The London Séance Society: A Dark Mystery of Murder, Magic and the Secrets of the Supernatural in Victorian London from the Author of The Lost Apothecary

I was disappointed with this story. The characters lacked depth, and the storyline was very predictable.

3.5 Stars, Rounded Down

I really enjoyed The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner so I was eager to get my hands on her newest release, The London Séance Society. The plot of the book instantly intrigued me - a murder mystery set in the occult-obsessed Victorian London. Sign me up!

A few things I really enjoyed about this novel:

1. The backdrop of Victorian London and its society's focus on the fascination with spiritualism. I'm far from a spiritualist, so I learned a lot reading this book. While I love most historical fiction books, this was unique in setting and subject-matter.

2. The sense of danger. My heart raced the last 75 pages or so and I really was unsure what was going to happen to our main protagonist, Lenna. This felt very similar to how I felt reading the last 100 pages of The Lost Apothecary.

Ultimately, this book fell flat in a few areas:

1. The mystery was predictable. This was my biggest qualm with the book. I figured out the "mystery" about 25 pages in. I think this was due to the duo-POV nature of the book and I think the novel would have benefitted being told solely from Lenna's POV.

2. The book seemed to repeat itself multiple times as if it needed to hammer home the most basic points. With a mystery that was easy to guess, this felt almost belittling to the reader.

3. I felt like there were forced elements of romance that weren't ever really exposed. Penner touches on some matters of sexuality but I never felt like they were fully dived into and examined. Lenna has a boy who is pinning after her despite having romantic feelings for females. I felt like her sexuality and romantic feelings for two different women read like after-thoughts and felt under-developed in a book that at times felt significantly longer than necessary.

Overall, I think this was a quick-paced mystery with a unique and intriguing setting. If you were a fan of The Lost Apothecary, I would recommend picking this up and giving it a read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner.

3.5 stars
Perfect for spooky season!

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner promises dark magic, murder, and women stepping into power. That combination pulled me in fast. A séance that exposes killers sounds deliciously eerie. I expected tension and sharp intrigue. What I got felt much flatter. Lenna Wickes travels to Paris to train under famed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire after her sister’s death. Lenna wants answers. Vaudeline claims she can summon spirits of murder victims to reveal the truth. Their partnership takes them to London and into the orbit of an elite séance society run by men who hold far more secrets than they admit. The investigation circles exploitation, deception, and the ways women are dismissed in spaces built to control them. The structure sets up a strong mystery. Dual perspectives offer access to both the investigation and the inner workings of the society. The supernatural element adds intrigue since Vaudeline’s abilities are real rather than theatrical tricks. These pieces should create urgency. The tension never builds in a way that feels gripping. The pacing drags. Scenes stretch without adding new momentum. I kept waiting for the mystery to sharpen and pull everything together. Instead, the story moves with a steady, British politeness that softens every reveal. That tone made it difficult to stay engaged, especially in audio. The audiobook did not help keep my interest. Alex Wyndham and Lauren Irwin deliver performances that match the restrained tone of the text. The result feels muted. Emotional moments needed more variation and intensity. A murder investigation should carry urgency. The narration keeps everything at the same cadence, which made it easier for my attention to drift. Missing smaller clues likely added to that distance from the story. I kept thinking about how much I enjoyed Penner’s earlier work. This one never reached that same spark. The ideas are compelling and the atmosphere is there. Then the delivery feels too subdued to carry the weight of the mystery. This may work better for readers who enjoy slower historical mysteries with a focus on mood rather than momentum. Audio listeners who rely on vocal energy to stay engaged may struggle.

I am blown away, as a criminal genealogist I am well aware of the Victorian age and how many people were scammed by them, I have written several blog posts on them.
That being said this story was extraordinary! Your research to write this book must of been exhaustingly fun in itself. The story was fun and exciting as I couldn't put it down.
Thank you Hannah Penner for such a wonderful escape from this world to that.

Gwen