The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a wonderful day.

When I was a child, there was a group of neighborhood kids that would all play together.  Since, generally, seven-year-olds can't drive they must play with those that live close by.  One time I was going over to Laura's house, who lived diagonally across the street.  I was very excited as Laura had received a Ouija board. I made the enormous mistake of mentioning the afternoons plans to my mother.  She became very alarmed.  Mom launched into a big talk about why you shouldn't play with Ouija boards, that you never know what will come through and it is best not to even be around them.  I spent the afternoon playing a rousing game of Yahtzee with my mom while my friends all explored the supernatural.  Looking back on it, I don't know if my mom's reaction was because of religion (she wasn't super religious) or did she have some experience of her own.  I wish I had thought to ask her, but when you have to concentrate on getting five dice to match it is hard to entertain ghost chat.

I recently read The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner.  This is the author of The Lost Apothecary, which I liked very much and reviewed here.  This book, like her previous takes a nod from history.  The setting, for the most part, is 1873 Victorian London.  It is about a men's club that supports delving into the supernatural through seances.  Told from two points of view, one belongs to Mr. Morley who works for the Society.  The other side is told from Lenna Wickes, who is studying under renowned medium Vaudeline D'Alaire who specializes in discovering the identity of murders.

Despite having left England because of being in danger, Vaudeline is asked to return as there has been a murder at the Seance Society.  Her talents are needed to get to the bottom of things.  Regardless of the possibility of harm, Mr. Morley convinces Vaudeline and Lenna to return to London to help him solve this disturbing crime.

This suspenseful story is dripping with atmosphere.  Did you ever see the Harry Potter movie where Harry dips his head in the pensieve and he is completely transported and enrobed in a different world? That is how complete the atmosphere is in this book.  Even with the complete immersion, there are not endless pages of description, yet the feel, the sounds, the smells, are complete.  The story moves quickly and carefully letting the mystery unfold, as we get to know and care about the characters involved.  While the tension builds so do the twists.  This book educates the reader about the occult during the late 1800's in the most interesting manner.  

If you like strong female characters, you will appreciate both Penner's books.  This story checks so many boxes and is definitely worth a read.  Very enjoyable, despite the haunting case of book hangover it gave me!

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Hello everyone. I hope you're having a great day.

Do you have a hobby?  Reading, I suppose.  My husband has the worst hobby, model *!@#$ trains!  Oh yes, you heard me correctly, you read the implied curse word.  I meant every upper number key stroke too! First of all, let's face it....they are trains, that is strike one.  Two, they are super expensive, his train money I could use for my cool hobbies, like reading or paper crafting.  Third strike, they take an enormous amount of room.  Again, room I could be using for some other purpose.  In addition, those rail riders have dictated every house we can buy as we must have a large third floor or room over garage. So young parents, when your child wants a Thomas the Tank toy, I beg of you....run.

I recently read The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James.  I've read two other books by her, The Broken Girls, which I loved, and The Sun Down Motel, which I didn't.  My issue with The Sun Down Motel is that as with both earlier books and the current offering, there is a mystery to be solved and something spooky. In The Sun Down Motel, there was just too little of each for me and I guessed the ending during the first ten minutes.  So, I was apprehensive but hopeful going into The Book of Cold Cases.  My faith has been restored as I liked this book very much, it might even be my favorite of St. James', which is saying something since I really enjoyed Broken Girls.  

The Book of Cold Cases basically revolves around two people, Shea and Beth.  Shea is a blogger whose hobby is running a true crime website called The Book of Cold Cases.  Beth is a rich socialite, who lives in the same town. Beth had once been on trial for three murders, one of which was her own father.  After a chance meeting Beth decides it is finally time to tell the truth and get everything out in the open and decides Shea is just the person to help her. The story is told from both characters' perspectives, with Beth's being both current day and from her childhood.  While Shea is at Beth's elaborate mansion on several occasions for interviews, she begins to notice all is not right with the house.  Beth hides nothing and invites Shea to explore the building that seems every bit as alive as they are.  

This story is a breeze to read, the writing solid and plot clear.  This time St. James has a mystery you won't figure out and a house that will truly have you listening for noises at night.  If you are new to this author but liked the style of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and enjoy haunted house author Darcy Coates, this book will be one of your new favs.

I wonder how many model trains Beth's house would hold?

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

Hello everyone.

Have you ever heard experts say that we, as humans, sometimes have a fight or flight reaction? I think it might be real. When something really bad happens, for a split second I want to leave. The thought floats through my head to run away and start a new anonymous life somewhere else, without the awful issue of the moment. Of course I don't leave, it isn't responsible. People I love need and deserve my support but the fleeting thought is there.

Then there is the other kind of flight, the serious, well thought out kind. When I was a kid, I loved going to the beach. I know I've mentioned before that on one family spring break trip to Myrtle Beach I swore I would marry a pool boy. I must have believed that the pool boy was the epitome of beach-dom. I couldn't have aspired to a hotel owner or land baron, nope, teenage me thought that the pool boy was the top of the beach heap. Funny thing is my husband grew up just a few blocks off the ocean and his early jobs were working in hotels and renting bikes on the boardwalk. His brown hair was bleached pale blonde by the sun, he was super tan and had beautiful blue eyes (still does). He was a walking postcard for the oceanfront. Now, having been married for eons and living by the ocean for years I want to move. We can't, hubby's job is here. The problem is hurricanes. I have experienced way too many and am terrified of them. If I could, I would move far away from the ocean just because of hurricanes.

I recently read The Invited by Jennifer McMahon. This is the story of two teachers who decide they want to move. Helen is a history teacher and Nate adores science. They want to leave their jobs, buy an old house, and build a new life. After looking at all their options, this couple purchases a lot they like and decide to build a new house that looks like an old salt box home. Problems arise when they discover that the property they now own is where the house of town legend Hattie Breckenridge once stood...and the site of her death over a century ago. When Helen wants to give her new house a wink and nod to history she purchases several pieces of architectural salvage that had a connection to Hattie. Once installed, these pieces seem to bring odd happenings to their newly built home.

When reading the book jacket, you might think this is a straight up haunted house book. While it is a bit spooky, it really is so much more. The story of Hattie unfolds and the reader is witness to how she was treated, how a single moment in time can change everything including future generations, naturally it ties into today as well.  I love when a book ends up having a much more involved story than I thought it would, I feel like I am getting extra value for my money. That is exactly how this book is, more than I anticipated. The Invited is engaging, moving not at a thriller pace but quickly enough to keep the reader interested. Like in many books, I was sure I knew the answers to the mysteries presented but the author proved me wrong. If you like mild haunted house stories, stories concerning New England, houses, mysteries or just great tales, you'll like this book.

I am wondering if I should start tracing our deed back...perhaps not.