The Witch of Napoli combined many of the things that I like in my books - history, supernatural, drama and a bit of mystery. Loosely based on Italian medium Eusapia Palladino, the story follows a fictional medium Alessandra Poverelli. Atfer a photo of her levitating a table gives her an opportunity to escape her abusive husband and travel the Europe, she finds herself under scrutiny and investigation from numerous sides. Her story is conveyed by the report whose photograph changed the course of her life.

This book was an interesting combination of genres with compelling, complex characters. It was a quick read that kept me engaged though I was more entertained by character development rather than plot itself.

A big thank you to NetGalley and AuthorBuzz for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction is a genre I enjoy and this book did not disappoint. So much of the historical fiction that I do read takes place during war time, so this was a refreshing change in that it was set in the late 1800's.

Alessandra is a mysterious woman who can levitate objects and call spirits. She is the subject of much debate between scientists and the devout. Surrounding Alessandra are a local photographer, Tomoaso and Lombardi, a psychiatrist. Both believe in her gift and spend their days proving it's existence while many are out to get her.

This was a riveting story and I couldn't wait to see what happened. It definitely had me wondering if her gift was real.

What was the source of that mysterious force which smashed a wooden table to smithereens, and tossed a six-foot, 200-pound man across the room like a rag doll? With fraud and trickery eliminated, Hardwicke noted, there remained but two possibilities—an unknown power of the human mind, like Lombardi believed, or an “intelligence external to the medium.”


This review is an especially exciting one for me – it is the first book I was granted early access to via NetGalley and their fabulous organization. (Granted, I didn’t understand that I had received access and therefore did not read it during the allotted time seven years ago, but that is beside the point. It’s been on my to-read list ever since.)

I really liked Alessandra’s character, and damn did she go through some crazy shit. At times I forgot Tommaso was only sixteen and not a damn adult, but then he’d make some teenage sexual joke or innuendo and I’d remember that he’s still a teenager and probably should not have been given that much responsibility at his age. But maybe teenagers were more responsible in 1899 – he was more educated than Alessandra, so maybe that counted for something. I don’t know. But their dynamic was the main relationship in the story, and for the most part it was very believable.

My first big complaint: the back cover gives a great description of the book, but it also notes two things: her husband wants to kill her (for reasons unknown) and her tarot cards signal catastrophe. To the average person, catastrophe means death. So right away I’m intrigued and want to know if she gets out of the main events of the book alive or not. And within THE FIRST FIVE PAGES, I have my answer. Well then – what’s the point of me reading the rest of your damn book???? Did no one else notice this before the book got published? How is that possible?

Other annoying complaint *spoiler*: Was Alessandra actually married to Pigotti? The back cover calls him her husband, and I think I read early in the story that they were married. Does ‘husband’ have a different connotation in Italy? Don’t know. And later, wouldn’t she need a divorce decree thing too, in order to be with Lombardi? He was basically asking her to marry him, right? Or were they just willing to live the rest of their lives in sin and such? This really could have been fixed with a simple clarification and I’m angry it wasn’t.

One more: next time, please hire a more competent copy editor. After about twenty mistakes I stopped counting.

If you like historical fiction, stories about spirits and mediums, and women not taking shit from annoying men, I definitely recommend this one.


"Absurd as the phenomenon of a materialized hand may seem, it seems to me to be very difficult to attribute the phenomena produced to deception, conscious or unconscious, or to a series of deceptions. It is inconceivable to suppose that an accomplice could have come into the room, which is small, and was locked and sealed during the progress of our experiments. We were making no noise, we could light up the room instantly. We must accept the evidence as we find it."

This was a very well written story of a medium, the paranormal, and the supernatural, and it was inspired by true events. I found the time period and events fascinating.
Many thanks to AuthorBuzz and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stunningly imaginative and immediately captivating.

There are two things I found particularly enjoyable and well-written. One is the portrayal of the society of the times: the gossip, intrigue, struggle for power, the curiosity and fascination with the new and unexplained. It’s deeply engrossing to watch loyalties change as one’s reputation is at stake and journalists twist words in order to wring out the most exceptional story possible.

The second thing are the piecemeal revelations of Alessandra’s traumatic early life: episodes that help the reader piece a lot of the story together. It’s precisely this human side to the events recounted that gives the novel its appeal.

For nonbelievers, the focus of the book doesn’t have to be the exploration of the paranormal phenomena at the centre of the heated debate, but rather the actions of the parties involved and the excitement and suspense present in the writing.

Many passages are taken directly from actual press releases related to the real-life Alessandra, the supposed medium Eusapia Palladino. This explains the genuine ring to them, as they enrich a story that decently reflects the passions and interests of western Europe on its way into the 20th century.

All in all, a fast, entertaining, well-researched read.

Loved this book! I love anything set in Italy and also love historical fiction.

I loved the main character, Alessandra. She had such an independent spirit, and I loved her relationship with Tomaso. The paranormal aspect added to the overall mystery. This one was a page turner!

I liked the story and the concept but I just didn't care that much about the characters which made it a bit boring at times.

Sorry I was not able to read you book but it went to archive before I could get to it. Sorry once again.

The abrupt statement at the beginning of chapter one in THE WITCH OF NAPOLI by Michael Schmicker, grabbed me with a powerful hook and intrigued me just enough to keep me reading, so I delved deeper into the story as questions began to form. Why was Alessandra called the witch of Napoli? Does she have telekinetic powers? Can she really talk to the dead? Had some people actually seen or heard things? Were photographs taken?
As the story developed, Alessandra, a very thought-out character, suddenly left Naples and went to France. This chapter was a little exciting as she waited for the train and seemed agitated. Is someone after her? Could it be her husband, or someone else? What will happen if this person catches up with her? Will she be found a fraud? With emotions like fear, especially with ropes, jealousy, anger, and hatred involved, gave this story a more thrilling, suspense-filled climax that will keep the reader enthralled right up to the end. A read you won't easily forget!

This is a beautifully written memoir style historical fiction! The story will take hold of the reader and keeps you feeling enchanted with Alessandra and gripping your seat to find out how her life story ends! I will use this with my adult readers and to invoke thought within my reading circles and book clubs.

To me, this book was not about spiritualism, the paranormal or the supernatural. This was about the grit and craftiness of two Neapolitans, Alessandra Poverelli and Tomaso Labella. Alessandra is an illiterate woman with psychic powers, and Tomaso is a young reporter who gets the opportunity to photograph her and later report her psychic events.

The constant abuse of Alessandra's jealous husband, the undue interest of the so-called scientists and investigators who study the paranormal, the pull of her unfortunate love for the psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi, and her antipathy towards the British investigator Nigel Huxley all made for good reading. And, that is just one aspect. Tomaso, is the other.

He is an adventurous, ambitious, courageous young man, loyal to all his friends. Although he is half in love with Alessandra, he is level-headed enough to counsel her when she is reckless and helps her when she is vulnerable.

It is clear that Michael Schmicker, has done a lot of research for this book. Alessandra is based on the controversial, real-life medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918). This is not just a novel. It is an interesting discourse on the never-ending debate between rationalism and spiritualism. The characters and the descriptions in it show great skill in story-telling and a deep interest in humanity.

Whilst a work of fiction, this spellbinding work on based upon real-life Italian medium, Eusapia Palladino (d.1918). Schmicker's story is narrated by Tomaso Labello, sent to photograph the seance conducted by Alessandra Poverelli in 1899 and documents his association with this notorious figure (which follows closely Eusapia's own story).

This was a time when spiritualism was popular, and championed by the likes of Conan Doyle; and debunking such phenomina was also a thriving business (headed by the likes of Harry Houdini).

Eusapia herself (championed by Conan Doyle) was thoroughly investigated by the British Society for Psychical Research (1908) - yet the panel of skeptics were fully convinced of her abilities, whilst also noting her propensity for using trickery.

An engaging story to rival that of the American Fox sisters who were active in the spiritualism scene in the US from the late 1840s.

I really thought I would love this book but it was so boring and bland; I just couldn’t make myself care about the characters. After many months I’ve finally fisnised it only because I refused to DNF it thinking it would get better, but it didn’t. Why would an book written in English have so many scenes in Italian? Yes I know, that the setting is Italy and many of the character were Italian, but my Italian is limited and very rusty. I’m not one of those readers that like to guess what is being said and having to stop and look up words in an Italian-English dictionary or put phrases into a translator is irritating and spoiled what little enjoyment that I may have had in the book?

0/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**