In early 19th-century London, two out-ofwork actresses (which is only one step up from prostitution) take up phreno-mesmerism as a way out of poverty. Our heroines are the beautiful Cordelia Preston and her best friend Amaryllis Spoons, both of whom have tragic pasts they would rather forget. It turns out Cordelia may actually have a talent for mesmerism and soon they are enjoying much success and (most importantly for single ladies over a certain age) financial security. But the past, as it has a habit of doing, comes back to threaten their security as well as their lives. This is an enjoyable and unchallenging historical novel from the author of The Trespass and Rosetta. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along fairly briskly to a satisfying and cliché-free conclusion. I particularly enjoyed the Gothic touches Ewing introduces to bring an element of menace to the story. An easy and enjoyable read for fans of historical fiction.

Mahina Drew is an events coordinator at the State Library of Victoria

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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