The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond

Edie and Violet are running from a past that haunts them as much as spirits haunt the twins. A year ago, Edie slipped into the Veil, the place between life and death, and caused her mother’s death. Concerned with witchcraft and neighborly perception, their father vows to place them in a facility to help them. Knowing this means an insane asylum is in their near future, they slip out and join a traveling show. As they tour, Edie is torn with the knowledge that she caused her mother’s death but didn’t tell her sister. Their tour veers closer and closer to home, where the Veil becomes more difficult to navigate as the Shadow, the broken soul that caused her mother’s death, hides a dark plan that only the girls can stop.

As delicious as tea and scones, this delightful horror of a tale is set in 1885 when women’s rights were nil and insane asylums assisted men who were tired of their ill-behaved, strong-willed wives, sisters, and daughters. The romance is perfectly, adorably balanced by the friendships and sisterhood of the twins. The conclusion winds and spins like smoke from a seance candle, finally settling on a satisfying finale. So, so excellent.