The Deception

A sleight of hand. A trick up the sleeve. A call for the dead. Its all part of the game in this twisty tale by the bestselling author of After Alice Fell. New Hampshire, 1877. Maud Price was once a celebrated child medium, a true believer in lifting the veil between the living and the dead. Now penniless, her guiding spirits gone, the so-called Maid of Light is desperate to regain her reputationbut doing so means putting her faith in deceiving others. Clementine Watkins, known in spiritualist circles for her bag of tricks and utmost discretion, creates the sort of theatrics that can fill Mauds parlor again, and with each misdirection, Mauds fame is restored. But her guilt is a heavy burden. And the ruse has become a risk. Others are plotting to expose the fraud, and Clem cant allow anyoneeven Maudto jeopardize the fortune the hoax has made her. When the deception hints at a possible murder, Maud realizes how dangerous a game shes playing. But to return to the light from which shes strayed, she must first survive the darkness created by Clems smoke and mirrors.