A Dreadful Splendor

YA author Myers’s (Rogue Princess) adult debut follows Genevieve Timmons, a fake spiritualist who conducts séances as cover for robbing her wealthy clients. When Genevieve ends up in jail, she is bailed out on the condition that she hold a séance for Lord Chadwick, who is heartbroken after his bride’s death and hopes to find her killer. This book demands a narrator who can channel Genevieve’s charm, cleverness, and strength and skillfully narrate different social classes, genders, and accents. Narrator Olivia Vinall delivers on all points, creating a Genevieve who is believable and easy to root for. Vinall performs the remaining characters exactly as they should be, subtly changing their personalities as new information is revealed and as they’re manipulated into confessing their secrets. The narration reinforces the mystery, rather than becoming a clue itself. As with many great gothic reads, supernatural tensions vie with emotional ones—past trauma, blossoming romance, and real and imagined ghosts will keep listeners guessing until the end.