Another cracking “something’s not quite right” novel for 2023. Set in 1920s Edinburgh, Evelyn’s husband, Robert, has decided he can talk to the dead, and pivots from a career in accountancy to become a spiritualist medium. Evelyn and Robert become society darlings, but Evelyn is shunned by her family due to them being embarrassed by Robert’s questionable career choice. With one divorce already against the family name, they are actively avoiding any potential scandals.
But Evelyn, oh Evelyn. She’s carrying so many secrets, as well as grief for her recently departed sister, Dolores. She also has reservations about Robert’s strangeness, but quickly falls in love with the social standing it brings. But as the cracks in their marriage widen, Evelyn has to make an impossible choice.
I bashed through Hazardous Spirits in a matter of days. It was engaging, easy to read, and held some genuine surprises. But the things merely hinted at, the matters left unspoken, were the real key to this novel’s success. There was no huge event that turned everything on its head; there was just an on-going sense of unease, even after the book had ended.
Hazardous Spirits joins my best of 2023 list. For fans of spooky, uncanny, feminist novels set in early 20th century UK. It checked all my boxes and then some.
California Reading 