The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World

Meticulously researched, Jaher's first book expertly examines a fascinating area of American history. A nation recovering from World War I was ripe for embracing spiritualism as almost every family had lost someone in the war and desperately hoped to reach them. Spiritualists rose to the level of celebrity when reputable scientific journals began to investigate the phenomenon. Scientific American even offered a cash prize for the first spiritualist who could withstand their scrutiny and trials. Onto this scene came medium Mina Crandon, wife of a surgeon, and Harry Houdini. Channeling her dead brother, Crandon almost won the prize, but she was stymied by Houdini. He viewed spiritualists as criminals who preyed on the bereaved, and he went to great lengths to unmask and discredit Crandon, initiating a lifelong animosity between the two. Layered with sexual overtones, this is heady stuff, and the narrative expands to include such prominent people as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Narrated by the versatile Simon Vance, whose voice lends the precise amount of gravitas required for this tale of spiritualism and revenge.