The Seance
Ratings10
Average rating3.8
“An electrifying Victorian ghost story” from the International Horror Guild Award-winning author of The Asylum (The Seattle Times). “Sell the Hall unseen; burn it to the ground and plow the earth with salt, if you will; but never live there . . .” Constance Langton grows up in a household marked by death, her father distant, her mother in perpetual mourning for Constance’s sister, the child she lost. Desperate to coax her mother back to health, Constance takes her to a séance: perhaps she will find comfort from beyond the grave. But the meeting has tragic consequences. Constance is left alone, her only legacy a mysterious bequest that will blight her life. So begins The Séance, John Harwood’s brilliant second novel, a gripping, dark mystery set in late-Victorian England. It is a world of apparitions, of disappearances and unnatural phenomena, of betrayal and blackmail and black-hearted villains—and murder. For Constance’s bequest comes in two parts: a house and a mystery. Years before, a family disappeared at Wraxford Hall, a decaying mansion in the English countryside with a sinister reputation. Now the Hall belongs to Constance. And she must descend into the darkness at the heart of the Wraxford Mystery to find the truth, even at the cost of her life. “Harwood has written a true gothic, and invented a supremely creepy house to stage it in.”—Salon “Wilkie Collins would be proud: this is a Victorian world of mesmerism and spirits, vapours and delirium, doomed inheritances, shivery maids and spooky visitations in the night.”—Times (UK) “Perfect fare for a standard dark and stormy night.”
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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.
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.
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!!
