London was rife with spiritualists and otherworldly activity in 1873, so much so that entire societies were devoted to connecting the living with the dead. Exclusive men's clubs, like the fictional London Séance Society, were all the rage. Intended as a social club where gentleman met to play cards, drink, and hone their paranormal skills, the London Séance Society also provided outreach services by hosting lectures and demonstrations. Etiquette of the time prohibited proper ladies from attending meetings or visiting the Society headquarters but women were allowed to hire Society members to perform rituals at private gatherings. Designed to provide income and gain more clients for the Society, members also regularly visited wealthy grieving widows in their homes to cleanse the space and usher spirits on to the afterlife. Grateful mourners told their friends and family that Society members comforted them in their time of need and word spread quickly.
At the same time in Paris, where the rules of society were more fluid with regards to the activities of women, a world-famous spiritualist named Vaudeline D'Allaire hosted "dark" séances in order to provide closure to the families of murder victims. Vaudeline's skills in conjuring spirits and solving crimes attracted the attention of Lenna Wickes, a skeptical young British woman, who traveled to Paris to apprentice herself to Vaudeline with the hopes of learning more about her own sister's death. While the two women worked to develop Lenna's natural talent, a mysterious letter arrived that tied both women to a possible murder in London.
Told from two different narrators, Morley, a member of the Society, and Lenna, the apprentice medium, the mores of the time and the legitimacy of occult activities overlap in different ways that challenge the authenticity and fraudulent nature of those who claimed to possess paranormal gifts during that era. I enjoy ghost stories and there are definitely elements of that, plus a riveting mystery that is all wrapped up in the intrigue of warring factions inspired by greed, power and control. Also included in the book are instructions on how to make a "trick" candle should you need one.
Another gem from Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary.