RED SEASON

In Genard’s debut thriller, a psychic medical examiner in 19th-century London dives into cases of missing youths and murder.

Dr. William Scarlet puts his expertise to work as an assistant chief surgeon for Scotland Yard. Only a select few know of another of his skills—he experiences psychometric visions that he triggers by touching people or an object they’ve handled. He and his friend Django Pierce-Jones, a medium of Romani descent, belong to the newly formed Society for Supernatural and Psychic Research. They catch their very first case after a string of children’s disappearances stumps the authorities. They’ve only just begun to investigate (soliciting spiritual assistance via a seance) when another case falls into the Society’s collective laps: Elizabeth Wilson and her budding-artist fiance, Ambrose Reed, have been made to suffer, both in their relationship and in their physical bodies, and the potential culprit is none other than Reed’s late first wife. (“Do you think it’s possible, Julius, for someone to exert an influence from beyond the grave?”) Genard effectively grounds this mystery in its real-life environment, name-checking such familiar locations as Notting Hill and Hyde Park. His narrative delivers indelible set pieces, from Scarlet’s bizarre, unsettling dream to a particularly chilling autopsy. This book, intended as a series opener, focuses on Scarlet and Django; most of the other Society members share a single scene. The two friends easily carry the story as they blend their paranormal abilities with more traditional sleuthing, including the 19th-century version of a background check. While their novel methods of investigation net relatively few clues and culminate in a revelation that won’t surprise many readers, that certainly doesn’t dampen the polished characterizations of the romantically conflicted Reed, the unorthodox gumshoes, and one character who grows progressively creepier as the story continues.

A top-notch cast and a sublimely rendered historical setting elevate this supernatural mystery.