Fantasy Worth Reading: The London Seance Society #BookReview #fantasybooks #Booklovers

Book Review / By M Pax / August 14, 2023

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner was a fast-paced story full of twists and turns. And ghosts! It is a story of very few characters, but they are all excellently written and relatable.

Penner’s writing style is atmospheric and evocative, which immersed me deep into the world of seances in 1873. Lenna Wickes is apprenticing with the experienced and renowned Parisian medium, Vaudeline D’Allaire. Vaudeline is the same medium Lenna’s sister was learning from when she was murdered. Lenna doesn’t believe in ghosts or seances or any of what she considers ‘nonsense’, but she’ll do what she has to, to find out what happened to her sister.

Meanwhile, in London, Mr. Morley is struggling to keep the London Seance Society going after the society’s leader, Mr. Wolckman, was murdered. Morley decides the best course of action is to invite Vaudeline to London and have her conduct a seance to find the murderer of Mr. Wolckman. The society and London are froth with dangers and Vaudeline won’t go unless Morley ensures her safety. Mr. Morley is willing to do what he has to.

The mysteries and facts of the murders have layers that slowly reveal the shocking truth.

After a slow start (which is only the first chapter really), this story quickly morphs into a splendid page-turner with a very satisfying end to the bad guys. I would recommend this speculative fiction treasure, which seamlessly blends the genres of magical realism, mystery, historical, and paranormal. I liked this book so much, I went and looked up what else Sarah Penner wrote. She only has one other book – The Lost Apothecary -which is also a gem. I look forward to her next release.

Here’s the blurb:

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. With shared determination, the women find companionship that perhaps borders on something more. And as they 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…

#99c Sale! The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear #fantasy

Fantasy, Sale, Science Fiction Books, Speculative Fiction / By M Pax / July 1, 2021

The journey into adulthood is stranger than she expects.

Ebook available at all retailers

Hetty Buy Direct

Buy direct from me and get 25% off all purchases. Use coupon code 4XCZKXTR2W / Referral Bonus: When you refer any purchased product to a friend who becomes customer, you both get 10% off.

Paperback: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Audiobook: Audible / iTunes

Graduating from community college, Hetty Locklear hopes for a new life. Her diploma doesn’t change anything. She delves deeper into her nerd-girl fantasy where she’s the savior of a dying ancient galactic race. When she’s not role playing in the game world she created, she’s still stuck working at the convenience store and doused in coffee stains. Her parents didn’t bother to come home but manage to send her an invitation to join them on the Renaissance Faire circuit for the summer. Her first reaction is to say no, until a ghost starts stalking her and a séance claims she’s in danger.

Meet Hetty Locklear

Sample the Audio

#Paranormal Investigation: An Awesome Experience

Oregon, Weird and Wonderful / By M Pax / October 21, 2020

Recently, I went on a ghost hunt at a cemetery near the Haystack Reservoir on Powell Butte (near Madras, Oregon).

For the most part, it was peaceful and serene, not scary at all, not even the howls of the nearby coyotes.

We strolled around the graves, stopping periodically to ask questions, letting our recorders pick up possible answers. Then we split up into smaller groups. That’s when things became more interesting. Husband Unit, Brian and I went to the back corner by this tree.

If everyone stood still, it was quiet enough to hear the Earth hum. Our planet does make a sound, a constant, soothing buzz.

Then I heard a thump like someone knocking on a gravestone, and very soft pings as if someone tread on tiptoes on the dirt road, disturbing only the smallest of pebbles. I also thought I saw a light move toward me on the ground. But was it? I could easily pass it off as my eyes playing tricks on me. Brian heard a growl. Husband Unit claimed something tugged softly on his shirt.

Ooo! Real ghost adventures.

The one gal is a medium and says she was scratched. She did have scratch marks on her shoulder.

At any rate, it was a fun night, and I’ll definitely go out with the crew again.

This is the most interesting photo I captured. Several think it’s two ghosts standing by the graves. I think it’s just the tree. It certainly does look like people standing there, though. What do you think?

Here’s a photo of the same tree taken a week later by the same camera (sans me – I was home working). The crew repeated their visit to debunk the above photo.

Finding any evidence is exciting. I wonder, are those who left us in a different dimension? Is that why we have such difficulty communicating? If they exist at a higher dimension than we do, we would only catch snippets and not see the whole picture.

Anyway, it fascinates me. Have you ever gone on a ghost hunt?

ghost

Here’s the blurb:

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