Brighton 1871: Spirit mediums are all the fashion, especially Miss Eustace, a psychic who claims to produce apparitions of the dead. Diminutive Mina Scarletti, a writer of horror stories, is sure that her widowed mother is in the hands of cheats and extortionists so she enlists the aid of an unlikely group of friends to expose the frauds. But the scheming criminals have spread their nets wide and dramatic séances easily convince and captivate the bereaved and vulnerable. When Mina's determined campaign backfires she only succeeds in adding to Miss Eustace's fame. With chaos reigning in the Scarletti house, Mina and her associates must turn to desperate methods to outwit the illusionists and reveal the truth.

Linda Stratmann is a freelance writer and editor. She has a degree in psychology and a life-long interest in true crime. She is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction titles including The Poisonous Seed, The Daughters of Gentlemen, A Case of Doubtful Death and The Children of Silence - the Frances Doughty Mystery series.