Synopsis:
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. With shared determination, the women find companionship that perhaps borders on something more. And as they 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…

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.

Review:
This book had so many delicious layers that whenever you thought you truly understood what was going on, there was another layer unwrapped that you had to ruminate on. I quite liked how the relationships developed along the way, as well as the levels of trust versus skepticism between Lenna, Vaudeline, and the members of the Séance Society. There were some definite romance-esque parts that seemed unnecessary, uncomfortable, and a bit forced–I think the story would have been fine without them as I didn’t feel they really added anything to it.

I think that the little extras at the end were absolute perfection; information both on what religion was like back then as well as secret societies, and some recipes for related content.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯