The Spirit Guide

Reviews / Votes

A witty addition to Bridget Walsh's Variety Palace Mysteries * Sunday Times * Private investigators Minnie Ward and Albert Easterbrook take on a pair of cases while wrestling with their romantic feelings for each other... Walsh nimbly balances both mysteries with the developing relationship between Minnie and Albert * Publishers Weekly * An addictive mix of mysticism, murder and music hall * Daily Mail * From a murder far too close to home at the beloved Variety Palace, through dodgy Victorian seances to an even dodgier spiritualist cult in the wilds of Suffolk, Minnie and Albert blaze brighter than ever in this vividly conjured mystery with properly scary ghost story vibes. Another cracking page-turner from Bridget Walsh and this series. My favourite detective double-act -- Emma Styles, author of 'No Country For Girls' Wonderful. A supremely atmospheric historical mystery, both haunting and relentlessly entertaining -- Tom Mead, author of 'Death and the Conjuror' An excellent addition to the Variety Palace novels with memorable characters and a plot that explores the exploitation of people's grief. Minnie is a wonderful protagonist who brings strength and humour to even the darkest moments -- Sheila O'Flanagan, author of 'What Eden Did Next' It was an absolute delight to catch up with Minnie and Albert again. They're the best double act out there and in The Spirit Guide they're joined by a host of dubious conmen, mediums, ghosts, gullible heiresses and killers. What's not to like? Can't wait for the next one, and the one after that and the one after that! -- Trevor Wood, author of 'The Inside Man' Seedy Victorian London takes a turn for the grimly gothic... Opening in a tea room but leading to a contemporary understanding of trauma, this is true crime in a petticoat * Kirkus * I'd recommend this one... Strong characters, a look at the underbelly of Victorian London and a twisting plot with some genuine peril * In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel * - - PRAISE FOR THE VARIETY PALACE MYSTERIES * - * Walsh does a splendid job depicting Minnie's flea-bitten yet appealing theatrical world and Albert's monied yet treacherous milieu * Wall Street Journal * Rich with theatrical detail and brimming with brilliant characters, this is a series not to be missed -- SJ Bennett, author of 'Murder Most Royal' Brilliant . . . keeps you guessing till the end -- A. J. West, author of 'The Spirit Engineer' Neatly weds historical detail and quiet wit * Sunday Times * My favourite new crime series of recent years -- Trevor Wood, author of 'You Can Run' Triumphant . . . Walsh once again seamlessly combines vivid period detail, clever plotting, and thoughtful characterizations. This series merits a long run * Publishers Weekly * A rollicking good yarn -- Barbara Nadel, author of the 'Inspector Ikmen Mysteries' A wry, warm and proper rib-tickling slice of dirty Victorian gothic -- Julia Crouch, author of 'The Daughters' Warmth, wit, remarkable texture and rare authority -- Tom Benn, author of 'Oxblood' Pacy, captivating and accomplished -- Emma Styles, author of 'No Country for Girls' From the first dramatic and heart-breaking pages to the breathless final scenes, The Innocents by Bridget Walsh is the superb second novel in the Variety Palace Mysteries series. Victorian crime at its exciting and grittiest best. Don't miss it -- Essie Fox, author of 'The Fascination' 'Beautifully evocative, deftly plotted and with engaging characters, it was a page-turner from beginning to end -- Sheila O'Flanagan, author of 'What Eden Did Next' A brilliantly written page-turner. A bravura performance tumbling us into a compelling mystery in a vivid, richly imagined world. You can smell the greasepaint and hear the roar of the crowd on every page -- Imogen Robertson, author of 'The Paris Winter' Bridget Walsh is a fresh and fabulous new voice in historical crime fiction -- Elizabeth Chadwick, author of 'The King's Jewel'