BORN OF DECEPTION

American Anna Van Housen, gifted teenage empath and illusionist, finds herself newly expatriated in Europe, but the dangers (and romantic tension) are just as great across the pond.

In this stark departure from its predecessor, Born of Illusion (2013), and its glittering Jazz Age backdrop of séances and speak-easies, Anna finds herself in dreary London alongside her beau, Cole, performing at the top of the bill with a new troupe. In England, her affiliation with the Society for Psychical Research deepens as she familiarizes herself with many of its members. As she puzzles out which members she deems trustworthy, others start disappearing or, even worse, are found murdered. In a new country and with no certainties anywhere, Anna must use her powers—both psychic and physical—to find the perpetrator before it’s too late. To make her footing even less steady, she meets another handsome performer who makes her question her longstanding feelings for the aloof Cole. Brown’s sophomore tale offers a riveting mix of mystery, romance and history, paced with enough chapter-ending cliffhangers to ensure that its readers cannot—and will not—put this down; expect readers to clamor for more of Anna’s adventures.

A must-read for fans of historical fantasy