The London Séance Society

November 1, 2022

In 1870s Paris, spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire famously summons the spirits of murder victims to help identify their killers, and Lenna Wickes seeks her help regarding her own sister's death. She ends up joining Vaudeline as understudy on an important trip to London, where they join forces with the S�ance Society--and realize that they might actually be part of a crime instead of just investigating one. Following the New York Times best-selling The Lost Apothecary; with a 300,000-copy first printing.

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January 2, 2023
Penner (The Lost Apothecary) delivers another captivating feminist gothic tale. The story begins with a midnight séance in 1873 Paris, hosted by Vaudeline D’Allaire, a celebrated medium known for getting murder victims to pinpoint their killers. Vaudeline has fled London under mysterious circumstances, in the company of skeptical Lenna Wickes, who’s convinced the other woman to let her be an apprentice. Lenna’s true motivation is to unravel the sudden death of her sister, Evie, a burgeoning medium and student of D’Allaire’s, which occurred on All Hallow’s Eve. In a parallel narrative, Mr. Morley, director of the London Séance Society, is occupied with another puzzling death that also occurred on All Hallow’s Eve, that of society president Mr. Volckman. Under the pretense of hosting a séance to ascertain the identity of Mr. Volckman’s killer, Mr. Morley offers Lenna and Vaudeline a chance to return to London, by inviting them into the Séance Society’s all-male club. The two accept with the hopes of conjuring up details of Evie’s murder. As the well-paced adventure reaches an explosive climax, Lenna uncovers more about the London Séance Society’s illusions and comes to terms with her sexuality. A late-breaking romance involving Lenna and Vaudeline feels underdeveloped, but otherwise Penner expertly fits the pieces together. Fans of the genre will eat this up. Agent: Stephanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

May 1, 2023

In 1873, 20-year-old Evie Wickes, a student of the medium Madame Vaudeline D'Allaire, who specializes in contacting those who are victims of murder to help families solve the mystery, is murdered on All Hallow's Eve. Her older sister, Lenna, who is 23, becomes an intern with Vaudeline in order to solve the mystery of her sister's murder. This Gothic Victorian tale begins by drawing the reader into an interrupted s�ance, and then alternates perspectives between Lenna and Mr. Morley, vice president of the London S�ance Society's Department of Spiritualism. Initially the pacing of the story feels slow, but it eventually escalates to an anticipated and satisfying ending. Penner's eerie setting mixed with dark energy adds to the unfolding of the mystery in historic London. The budding romance between Lenna and Madame is behind closed doors, but demonstrates that same-sex relationships did exist during the time period, even though people showed a great deal of sexual restraint during the Victorian age. The novel is well-researched and readers will learn plenty about s�ances and Victorian funeral traditions. The book takes place during a time when women were not viewed as intellectuals, but were often respected as mediums and experts of the supernatural. Characters reflect the time period and are reserved and cue as white. VERDICT Mature teens will enjoy the mystery and learn plenty about the occult and time period.-Karen Alexander

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2023
Penner (The Lost Apothecary, 2021) returns to a historical setting--this time 1873--to tell the story of a young woman seeking to solve her sister's mysterious death by any means necessary. Lenna Wickes is a logical skeptic devastated by grief after her sister Evie's death. She apprentices herself to famous Parisian medium Vaudeline D'Allaire, who contacts the spirits of recent murder victims to find their killers. Evie studied with the alluring Vaudeline before taking an independent interest in the doings of the London S�ance Society, where she discovered fraudulent practices. When Vaudeline is called to London to pursue contact with a recent murder victim on behalf of the society, Lenna travels with her hoping to find answers. The reader learns more problematic details about the society by alternating between Lenna and society member Mr. Morley's points of view. Retracing her sister's steps, Lenna discovers that the corruption goes much deeper than simply faking contact with the recently deceased, and it's probable that Evie's investigations led to her death--which also places Lenna and Vaudeline in peril. A great choice for fans of historical European settings, the power of women, and the fringes of the paranormal.

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