Meet the menacing, mysterious medium Madame Pinchbeck in this bewitching tale of secrets and intrigue. Jenni Spangler’s evocative debut will have you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath and with your heart pounding. You’ll follow the struggles of the villain’s young captives as they plot to free themselves from her powerful, mystical hold.
Set in the Victorian period, with flecks of historical detail throughout, Spangler’s storytelling introduces us to three children – Leander, Felix and Charlotte. All have fallen prey to the greedy, female trickster, Madame Pinchbeck. The mysterious figure does a great job of deceiving those around her, appearing as a helpful, motherly figure to dupe her innocent suspects. She is most certainly not what she first seems – rather than help the vulnerable youngsters as promised, she magically traps their souls in their own precious objects (a locket, violin case and glass box for these three). The children are completely under her control – she can beckon and banish them to these ‘cabinets’ whenever she wishes. They are forced into travelling with her and become part of her bogus medium show. The cunning character uses the children as ‘spirits’ in her fake séances as she fools the wealthy into believing she is talking to their dead loved ones.
Be prepared for a plot with numerous twists and turns. Characters appear just when you think you know everyone, relationships are revealed when you think you know who is linked to who and directions of journeys are changed just when you think you know where they are going! Spangler really knows how to keep your attention and turning those pages!
So, will Madame Pinchbeck get her comeuppance? Will she be punished for the numerous wrongs she has committed? Will the children escape? You’ll have to treat yourself – grab a cuppa, a comfy chair and enter the thrilling world Jenni Spangler has created. You won’t be disappointed!
