#1 The Spiritualist by Megan Chance

What's it about??

The year is 1857. Evelyn Atherton is a fish out of water in the upper crust society of New York City. After being plucked from obscurity by the handsome Peter Atherton and whisked off to be married, she soon finds herself a neglected housewife. Her lawyer husband has become obsessed with attending secretive spirit circles. He claims the spirit of his deceased mother is contacted as well as other's loved ones. Evelyn is skeptical of the "spirit rappers" but finally succeeds in persuading Peter to let her tag along to one meeting. Immediately, she is suspicious of the mystical medium, Michel. His seductive glances and overall aggressive nature make her wonder what is really going on when the lights are dimmed.

And rightly so. The same night she attends the circle for the first time, her husband goes missing. Weeks later he is found murdered, his body discarded in the river. The Altherton family quickly turns on her, accusing Evelyn of having her husband murdered for his money.She finds herself penniless and alone and unsure of who she can trust. Her husband's law partner offers to take her case but needs her help in finding the killer. A member of the spirit circle decides to take her in, but the mysterious Michel resides there as well. Evelyn is convinced he has something to do with Peter's death, but things are not always as they seem. Can she find evidence of her husband's murderer and avoid the gallows?

What did I think??
I loved this book. Megan Chance is a fantastic storyteller. She did a great job of juggling the romantic aspects of the story and still keeping the reader in suspense. I was actually very surprised by the ending and that's always a plus. I love to read a book and actually have that "aha!" moment when all the pieces fall into place. I would recommend this novel to anyone really, but especially historical fiction and mystery fans. Also, check out Susannah Morrow by the same author. A story of the Salem Witch trials, Susannah Morrow takes you inside the heart and mind of a woman accused of witchcraft with amazing clarity. I have yet to read her other book, An Inconvenient Wife, but its's on my bookshelf!