The London Séance Society

1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love.

This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with Park Row Books.

Book club questions for The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

THE LONDON SÉANCE SOCIETY opens with Lenna’s point of view, and we immediately learn she’s a skeptic who doesn’t entirely believe in ghosts. She says, “It wasn’t that she didn’t believe; she simply couldn’t be sure.” Do you consider yourself a skeptic or a believer in ghosts? If you’re a skeptic, would you be willing to try a séance to contact a loved one, as Lenna does? Or, if you believe in ghosts, have you ever had a personal experience with the paranormal?

As the story begins, we learn two people have been murdered. And yet, there is a relatively small cast of characters. As the story progressed, did you believe you’d figured out the “whodunit”? Who did you suspect along the way?

As the story unfolds, Vaudeline acts as mentor and guide to Lenna, teaching her the art of mediumship.But at various turns in the story, their roles reverse, and Lenna is the one opening Vaudeline’s eyes to different ways of thinking. What are a few of the ways the women helped each other with self-discovery and growth?

The author chose a different point of view for the two narrating characters in the story. Lenna’s point of view is told in the third person, whereas Morley narrates in the first person. Why might the author have chosen these different points of view?

Who was your favorite character—dead or alive—in the book, and why?

In the mystery genre, authors often insert “red herrings”—plot devices meant to mislead a reader and prolong the story’s suspense. What “red herrings” did you encounter in this story?

Victorian London was strait-laced and repressive, especially for women. How do you think you would have fared in such a society? Would you have rebelled against the rules, as Lenna found herself doing, or would you have been a rule-follower?

At the end of the story, Vaudeline and Lenna are to embark on an international tour. What else do you think their future holds?

Have you read the author’s debut, THE LOST APOTHECARY? If so, discuss the ways in which THE LONDON SÉANCE SOCIETY is different, and also how the books are similar. Which book did you like better?

Have you ever attended a séance? If so, did anything unusual or strange occur?

What’s your favorite ghost story, or your favorite book in the paranormal genre?

THE LONDON SÉANCE SOCIETY reveals a number of common ruses and tricks historically used in séances. Which of the ruses or tricks did you find most interesting?

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"Just when I thought Sarah Penner could not surpass her epic debut, The Lost Apothecary, she returns with an utter stunner. Readers will savor this suspenseful tale of the occult as they are drawn into a world unlike any other. At the top of her game, Penner shines, and the result is breathtaking!" —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris

"Penner has conjured up another winner. Bristling with tension and featuring strong women who aren’t afraid to defy conventions, this gothic mystery is both smart and seductive. Haunting in the best of ways, I swear I could feel the London fog on my cheek (or was that a spirit…) as I flew through the pages." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

Brilliant...The London Séance Society is an explosive, immersive, time-bomb of a novel. Vengeance is never sweeter than in Sarah Penner’s hands.” —Laurie Lico Albanese, award-winning author of Hester and Stolen Beauty

"Sarah Penner brings history to vivid life in this atmospheric and evocative whodunnit steeped in suspense, mystery, and illusion." —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Maid

"The London Séance Society is an evocative and delicious read with a mystery that will have you turning pages late into the night. Sarah Penner has another bestseller on her hands with this exquisitely written gothic Victorian tale." —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London

"At turns spooky and sexy, sly and subversive, The London Seance Society fully immerses the reader in nineteenth-century Paris and London, a time when loved ones would suspend all manner of disbelief in the hope of communicating with the dead. With her skill at conjuring atmosphere and conveying both deceit and desire, Penner has crafted another blockbuster novel that is magically even better than her debut." —Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society

"Mesmerizing, seductive and absolutely irresistible...The London Séance Society is completely spellbinding." —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The House Guest

"Penner spreads her wings in her sophomore novel, The London Séance Society, a Victorian whodunit crackling with tension and lavished with ambiance. A story of a sister's grief--and a quest for answers--readers can't help but root for Lenna Wickes as she delves into the dark and sexy world of the occult. Add a dash of the supernatural and we have a winner!" —Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of The Next Ship Home

“A great choice for fans of historical European settings, the power of women, and the fringes of the paranormal.” —Booklist

"Penner (The Lost Apothecary) delivers another captivating feminist gothic tale... Fans of the genre will eat this up." —Publishers Weekly