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The London
Séance Society

instant new york times & international bestseller!

From the author of the sensational bestseller The Lost Apothecary comes a spellbinding gothic whodunit introducing two enigmatic women who set out to solve a most unusual mystery.

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 identity of the people who killed them, her skills are highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

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

order the B&N exclusive edition here

Enthusiastic Praise for The London Séance Society...

"...for fans of historical European settings, the power of women, and the fringes of the paranormal." 
—☆ Booklist (starred review)

"Penner proves herself again to be a writer to watch." —☆ Library Journal (starred review - audio)

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

"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

"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 bestselling author of The Maid

"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

"Trick candles, fake messages from the dead, and other secrets of the séance trade are fodder for this brilliant novel set in 19th Century London and Paris. When a grieving young woman apprentices with a world-famous medium to investigate her sister’s murder, she finds herself communing with ghosts, spirits and demons both living and dead…and discovers secrets too sinister, and supernatural powers too deep, to imagine. 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

"When a book jacket has both Sarah Penner's name and the word "séance" - the novel has got to be good. Once again, Penner has conjured up a tale that will have readers spellbound. Full of twists, mystical mysteries, and surprise endings THE LONDON SEANCE SOCIETY is a spirited work of historical fiction."
—Pamela Klinger-Horn, The Valley Bookseller

"Sarah Penner is back - this time taking readers into 1870s London and the world of the séance. A historical thriller with a psychic twist, THE LONDON SEANCE SOCIETY is a suspenseful thrill ride filled with feminist energy!" 
—Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop

"It's hard to believe, but Penner surpassed her other book, The Lost Apothecary, which is one of my all time favorites. Penner is an author to watch." 
—Rosemary Smith, librarian 

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