The London Seance Society is Sarah Penner's second novel. I really enjoyed the first one but this one wasn't as fun to read. I liked the premise of this book - 2 women traveling to London to conduct a seance in hopes of solving a murder. The plot kept me reading; I wanted to find out what would happen next. However, the alternating points of view, one in first and one in third person didn't work for me. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for providing this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I very badly wanted to love The London Séance Society. Unfortunately, I was not left hanging on every word as I was for The Lost Apothecary. While love isn't the word, I found some aspects of the book quite enjoyable. The plot of Lenna trying to get answers and avenge her sister Evie's death was well developed. The theme of Victorian era paranormal was a fantastic one! I just struggled with how the characters interacted throughout. While this wasn't a win for me, I anticipate this book being loved by many. It will certainly not keep me from reading more Sarah Penner in the future.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for a copy of this in exchange for a review. This was my 102nd book read of this year. What a ride this book was!! Five stars from me. There was enough mystery to keep me in suspense throughout the book. This book was so much fun. Run to get this book by @sarah_penner_author when it hits the shelves in March of 2023!

Sarah Penner is a fabulous writer— vivid descriptions and characters who leap off the page. I loved reading Lena’s POV, so filled with emotion and longing and devotion to solving her sister’s murder.

I thought Mr. Morley’s confession chapter should have been placed farther into the book or deleted altogether. It zapped the tension and made the middle sag. But the story does recover spectacularly and the tension builds again until the end.

If you’re a fan the Victorian historical fiction, the supernatural, strong female characters and a wee bit of murder, then you will love this book!

I received a free e-ARC of this book via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy Sarah Penner's Historical Fiction, but a trusted book friend told me I had to read The Lost Apothecary, and I really enjoyed and went straight on to The London Seance Society.

Spiritualism and seances were all the rage in Victorian London, and this is the fascinating backdrop for this enchanting multi-layered mystery.

Mr Morley is a senior figure in The London Seance Society, Lenna is a sceptic who is studying with expert medium Vaudeline. The story is told from the perspectives of Morley and Lenna.

Lenna's sister Evie died recently, while involved with The London Seance Society, and when Vaudeline is invited back to London from her exile in Paris, Lenna hopes to investigate the truth of Evie's death.

There are many questions to be answered, not least can Morley and Vaudeline really speak to the departed? What are their true motives?

Sarah Penner's is very skilled at keeping lots of plates spinning, there are plenty of plot angles and twists, backed by that seductive atmosphere of Victorian spiritualism, good depth of character and historical detail. It flows nicely, kept me glued and picking it up to read every chance I got.

Very enjoyable. Sure to appeal to fans of The Lost Apothecary and those curious to read a different and original historical mystery thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing

The London Seance Society was a great mix of mystery and historical fiction. I loved delving into the world of mediums and spirits. Very enthralling, easy to read. I would read this author's work again.

This book is the author's second effort, after the excellent THE LOST APOTHECARY, and in my opinion, she has another winner! Set in 1873 Paris and London, the story involves two women, both spiritualists, who claim to be able to contact murder victims to discover their killers. The sister of one of the women died on Halloween, as did the leader of the London Seance Society, an organization that also contacts the dead, and the two women go to London to investigate. The story is filled with twists and turns and surprises, as well as fascinating information about the activities of spiritualists during this time period. The settings were very atmospheric, and the characters vivid and memorable, even down to the minor but important "deaf" carriage driver. This is an entertaining, informative, and thrilling read. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing and Park Row for providing an ARC.

I really liked the previous author's book, The Lost Apothecary, and was ready to plunge back into her writing. But, if the story was interesting, it has some lengths that could have been avoided, and some points were repeated over and over again for no reason. The relationships between characters could also have been more defined, have more depth, in my opinion. It still was an enjoyable read, with an uncommon subject that bordered on magic.

"The London Seance Society" is similar to Penner's other book, "The Lost Apothecary" in that it is written in sensuous, evocative language, and is mysterious and suspenseful. Recommended for lovers of atmospheric fiction with strong female characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

If you love Seances and witchy vibes this book is for you. Another beautifully written 19th century London theme. I loved The Lost Apothecary. The book is a one set read full of mystery and spooky vibes.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sitting down to read this book brought me so much anticipation! I love the premise of this book and the seance focus. The fact that it is spooky season added to the mood. I found the characters difficult to connect with. There seemed to be a point where I was unsure of the connections being made. I did, however, enjoy the setting and was able to visualize that quite well. I preferred her previous book to this one.

Another outstanding novel from Sarah Penner. Set in late 1700s England during a time when spiritualism was at its height. Filled with mystery and suspense, I could not put this book down.

4.5 stars. This was the perfect read for Halloween! It follows Lenna as she searches for answers about her sister’s murder and studies under the famous medium Vaudeline D’Allaire. Vaudeline is known for solving murders by holding seances where she summons the victim and finds out who killed them. When Vaudeline is invited to the London Seance Society to solve the murder of the society’s president, Lenna goes with her in hopes of finally finding out who killed her sister and finds herself in the midst of a much wider conspiracy.

The Victorian London setting made for the perfect spooky atmosphere and I loved following along as Lenna and Vaudeline snuck around looking for clues and questioning witnesses. It was really interesting to see Lenna struggle with her disbelief in the supernatural and her desire to see tangible evidence, while her sister and Vauldeline were both firm believers. This book kept me guessing the whole time and made me think one thing about someone and then twisted it all around. There’s also a second POV from Mr. Morley, a high ranking member of the Society, as he recounts how he met Evie and tries to get his sector of the Society in order - seeing both sides made it extra hard to know who to trust. I also loved how this book challenged the expectations for women in a conservative society and the romance was a nice touch. Overall this was a really exciting read and I would recommend it if you like historical settings, murder mysteries, and the paranormal.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“We gather around this table in a spirit of mourning and mystery
Seeking truth and light, fortify us against malice and malevolence
Defend us against rogue spirts and evil intentions…”


The London Seance Society written by Sarah Penner is the perfect read for Samhain/Halloween.
This book is filled with so many twists and turns - there’s a new surprise almost every chapter. This book keeps you on your toes - and just when you think you’ve figured one part out - there’s so much more that gets revealed.

Lenna Rebecca Wickes has recently experienced tragedy - her sister Evie has been murdered. Lenna knows that her sister has a deep interest with occult practices, and believes that seeking out the renowned spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire may help her find some answers… Vaudeline has been solving crimes by conjuring the spirits of murder victims in order to ascertain the killer! Lenna ends up finding out way more than she realized when she accompanies Vaudeline to solve a high-profile murder.. Mr. Volckman, the President of the GENTLEMEN’S ONLY London Seance Society.

We switch between the perspectives of Lenna and Mr. Morley. The two of them have more in common than they realize. I was worried that there would end up being a romance between Lenna and Mr. Morley, but thank goodness *SPOILER ALERT* that does not happen. The romance that actually unfolds within this story was much more satisfying than I imagined!

I love when the dead character ends up being your favorite. I loved discovering Evie’s secrets and learning more about her as the story went on.

I can’t say enough amazing things about this book - I had so much fun reading it, it was hard to stop! It was so captivating, the writing was superb. I would love to read more from Sarah Penner, and I will definitely be grabbing a copy once this book hits the shelves.

“May mercy be upon any man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for honest feedback - I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

I enjoyed reading this on a recent trip to London!

I liked that it had a little bit of everything - mystery, magic, romance, family drama/dynamics, social commentary on gender and sexuality, and suspense. It was well-balanced and I think most would find something they appreciate about it.

While I enjoyed the past romances, I didn't think the present-day romances added much to the story and the pacing felt a little bit off for the romance development.

4/5 stars

I absolutely loved Sarah's debut novel, The Lost Apothecary, so I was so delighted that I received a copy of The London Seance Society. I was completely drawn into this story from the very beginning. Filled with murder, mystery and love I could not put this down! This novel is perfect for fans of historical fiction and mystery. Great job Sarah!

Another wonderful novel by Sarah Penner. Any fan of the Lost Apothecary will love the London Seance Society.

The story starts as Lenna, trainee in the art of seances, unravels the story of her sister’s murder. Set in Victorian London, she meets many different characters, all connected by the mysterious London Seance Society. The more Lenna uncovers, the more she learns about what really goes on in the society and how everything is connected - in this world and the next.

I like this book! Lenna Wickes doesn’t believe in the paranormal but teams up with a well known spiritualist (Vaudeline) to try and figure out who murdered her sister. I like the Victorian seance setting, very unique. While I felt that the plot was somewhat predictable (I guessed all twists and who dunnit moments) it had my interest the whole time and moved with a good pace. I thought the relationship between Vaudeline and Lenna was well written. I think I liked this one better than The Lost Apothecary - this had a more final and well-wrapped ending than the previous novel. What kept it from a 5 star for me is it lacked grit. I feel like even the deeper moments still felt a tad on the shallow side. Despite this though, it’s still a strong, lighter historical fiction I’d recommend to someone jumping into the genre to pick up.

Wow! Sarah has done it again! Late 1800's and all the rage is speaking to the dead. The London Seance Society has a reputation of not resorting to trickery or misdirection during readings or seances. But then...Lenna's sister is murdered and she must enlist the help of a medium to find out what happened. Why was her sister visiting the Seance Society?
Enjoyed this read and a glimpse in 1873!

Read The Lost Apothacary too!