The Witch of lime Street by David Jaher

It is the roaring 20's and the world is waking up to a new day - this one is faster and more adventurous than before but many are still grieving the loss of loved ones killed during the Great War in Europe. The combination of grief, relief that the war is over and a new "try anything" spirit in the 1920's lead many to believe in a new science - spiritualism and seances to speak to the dearly departed are all the rage. Men and women from all walks of life are part of this but it is the wealthy who seem to take advantage of it the most. Soon every dinner party ends with a seance, bored women drop by mediums to spend the afternoon and the grief stricken will fall prey to many a huckster. Some notable men become involved in the quest for knowledge and fame - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a spiritualist, will help the cause in any way and brings in his friend, the famous magician Harry Houdini, to help prove it. The author clearly sees Houdini as a petty crybaby who fights for approval of his craft and hopes that disproving spiritualism will finally give him credibility. Soon a wager and contest is arranged in hopes of proving this new science or showing it to be simple fraud. Endless mediums fail to make an impact and Houdini thinks he has won but then a well off Doctor's wife comes out of the woodwork. Dubbed " The Witch of Lime Street" using the name Margery and channeling the spirit of her dead brother Walter, they will give the scientists something to ponder. A lively history lesson as well as entertaining look at the lengths people will go to in proving the existence of something they don't understand but are passionate about. Mina's brother Walter the ghost is the best part of the book.