A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers - 4 stars

[Theresa]

It's November 1852 and young spiritualist and con artist Genevieve 'Jenny' Timmons is about to hold what she calls her 'final' seance for a bereaved family in London. It's her 'last' because it will provide her with the last funds she needs to catch a train later and escape, never have to resort to seances or the illegal acts she is forced to do to survive. Alas, it's a trap and Jenny finds herself in jail facing hanging based on a thick file built against her and her deceased mother. Until she is sprung on bail by an elderly lawyer who happened to be at the jail when she's brought in trying to get an investigation into a death reopened. He will represent her in court in exchange for her performing a seance for him for the mourning client whose fiance died of drowning on the eve of their wedding. Having no real choice and a survivor, Jenny agrees.

Thus the scene is set for a wonderful classic gothic ghost story with murder, madness, and romance. Most of the plot takes place at Somerset, a grand mansion and estate on the ocean front, majestic, rich, and filled with secrets and ghosts and a varied cast of characters, including not one but 3 brooding males, Mrs. Danvers clone (her name even starts with a D), and all kinds of mysteries and deceptions. Most importantly is that the mourning fiance isn't so much grieving as seeking justice -- he wants the seance to reveal who pushed her off the cliff to her death.

The author here pays rich homage to those classic gothic thrillers popular in the early 18th Century, and even to the Brontes and other masters of the gothic novel. But Jenny is not your typical heroine, though she too makes mistakes but generally is a strong smart young women you cannot help but like. The murder mystery plot is complex with plenty of twists to keep you engaged. And the setting .... Jenny's initial reaction is to opulence and wealth though while I read the descriptions, I felt chilled by it, envisioning it as dark and gloomy and decaying even though it's never really described as such until nearly the end when it's as if blinders have been removed from Jenny's eyes:

The house itself had begun to rapidly decay, an omen to my own miserable misfortune. Ghosts blew whispers of death in my ear while spiders spun crowns of webbing atop the chandeliers.

Aha! I thought, somehow the author had fed that to my mind indirectly from the beginning.

This won an Edgar last year and I can see why. Totally enjoyable, very gothic, redemption and romance though to balance the horror, definitely would recommend it.

[Booknblues]

I knew you would like this one.

Actually I read quite a number I thought you would like.

I love a good seance.

[Theresa]

Booknblues wrote: "I knew you would like this one.

Actually I read quite a number I thought you would like.

I love a good seance."

I've read 2 so far of the nominees and really liked both of them. Unlike last year. I'm pleased. I'm kind of sad that this one is finished!

[Theresa]

The final seance was spectacular!

Did you ever see the Hitchcock movie Family Plot? It's actually a comedy, the title a play on words, and it opens with a couple con artists doing a seance. If you have not seen it, sstream it some time. Stars Karen Black, Bruce Dern, and Barbara Harris.

I also saw a fabulous revival of Blithe Spirit on Broadway where Angela Lansbury gave a terrific performance as the medium holding a seance. Really need to stream the classic movie again.

Nothing like a good seance.

[John]

Good review. I love a good gothic novel. This book earning the Edgar seems appropriate since it sounds Poe-ish.

[Olivermagnus]

John wrote: "Good review. I love a good gothic novel. This book earning the Edgar seems appropriate since it sounds Poe-ish."

I thought this was so creative. Great review!

[Theresa]

The Edgar it one was the Mary Higgins Clark Award.