The premise of this novel - based on two real life 'mediums' in 1870s London - sounded entertaining, yet the author has somehow managed to flatten both the characters and the plot into one of the dullest books I have read in 2023. I mean, how, HOW, when all you're really doing is changing names, can anyone turn a battle royale between two enterprising fakes into a patented cure for insomnia? Whether I was on the bus or sitting at home, I could only get through about two pages before nodding off and dreaming entire chapters, and my lack of attention didn't even ruin the story because nothing happens for the first half of the book. A lot of shoehorned research into spiritualist tricks of the trade interspersed with cod-Victorian dialogue ('Dearest! Let me loop my arm through yours while we wait for tea to be served!') Nor did I care about the characters - fair play to Mrs Wood for escaping Hull but that was the sum total of her personality, and 'the girl' didn't even warrant a name half of the time.

Two stars for Agnes Guppy Volckman and Florence Cook, the real Mrs Wood and 'the girl', but this fictional account did not help my reading slump at all. ( )

Set in Victorian London, this tells the tale of the rivalry between two mediums, the established Mrs Wood and Mrs Wood’s protégé and newcomer Miss Finch.

This is a beautifully written and atmospheric story which I read via the Pigeonhole app. There is a modicum of humour and it touches on women’s suffrage. The descriptions of London are very vivid and the characters realistic and well drawn. There is even some intrigue and suspense. A compelling, entertaining, witty and interesting read which I can very much recommend. Illusion is everything, my friend. ( )