The Durham Deception

London and Durham, 1874. Newly married Tom and Helen Ansell attend a séance at which a fraudulent medium is publicly exposed. The experience prepares them for Durham, where Helen’s aunt Julia has fallen under the influence of another spiritualist whose claims are supported by an intimidating household and carefully managed performances.

When the medium is murdered, suspicion turns towards Helen and the couple must investigate both the apparent supernatural evidence and the practical mechanisms behind it. Cathedral society, industrial wealth and stage conjuring intersect as Tom and Helen uncover how grief, inheritance and belief can be manipulated by people who understand the value of a convincing illusion.