cover image The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits

The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits

Alys Clare. Severn, $28.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-7278-8868-6

Set in 1880 London, this impressive series launch from Clare (the Aelf Fen mysteries) introduces Lily Raynor, who has formed the fledgling World’s End Bureau, a private enquiry agency, after a traumatic experience ended her career as a nurse. The agency’s new assistant, Felix Wilbraham, is alone in the office when Ernest Stibbins, a Battersea accounts clerk, arrives claiming that his wife, Albertina, is in peril. Albertina, who claims to be a medium, feels a strong sense of menace and believes her spirit guides are warning her of danger. Lily poses as a bereaved fiancée to attend one of Albertina’s séances. Skeptical at first, Lily feels the same palpable sense of threat that Earnest described. As Lily and Felix look into Albertina’s past and clients, they see a possible link to a series of disappearances in Battersea. They also investigate an aging actress who has seduced a peer’s son. The solid plotting, colorful Victorian settings, and fun detective duo bode well for future installments. Agent: Laura Longrigg, MBA Literary (U.K.). (June)