The Mesmerist

Description

London, 1838: the controversial practice of Mesmerism, with its genuine practitioners and its fraudulent chancers, has hypnotised the city. Miss Cordelia Preston, a beautiful, ageing, out-of-work actress terrified of returning to the poverty of her childhood, suddenly emerges as a Lady Phreno-Mesmerist. In her candle-lit Bloomsbury basement she learns to harness her talent - and to finally look towards the future. But success is fragile when you have a past filled with secrets. On a wintry, moonlit night a body is found in Bloomsbury Square, and what began as an audacious subterfuge erupts into a scandal. Cordelia's past is revealed, bringing not only heartache but terror - and the mystery of a cloaked figure who waits for her in the shadowy London streets.

Reviews

'Mesmerically gripping' - Sainsbury's Magazine 'The enormous spirit of the characters and overriding sense of fun gives this book warmth and appeal' - Waterstone's Books Quarterly 'Written with insight, intelligence and style, a highly engaging and entertaining read with a complex plot and a cast of utterly believable characters' - Sydney Morning Herald 'A good-humoured saga' - Sun Herald

Author description

Barbara Ewing is a New Zealand-born actress and author who lives in London. She has a university degree in English and Maori and won the Bancroft Gold Medal at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.