Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Case of the 2nd Seance (John Darnell, Bk 3)

The Case of the 2nd Seance (John Darnell, Bk 3)
CacaoBear avatar reviewed on + 87 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


I really didn't expect to enjoy the John Darnell mysteries .. but even after this third one, I have to admit that I've found nothing not to like. John is down-to-earth and level-headed. His "cases" involve debunking paranormal occurences, and the stories are thoughtfully constructed - they have a paranormal aspect, but don't take the reader outside of their normal comfort zone.

In this book, the young daughter of the (new) British PM disappears during a seance. Darnell, with the help of his good friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is asked to invistigate the medium who led the seance, and to help find the missing girl, while keeping the truth away from the superstitious public.

The period setting, early 20th-Century London, is skillfully portrayed. The author's use of real and fictional characters lends a certain believability to tales that might otherwise tend to the bizarre.

I actually think the John Darnell mysteries are a hidden gem. I hope there are many more.