The woman who spoke to spirits

Set in London during the Victorian period, Clare's latest is engaging, dark, atmospheric, and, at times, quite charming and humorous. After her career as a maternity nurse in India ended distressingly, Lily Raynor returned to London. Seeking another career option, she opened her own private-investigation agency. After some initial modest successes, she now needs an assistant. Expecting to hire a woman, Lily is surprised when the best candidate is Felix Wilbraham, a young man with hidden talents and a rather mysterious past. The pair soon find themselves with two demanding cases. First, wealthy Lord Berwick asks Lily to find evidence that the actress his ne'er-do-well son plans to marry is an unsuitable wife for a future peer of the realm. Second, Ernest Stibbins is concerned about a potential threat against his wife, Albertina, a gifted medium. While he can't specify what the threat might be, he's terrified that his beloved and much younger wife is in grave danger. A clever plot, two engaging sleuths, plenty of period ambience, and a satisfying ending make this a fine choice for all mystery collections.--Emily Melton Copyright 2019 Booklist

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) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A budding investigative agency takes on a new employee and two thorny cases.Spring 1880 finds Lily Raynor returning to London from a stint of nursing in India and fleeing an undisclosed incident that changed her life. She's inherited her grandparents' house and makes ends meet with the help of one annoying renter. Seeking office help for her World's End Investigation Bureau, which has already solved a number of problems from missing dogs to cheating spouses, she interviews Felix Wilbraham, a young man dressed in good but worn clothes who's obviously well-educated. Soon after she takes him on, Lily meets with Lord Berwick, who wants information on the actress Violetta da Rosa, with whom his young and unworldly son, Julian, has fallen in love. Felix is visited in turn by nervous Ernest Stibbins, who fear that someone plans to kill the much younger second wife who replaced his first, drowned after she fell off the Chelsea Bridge. Instead of disabusing Stibbins of the assumption that he's Mr. Raynor, Felix accepts his case. Albertina Stibbins is a gifted psychic who senses a hidden threat to her life. As Lily worms her way into the circle of people who consult Albertina, Felix, no stranger to actresses or the theater, investigates Violetta, who he finds has both a boyfriend and an illegitimate daughter. Though he feels sorry for Violetta, Lily insists they must tell their client everything, a decision that has devastatingly unforeseen consequences. A disgruntled reporter tells Felix that many women have been discovered in the river just as dead as the first Mrs. Stibbins, but the police have no interest in investigating. Lily, who finds Albertina's sances disquieting, feels a black cloud hanging over her as they investigate the members of the sance group, hoping to find who or what is threatening Albertina.A marvelous addition to Clare's varied repertoire of historical mysteries (The Angel in the Glass, 2018, etc.) introduces two captivating new detectives and features a surprising denouement. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.