A Dreadful Splendor

A dreadful splendor 

Posing as a spiritualist Genevieve Timmons might find herself front and center facing the gallows. But who is she to turn down a reprieve when someone comes out of the blue and makes her an offer she can’t refuse. The lord he served, Mr. Pemberton is mourning the death of his beautiful bride-to-be. If she can pull off creating a seance convincing him that Lady Audra his bride-to-be is at peace, she will win her freedom. Appearances are deceiving and Mr. Pemberton has another thought for the seance. He wants her to perform one that will help uncover who murdered her. There is no evidence and only a confession can bring justice. Genevieve is talented and the author flashes back numerous times to her childhood and how her mother became a fortune teller and why she chose to be a spiritualist. Pemberton knows the house and she is a master of illusion and together he hopes to uncover the truth. Can they create a haunting that will uncover a killer?

We get to know him in intervals and Mr.Lockhart the man who freed her from jail, wants the first seance. Plus getting to know some of the staff band overhearing a conversation between two people Lockhart and a man named William, Pemberton’s ward, we begin to wonder whom she can trust. 

Truths come out but first a startling revelation when Genevieve has a talk with William and an unholy truth comes out and s secret about his lineage shocks her. What was his true relationship with Lady Audra? Who is he really and what was his relationship to Lord Chadwick?

She then thinks about her life with Mrs. Crane and why she was glad to be rid of her. But the images and what she sees in Audra’s room and then her ghost book brought memories and wondering to her mind. 

Throughout the novel we hear the voice of Lady Audra but who is this person she refers to as dearest? Lord Pemberton seems enamored with Jenny and tests her skills, seems to want to know her better as she begins to think that the ghosts are real, how will she create the message from  Audra and what role will Pemberton play and what hidden truths about Lockhart will surprise you?

The trust between her and Pemberton increases and a conversation overheard leads them to an unexpected deception, deceit, betrayal and a truth about what really happened  to Audra and who was behind it and why? But the shock was that Jenny is now their target and possibly murder will take her but what do they mean she won’t feel it? Trusts are broken and Pemberton learns just how far two people will go to take it all from him but how and why?

Then something happens and Flora tells it all and the spirit of Maisie comes to light as the author allows Flora one chance to you might say to repent her sins , explain her actions and who why she gave Maisie the one thing that stopped her heart but was it truly her fault and what was she to do to Jenny?

A shocking revelation as the seance turns deadly and Jenny finds herself back at Cranes and what happens with her mother is it real, did it happen and why is she in the dungeon and who really kills Audra? Or did they?

A shocking revelation and Genevieve comes face to face with who killed William, a face she never expected to see and one man who used her talents in order to get the one person standing in his way of getting Somerset as his and thinking it was his rightful place. As Genevieve has to deal with her predicament what will the final ending be? Betrayals you won’t believe and a rationale that is insane. Who would profit from the death of William and getting Pemberton blamed for it and more? Just who is the mastermind?

The ending is shocking and the lies told about her revealed and the death of her mama and who was responsible finally told but Genevieve will learn the true meaning of life, family but will she embrace love? What really happened to Audra? Where will she wind up? In the end will she embrace life or be another victim of a Dreadful splendor as author B.R.Myers takes readers back in time to where lives were different, people had to do what they thought best to live and one woman would lie, cheat and take bribes in order to mold her world at anyone’s expense. Characters that are cunning, conniving, vindictive, greedy and one spiritualist named Jenny who took them all on.

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