THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THE ENCHANTING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE LOST APOTHECARY
'GLORIOUSLY GOTHIC, DELIGHTFULLY ATMOSPHERIC SLICE OF VICTORIANA' DAILY MAIL
'PENNER HAS CRAFTED ANOTHER BLOCKBUSTER NOVEL THAT IS MAGICALLY EVEN BETTER THAN HER DEBUT' NATALIE JENNER

From the author of the intoxicating bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes an entrancing exploration of the blurred lines between truth and illusion and the grave risks women take to avenge the ones they love.

May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium…

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…

A Most Anticipated title by: Good Housekeeping, Washington Post, E! News, Bookpage, CrimeReads, Readers Digest, Popsugar, The EveryGirl, Sunset Magazine and more.

'A great choice for fans of historical European settings, the power of women, and the fringes of the paranormal' Booklist Starred Review
'Steeped in suspense, mystery, and illusion' Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Maid
'Breathtaking' Pam Jenoff
'Smart and seductive' Fiona Davis
'An explosive, immersive, time-bomb of a novel' Laurie Lico Albanese
'Mesmerizing, seductive and absolutely irresistible' Hank Phillippi Ryan
'An evocative and delicious read with a mystery that will have you turning pages late into the night' Madeline Martin
'A Victorian whodunit crackling with tension and lavished with ambiance' Heather Webb

A New York Times Bestseller March 2023