The Seance

The setting is England in the 1860s through the 1890s in a lonely manor house. That alone will get me interested. Throw in some Spiritualists and some skeptics and it is sounding pretty good.
But the thing that really set this book apart are the characters. The story is told from 3 perspectives, Constance, John, and Eleanor. That structure helps us get to know each of them, so when the Wraxford Mystery happens, we are left wanting it all to work out for them. Constance's investigation is complicated and really well done. There are several layers to get through and then she has to prove it all. That also makes for a nerve wracking solution. We are often wondering if there are spirits at work or humans at work.
The author also does a very good job of portraying these women as capable and worthy of trust. He contrasts Eleanor and Constance with several other characters and the latter are found wanting.
Very well written creepy read.

3 1/2 ⭐️The narration for this audiobook is top notch, but I would still recommend against it, because this story is complicated. Extremely. Harwood is quite talented in weaving disparate details into a multilayered mystery. This one is particular has not only several moving parts, but many, many characters and two generations. I think I got a little lost in parts due to its complexity, the audio format, and the switching of narrators.
That being said, it also has the most creative seance cabinet ever, and it is extremely evocative of mid-19th century London.

Ohhh was this such a good read, think Victorian Gothic, think Wilkie Collins's “The Woman in White”, think good old fashion mystery, if you like any of those then you'll love this novel! The story is told from three different points of view, that of Constance Langton, a young woman, John Montague and Eleanor Unwin, each point of view peels back a layer of the mystery, and all three are equally engaging. The book is just so atmospheric, spooky, I can guarantee you once you start this one you will not want to put it down, a fabulous read!!