Publication Date: July 28, 2026
After a cheesy ghost tour in one of California’s oldest towns stumbles upon an actual haunting, a skeptical historian of the occult becomes entangled in solving a murder case.
When Professor Harper Grae loses a bet with a friend, she finds herself on a local nighttime tour of “haunted” locations in Monterey. Harper’s a lifelong non-believer in the occult, though her academic career is devoted to the historical and societal significance of witchcraft, ghosts, and medicinal poisons of all sorts. But her skepticism immediately gets tested when the tour stumbles on the body of local artist Delilah Mason—who’s found murdered on the grounds of a nearly two-hundred-year-old mansion, once home to the infamous Perles family.
On the night Mason’s body is found, Harper catches sight of something in the house that she can’t shake, something that’s impossible to explain, at least not rationally. Soon the murder investigation reveals that this is the second time a woman has been found murdered beneath a sprawling cypress tree in the gardens of the Perles Mansion. And when Harper’s closest friend is questioned by the police, Harper fears the authorities will fail to uncover the real killer.
As Harper asks questions around town and digs deeper into the supernatural speculation and rumors surrounding the murders—two women killed in similar circumstances, separated by nearly two centuries —she sees evidence she can’t ignore that the notorious mansion truly is haunted by the ghost of Isabel Perles.
What will it cost Harper to rethink everything she’s always believed to admit that the veil between the living and the dead might actually be crossed?
A ghost tour gone wrong, and now Harper Grae is haunted herself in The Séance Garden by Juliet Blackwell.
Harper Grae doesn’t believe in ghosts, but when she loses a bet to a friend, she is forced on a local ghost tour. Rolling her eyes at the dramatic story and overblown history, she is ready for the night to end. However, when visiting the home of Delilah Mason, a strange noise is heard, and a body is found. Now Harper is consumed with the murder, trying to find out more of the history of the strange home while also learning more about the life of Delilah. Harper must confront her own beliefs to solve the murder and put the restless spirits to bed.
I’m a big fan of ghost stories, especially when they are paired with murder. Blackwell always does a great job of making the supernatural seem believable and a logical part of the story. I found the characters super easy to connect to and multifaceted. I loved the relationship between Harper and Tariq and how it developed throughout the story.
The setting was unique, and I enjoyed how the history of the town was woven into the story. The only negative for me was that I wanted more meat on the story. I just felt that I didn’t know Deliah or Isabel, which is a shame considering how important they are to the story.
Haunting and mysterious, The Séance Garden is the perfect entry into the fall season.
Juliet Blackwell is the pseudonym for the New York Times bestselling author of Off the Wild Coast of Brittany and The Vineyards of Champagne. In addition to writing the beloved Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series, she also coauthored the Agatha Award–nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series with her sister.
