The London Seance Society is the second book I have read from Sarah Penner. I love The Lost Apothecary and was excited to see that she had another book available, especially one that delves into the Victorian obsession with life after death and seances.

The novel is told in two viewpoints Lenna Wickes who is investigating the murder of her sister Evie via working as the assistant to famous spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire, and Mr Morley, the vice-president of the London Seance Society. Vaudeline’s specialty is seances for murdered people where she calls up the victim and identifies the murderer. She has fled from London to France due to some threats to her life. The president of the London Seance Society, Mr. Volckman was a friend of Vaudeline and was murdered on All Hallow’s Eve, the same night as Lenna’s sister Evie.. After three months of no arrests Mr. Morley requests that Vaudeline come back to London in disguise (for her safety) to conduct a seance and identify Mr. Volckman’s murderer. Lenna is eager to assist in exchange for Vaudeline conducting a seance to find Evie’s murderer as well. Twists and turns take the two women through the underbelly of Victorian England as well as the upper echelons of society as they attempt to solve the murders.

I enjoyed the behind the scenes of spiritualism in the 19th century and the mystery was intriguing, although I was not surprised at the revelations. Overall this was an enjoyable book, perhaps not as enjoyable as The Lost Apothecary, but I look forward to Ms. Penner’s next book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row and the author for the chance to read and review this book

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Spice Level: Medium
Representation: LGBTQ

I was ready for ghosts! But it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.

It has a fascinating murder. But I was surprised how the women were gathering the clues. Somehow, I expected more of a supernatural element in it. This novel definitely delves into the seamier sides of London, and that was interesting. But I felt like Lenna in particular would have had a more emotional reaction at times.

I wasn't quite sure if this was more of an alternative London where séances were fully part of life or if this was meant to be reflective of the time when the general population was fascinated with the idea of contacting the dead. I'm going to go with more of actual historical as my conclusion. What a fascinating time to delve into.

For some reason, I wasn't expecting spicy scenes in this book. (As per my policy, I skip anything I'm not comfortable reading. But now you know it's in there.)

I loved how the mystery has layers, and I was excited to see how it resolved. I wondered is this going to go straight forward from point B or is going to keep going in this new trajectory from point C? That's something admirable in the writing to pull off.

And then at the final seance, I was on the edge of my seat. That's the type of murder mystery I love.

I'm around a 3.5 for this one for the first half or so. By the last 25% of the book, I couldn't put it down. So, I'm going to go with a 4 stars.

Happy reading!

I was excited to read another novel by Penner since I enjoyed The Lost Apothecary. I liked this one, but not as much as I hoped. It’s a decent mystery but I didn’t connect with any of the characters - they are all fairly two-dimensional and undeveloped. Still, it was quick, entertaining read,just not as good as the author’s previous novel.

What I Loved:

The History. Society is set in Victorian-era England and France and follows the era of the séance craze. As with most supernatural things throughout the ages, women dominated the fortune telling and seances at this time. I loved how well researched and explained how a séance is performed, what Victorian participants would expect, and common fraudulent practices during seances in this book. Penner lovingly details the steps taken, what a participant would feel during the séance, and the ups and down of the reputations of the spiritualists at this time. She also does a wonderful job of showing the power and degree of freedom women spiritualists had as compared to gentry.

The Ambiance. Throughout the novel, Lenna and Vaudeline go to places that the deceased Mr. Volckman went to in the depths of a foggy, chilly London. A brothel, an underground wine cellar, and men’s club of dubious reputation, a carriage driver with cryptic warnings, a police officer as “protection” with a checkered past, and the homes of the dead, are the people and places that Lenna encounters. It all adds up to a vivid and atmospheric setting with a hint of the gothic. When the ghosts do make an appearance, it is no surprise. There are ghosts all around this city.

The End. Obviously cannot elaborate too much. But just know that justice can be served in many ways, and closure can happen in the most eerie of places.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Split Point of View. This book is split into two points of view: Lenna’s and Mr. Morley’s, the Vice President of the London Séance Society. Lenna’s chapters are written in the the third person, the conventional tense for a novel. Mr. Morley’s are written in the first person, which is less conventional but still frequently used. The split in narrative and tenses is frankly confusing and hard to follow, especially on the Kindle. Mr. Morley’s point of view, while informative, felt like a way for Penner to tell the audience about the background of the mystery and multiple big reveals, while not actually adding value to his (or any other) character.

The Characterizations. Further to the above, I had a hard time connecting to any character – Lenna, Evie, Vaudeline, Mr. Morley, or Mr. Vlockman. The most interesting character is the police officer, and even he is only given the dubious aware of Most Interesting Man in London Séance Society due to his checkered past and penchant for brothels. Unfortunately, all other characters are painted in shades of black and white, their personalities characterized by their worst traits.

The Pace. The beginning and end of Seance is where this book shines, but the middle is bogged down by waffling emotions and unnecessary backstory. While I know this is a normal occurrence (lag in the middle), this book was a little extreme in the ramp up to the end.

Sarah Penner weaves a tangled web of secrets, murder and the search for the truth.

The London Seance Society is a spooky book with a delicious setting. Set in the 1870’s it explores Victorian England’s obsessions with seances and ghosts. Are they real? Are the cons? Lenna Wickes, one of the main characters, is obsessed with learning about the art of calling up the dead to avenge her sister’s death. Her sister, Evie, dies mysteriously on All Hallows’ Eve after becoming obsessed with seances and learning from the famed Vaudeline D’Allaire.

Lenna sets out to learn from Vaudeline to try and discover if seances are real, and if they are, if she can call up her sister to avenge her death. However, Evie had secrets, and as Lenna tries to make amends she uncovers more than she bargains for. I loved this read: it flips between Leena’s point of view, written in third person, and the first person perspective of Mr. Morley, a gentleman and vice-president of the London Seance Society. Penner writes a tight book filled with deep historical details, a gothic atmosphere and a lot of suspense. It’s hard to talk about the plot without giving away any spoilers, but let me tell you, it’s good!
There’s so many connections you make as you read through the book and between that and the pacing and the switching POVs it was hard to put this story down. I devoured it. The characters are all interesting and full - they feel so human filled with flaws and longing. Lenna comes to turn with her sister’s death, her role in life, and who she is attracted to: there is a side romance that is soft and sweet and added a fabulous layer to the book.

Penner shines as a historical fiction writer - her descriptions are so evocative and detailed that I felt like I could walk right through her scenes and touch them. This is a book to read with your book club - I just wouldn’t try to call up a ghost afterwards. Who know what could happen?

All in all, this is an excellent gothic story about the Victorian era’s obsession with seances and talking with the dead.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Vaudeline D’Allaire is a very famous spiritualist. She is known for conjuring the spirits of victims of murder. She is sought after for her talents to find the criminals and to bring some solace to the victim’s families. Vaudeline has been called in to solve the crime of a high profile murder and she brings along her student Lenna. These two collaborate to find the killer but they soon discover this is more than they bargained for.

I absolutely loved The Lost Apothecary. You can see my review here . But this one fell a bit short for me. I did enjoy the séance parts. I am all about a good séance and ghosts. And this book really fed my imagination. But, I could not get into the meat of the story…the mystery. It fell flat and I actually got lost in spots. But, in all honesty…I am old and that happens😂!

Need a ghost story for late night reading….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Spooky, mystical, haunting - three of the main themes of The London Séance Society. I really enjoyed Lenna and her motivation to solve the death of her little sister Evie that sparks a life altering journey for her. This is a fast paced book that takes place over the course of a single week, but with numerous flashbacks to bring context and tie the stories together.

Things I liked - the research into the séance phenomena and secret societies that abounded in Victorian England, the characters of Vaudeline and Lenna, the setting, the mystery surrounding Evie's death, the relationship between Vaudeline and Lenna, the dual perspective of Mr. Morley and Lenna, the ending - lots of buildup and then the final discovery wasn't wrapped up in 2 pages.

Things that left me confused - some of the cohesiveness with the flashbacks - repetitive at times, some of the attitudes of the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, I really loved The Lost Apothecary, so was excited when I found out Sarah was writing another book. If you enjoyed The Lost Apothecary, historical fiction novels rooted in the mysticism of the Victorian era, then you might also enjoy this book.

3.75 out of 5 stars, solid recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for the opportunity to review this book, I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner is Historical Fiction mixed with Mystery-Suspense and touches of Magical Realism!

Leena Wickes, aches for more details about the death of her younger sister, Evie, who died in London on All Hollows Eve. Leena thinks of little else.

Even though Leena believes in science and all things tangible, she's willing to cross the line into the world of the supernatural in her quest for answers. That's why she travels to Paris with hopes of learning about the occult directly from Vaudeline D'Allaire.

Mlle. D'Allaire is a world-renown spiritualist and medium known for her success in summoning the spirits of murder victims to discover the identity of their killers.

Soon after Leena arrives in Paris, Vaudeline is commissioned to assist in solving the high profile murder of Mr. Volckman, president of the London Séance Society.

Mr. Morley, vice-president of the Department of Spiritualism at the Society, has elicited Mlle. D'Allaire professional skills in the investigation. Leena will travel with Vaudeline to London, as her understudy.

It seems, Mr. Volckman was murdered in London on All Hollows Eve, just like Leena's sister, Evie...

I read Sarah Penner's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary and loved it but I wanted more historical timeline and less present-day timeline. This author listens to her readers and did just that with The London Séance Society, a Historical Fiction story set in 1873, completely in the Victorian Age, an atmospheric era that lends itself to feeling dark, threatening, and mysterious.

The London Séance Society has a prominently "female perspective" and I enjoyed this intentional presence. I love the contrast between the two main female characters, their relationship, and the way women were viewed and treated during this particular period in history. Leena and Vaudeline were legitimate "working women" of their era. Nice touch, Ms. Penner!

It's obvious as the reader travels through this story, the author has done her homework of researching the details of the Victorian era, the men's clubs, and the topic of spiritualism. The Author's Note gives the reader an in-depth view of her journey in writing this story. It's fascinating information and a wonderful closing to the book.

The London Séance Society has strong character development with backstories that intertwine and lead to several twisty surprises. I remember this author's clean, simple, easy to read, yet engaging writing style in her debut novel and I found it to be the same in this one. Oh my, this author does Historical Fiction SO well. I will definitely read her next book and I highly recommend this one!

4.5 Supernatural Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Sarah Penner for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

I unfortunately did not care for this book. After reading The Lost Apothecary I was excited to hear the author had a new book coming. I really enjoyed the past perspective from The Lost Apothecary so the time period of London Seance Society only added to my excitement. Once starting this book, my feelings quickly changed.

This story is very slow to get going and the full “mystery” isn’t solved until the very end. I typically love books written from alternating perspectives but this felt like the male main characters perspective was a complete repetition of what we learned from the female lead. It was also quite odd (and even distracting at first) that Mr. Morley’s (male main character) perspective was written in first person and Lenna’s (female main character) was written in third.

The mystery in this story didn’t feel like a mystery so much as a telling of how everything came to be. I forgot a murder was even trying to be solved, it felt so secondary with all the moving parts.

I will say, this book was excellently researched and I very much appreciate that effort.

Ultimately, had I not been provided an advanced copy in return for honest feedback, I would not have finished this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this advanced readers copy of The London Seance society.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner is a gothic mystery set in late Victorian era.

Told in dual perspective this novel follows Leena, apprentice to Vaudeline D' Allaire, a spiritualist who holds seances to contract murder victims in an attempt to solve their crimes and Mr. Morley of the Society's Department of Spiritualism.

This fabulous story is full of so many twists and turns but I don't want to spoil it!!!

Highly recommend this novel for fans of historical fiction and mysteries.

Lenna was always practical, fascinated by the physical world. Tangible signs left behind after death, fossils and the like. Her sister Evie had been practical in her own way, obsessed with communicating with the dead, seances and such, but also how unscrupulous people might fabricate signs from beyond.

When Evie is murdered, Lenna turns to Vaudeline D’Allaire for help, a spiritualist specializing in communicating with the deceased in order to find their murderers, and her sister’s former mentor. Unfortunately, Vaudeline has fled to Paris because of a dangerous situation connected to the (mens only) organization of The London Séance Society. Lenna sees no choice other than going to Paris and training as an assistant - trying to learn all she can so she can return the scene of her sister’s death and attempt to communicate with her herself.

I don’t want to say much more, for fear of ruining the plot, but a turn of events have Vaudeline returning to London with Lenna in tow and that’s when the plot thickens.

Going in I expected more actual supernatural content, but instead found a multi-layered murder mystery. The secrets have secrets in this one. Hoaxes, spies, threats of exposure and murders. Double agents? Triple agents? You’d be hard pressed to find a handful of people who are what they seem on the surface. I thought the ‘major twist reveal’ came abnormally early, but there were still plenty of threads to untangle, and I actually liked the last quarter of the book most of all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC

Sarah Penner's THE LONDON SEANCE SOCIETY brings to life an era when Spiritualism was widely practiced. With this story, Penner tells the story of Lenna, a young woman aching to learn and resolve her sister's murder. Under the tutelage of a talented and deeply accomplished medium in France, Lenna attempts to study and master the summoning of spirits, both innocent and malevolent ones, to bring her new abilities back to London to honor her sister and ensure her peace. As an avid fan of THE LOST APOTHECARY, I entered Penner's compelling tale with eager anticipation of her adroit way of bringing the past to life and exploring the deepest, most secret, and genuine aspects of the human heart. I stayed, happily hypnotized with a great story told so well that I had to read it with the lights blazing, asking myself the question of how far I would dare to go for a loved one. The twists and turns and intricacies are well-woven, making for a rich and enjoyable storyline. I received a copy of this novel and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review. Can I just say that Sarah Penner is already a force to be reckoned with, and this is her second novel? The Last Apothecary, her previous work, was on my 2022 list of Best Books. This novel, The London Seance Society, is 100% absolutely going on my 2023 list of Best Books. Penner is a master of creating twists, turns, moments that make you gasp, while blending history, emotion, and the undercurrents of things that are taboo. Lenna Wickes is a character you can't help but adore; she makes human, flawed, and imperfect choices while trying to chase down the truth about the death and secret life of her sister, all while staving off her own secrets and past. I couldn't get enough of this novel, and am already impatient for Penner to release her next work!

I enjoyed Sarah Penner's debut novel and was excited to dig into her latest! The London Séance Society has a similar vibe to The Lost Apothecary in that it deals with the occult and the darker underbelly of history, has strong female characters, and is told from multiple points of view, but there is only one timeline in The London Séance Society.

The book begins with English Lenna Wickes in Paris studying under the tutelage of the acclaimed medium Vaudeline D'Allaire. Seeking answers about her sister's recent death, Lenna returns with Vaudeline to London to perform another high-profile séance and discovers the common threads between the two mysteries.

The story was atmospheric and enthralling, but the pacing felt slow at times. As the mystery slowly unfurled, I found myself growing frustrated with the clunkiness of dissemination of information from the second POV. These small qualms aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from this promising newer author!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review! I enjoyed it.

This was my first book read of the new year, but I wanted to do my review closer to publication date, which will be this week!! Congrats, Sarah!

First off, Sarah’s style hits right up my alley. As a child, I was always intrigued and fascinated by ghost stories, seances, ouija boards, potions, which craft, old London, etc.. When I was given the opportunity to be one of the first reviewers for TLA, I jumped in with open arms and LOVED Nella and Eliza’s story! So I was stoked to have received another advanced copy.
All of these elements were there again, with murders included for good measure. (Please note that you will discover the truth early on, but it’s the ride and how it unfolds that was the most fun for me.)

As I was reading, strong research was apparent, along with the sensitive written nature of of the female/female love interest in an 1872 timeframe. The novel is inspired by a real male-only, séance club, started by Charles Dickens. We have two strong, female protagonists that work together to take this club down as falsities about it are proven around town. Great lengths are taken by those that run it to make sure their trade secrets don’t get out. I liked that we had one of the protagonists to be a natural skeptic in the paranormal… only to see for herself, what can be possible. It’s a story of family, loss and revenge and would be perfect for those who enjoy a historical European setting, strong, female protagonists and magical realism.

I LOVED the people Sarah chose to thank at the end in the acknowledgments, LOVED that Sarah included her signature recipes at the end of the book (so fun!) …AND…The last few chapters (explosive!) and epilogue were some of the best I’ve read in a long time…I personally highlighted many lines!

I cannot wait for more from Sarah!!!
Thank you to the publishers and NG for this early copy!

I LOVE this author. The first book was perfectly atmospheric and cozy - this book followed suit perfectly. Love the storyline, characters, and especially the setting. Can't wait to read more by this author.

This book was magnificent! I could not put it down and when I did because adulting I could not stop thinking about it. This by far is the best book I have read in a very long time. I was invested in the characters and the journey they were on. It made it easy to want to keep reading. Run do not walk to get this book in your hands and in your heart.

✨𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?

The premise was fun, and I loved the setting of Paris in the 1800’s and Victorian London. The fact that this centers around a medium, a mystery, and numerous seances made really intrigued me. The chapters were short, which I love! The settings are eerie and atmospheric which I enjoyed, but unfortunately that is all that this one had going for it.


✨𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?

The beginning started off strong and drew me in with a bit of suspense and delicious atmospheric gothic vibes, but the it fell completely flat for me. Although I enjoyed the premise of this one, the story did not “WOW” me or captivate me. The build up took way too long for a mediocre ending. I had a hard time keeping interest with this one, and really did not find myself invested in any of the characters.

✨𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?

If you love a gothic, atmospheric, fun ghost story & if you enjoyed the author’s debut book, The Lost Apothecary, then you may enjoy this one. It has a lot of great reviews and high ratings on Goodreads, and although it was a fun read, it fell flat for me and I felt myself having to force myself to finish this one.


𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5

While original in its portrayal of the spiritualist movement in Europe in the late 1800s, Sarah Penner’s latest novel ultimately disappoints. After a lengthy and dry exposition, we are finally teased with an interesting heroine who nonetheless remains shallowly drawn and unlikeable and a mystery far too easily unveiled.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved Sarah Penner's first book and wasn't sure she could get better than it but she did it!!!!! The London Seance Society is an amazing story of 18th century psychics and if you enjoyed Ms Penner's first book you will devour this one. This book was a delight to read and pulls you in from the first page and doesn't let go until the last one