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