After reading one too many technical books, I had to shift back into a bit of fictional fun, and Megan Chance's latest work 'The Spiritualist' caught my attention. According to her website, 'The Spiritualist' is...

...a tale of murder and intrigue, class and the occult, as one woman’s desperate search for a killer reveals that truth may be the greatest illusion of all...

More specifically, 'The Spiritualist' is a murder-mystery set in the 1800's, involving the heroine, Evie, who married into high-society. When Evie's husband disappears after a visit to a 'spirit circle', Evie is sucked into an intricate web of deceit between the elite social circles, her own family and an occult group led by a charismatic medium. It's a story of high-society, table-rapping spirits, charlatans, and romance.

Alright, so it isn't something I'd typically read. There weren't any ninjas or explosions in it. All the more reason you should be shocked and amazed at my assessment: Megan Chance is a *fantastic* writer, and 'The Spiritualist' is a great book.

The Good
Megan Chance writes believable characters. Even for the elite class and different time period the characters come from; I really believed in them. Their actions, reactions and motivations were understandable, if not forgivable. I never felt like I was watching 'The English Patient' where suspension of disbelief was pushed beyond superhuman limits.

The storyline was tight and linear, with few wasted pages. The plot pulls you in, and doesn't disappoint, keeping and a sure-and-steady pace. And just the right amount of intrigue, to keep you reading past your bedtime.

Anoter great thing about the book was the cover, and the lack of half-naked people embracing thereon. Let's be honest, that doesn't even belong on the covers of trashy romance novels. DISCLAIMER: The story has romance in it, and Megan Chance did win the "Romance Writers of America’s RITA award for excellence in Romantic Fiction". But don't hold that against her, or this story. The romance was tastefully done.

But the best part of the book is the writing. The sentences simply flowed, and made me realize how much my own writing sounds like a hastily translated 'Dick and Jane' book. Megan paints smooth, silky pictures of the 1800s in your head with her words.

The Bad
There weren't any ninjas or explosions. Yeah, that's about it. Note to self, Megan: 'Next book - needs more ninjas'.

The Upshot
'The Spiritualist' is a treat for anyone wanting an escape to a well-constructed, well-written, 1800s romantic-occult-murder-mystery.

Megan Chance's website.

'The Spiritualist' on Amazon.com

Art Is Resistance
-Zero

Labels: Book Review