tricks kept very carefully up her sleeve! The conclusion left me one happy reader! Would be fascinated to learn what inspired the author and would love to know more of the history of the introduction of seances in the 19th Century. Thank you for this treat of a story!

The other side of Mrs Wood was like nothing I have ever read before a breath of fresh air so unique. We are introduced to Mrs Wood a medium who is the best in the business until somebody new comes on the scene. This book will transport you to another time. I highly recommend

I read an e-ARC of this on Net Galley so thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for letting me read this.

This started off nicely but a little slow, but then I hit an event and I couldn’t put the book down. I stayed up late to finish it. The author lulled me into a false sense of security and then when they pulled the rug out from under me, I realised the breadcrumbs leading to that moment had been there all along!

This is a story about Mediums in the Victorian era. The setting is excellent, it’s evoked really well through the language, the mannerisms of the characters, the social rituals that take place. Even smaller details such as the food (which was gorgeously described) and thoughts around clothing, all brought the setting to life so well.

There are strong themes of feminism throughout this book. No matter what Mrs Wood does, there’s a constant undercurrent of how difficult it is for her to be self sufficient. She’s a widow and she has a suitor who would marry her, but she wants to maintain her independence and she has to work so hard to do this. Some of the more questionable choices she makes can be forgiven when viewed through this lens as you realise how challenging it is for her to keep her business and livelihood afloat. There is also the inclusion of the women’s rights movement that we see through Miss Newman.

There’s so much I’d like to say about this book but it’s hard without giving away information that would delight a reader to discover for themselves. I greatly enjoyed the themes of female friendship, redemption, discovering who one’s true friends are.

The author very cleverly presents the activities of the mediums early on in such a way as to make you question what’s real and what’s not. This created some fascinating and entertaining seances, particularly as Mrs Wood tries to go bigger and bolder to keep the attention of her fickle patrons.

I love it when a book makes me feel strong emotions and I experienced genuine outrage at parts of the book! I was furious with certain characters and I really was invested in Mrs Wood’s success.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Solid 4.5 stars for me, gripping story, likeable yet flawed characters, brilliantly executed theme.