A Dreadful Splendor
A Novel
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4.3 • 38개의 평가
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- US$9.99
출판사 설명
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
“A spooky gothic romance with impeccable vibes. I loved this!” — Erin Sterling, New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Hex
Agatha Christie meets Bridgerton in this wickedly whimsical Gothic murder mystery bubbling with spooky thrills, gaslamp fantasy, and romance, about a fake spiritualist who is hired to perform a séance for a bride who died the eve of her wedding—but as secrets unravel, the line between hoax and haunting blurs.
Be careful what you conjure...
In Victorian London, Genevieve Timmons poses as a spiritualist to swindle wealthy mourners—until a failed con lands her in jail. Then a stranger appears with a peculiar offer for the historical mystery: a nobleman, Mr. Pemberton, has lost his beautiful fiancée under tragic and mysterious circumstances. If Genevieve can convince him that his beloved rests in peace, she’ll earn her freedom.
But Mr. Pemberton is not the brokenhearted romantic she imagined. The surly—and undeniably handsome—young lord barely knew his bride-to-be, yet is certain she was murdered. With no evidence, only a confession will do, and he enlists Genevieve to help draw it out. Their plan? Stage a haunting so theatrical, so chilling, it might just rattle the truth loose.
When frightful incidents befall the haunted manor, Genevieve begins to wonder if her tricks are even needed. She may be a fraud, but this ghost might be alarmingly real…
“This gem of a book sparkles with wit and originality. . . . There is no shortage of tricks and feints in this excellent novel.” — The Globe and Mail
“A delightful mix of gothic, mystery, and romance. I had such fun reading this book!” — Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Not Your Average Hot Guy
A great read for spooky-season nightsA perfect addition to any Halloween reading list
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
YA author Myers (the Nefertari Hughes mystery series) makes her adult debut with an intriguing whodunit set in 1852. Genevieve Timmons, a fake spiritualist who robs the wealthy of their jewels, is making a hasty exit from a séance she had just conducted in a London house when the police arrest her. Soon after Genevieve is imprisoned on charges of theft and murder, she's bailed out by a lawyer named Lockhart, who represents Lord Chadwick. Genevieve's release is conditioned on her agreeing to travel to the nobleman's coastal home. Six months earlier, the body of Chadwick's bride, Audra, was found washed ashore, but the heartbroken widower refuses to accept the official verdict of suicide. Lockhart promises to defend Genevieve if she'll use her "talents and trickery" to perform a séance in which she claims to communicate with Audra's ghost and gives Chadwick "the closure he craves and end his suffering." Chadwick, in turn, hopes the séance will elicit a murder confession from one of the attendees. Genevieve agrees, only to find herself feeling like "a cog" in her clients' schemes, even as she tries to maintain her facade as a medium while searching for the truth about Audra's death. Myers nicely couples an unlikely and unethical sleuth with an atmospheric puzzle. Fans of roguish investigators will be delighted.
