A Deadly Scandal

The Society of Free Spirits #2

by Felicity Epps

An occult device leaving threatening messages. A dinner party ending with a fatal main course. Was it a tragic accident, or is something foul at play? The Society of Free Spirits invites you to investigate, in this YA crime series with a supernatural twist.

Ada Hawthorne would much rather be hunting for ghosts than for a husband. So when the Society of Free Spirits is invited to host a séance investigating the Spirit Hand - an occult device haunting its owner with threatening messages - Ada can't wait to show off her spiritualist talents to London's elite.

But then a guest is fatally stabbed with a hatpin during the séance, and Ada ends up with more on her plate than a fancy dinner!

The society's reputation is hanging on by a thread, and Ada can't afford her family name being dragged through another scandalous gossip column. But when visions of the ghost appear and demand that the murder be solved, Ada and her friends have no choice but to engage in some less-than-ladylike behaviour to uncover the mystery. They'll soon learn that in high society, everyone's watching - including the ghosts.

Genres: Paranormal

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2026

Reviews

[Laura The Busy Book Corner]

Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as book one. It was a fun murder mystery and I liked the way the main character changed. I did feel Dolores changed personality slightly but that could be because we are seeing her through a different pov.

[Acantha]

Three young ladies are members of the Society of Free Spirits, dedicated to exploring the other side and solving crime as a result. Invited to hold a séance, things take a truly sinister turn when a member of the party turns up dead.

I haven't read the previous book but I didn't feel I was missing much as I was able to pick up the characters and world easily enough.

The characters are fun enough, Ada is brave, determined and won't let her position or her gender hold her back. She's prone to leaping without looking, but her heart is always in the right place. All in all, a good character to follow.

However.

The book was starting to loose me around the 50% mark, I was starting to feel bored by the same tight little repeat of scenes - Ada shows up somewhere, usually where she isn't wanted, makes a scene by accident, is humiliated and flees in shame. Thankfully, also at around that point, there was a massive twist which reframed the whole story and tossed it into a much higher gear.

The plot raced along at that point, I felt reinvigorated and I wanted to see what happened next. Trying to solve the murder, dip into the supernatural world and also try and make a difference in society meant that the second half was jam packed with action.

The ending was a little ridiculous, but it was a very enjoyable ridiculous truth be told. This was a fun adventure but I wish it hadn't taken so long to get to the good stuff.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[ghostlypeach_]

3.5⭐️

👻 book 2/? ongoing YA murder mystery series
🍑 a lil YA romance
👻 single POV
🍑 supernatural twist
👻 murder mystery
🍑 sisterhood
👻 set in 1800s London
🍑 secret notes

Huge thank you to Bethany at TEMPEST for this finished copy!

~𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀~
I was so excited to return to this world! It's fun and lighthearted with the right amount of spooky goings on and such a fun cast of characters 😍

I loved that FMC Ada took the centre stage this time, with society members Violet and Dolores taking a step back

Ada is such a fun character what with her focus on society gossip and how she is perceived also whilst wanting to be a bigger part in the society. She has such good character development throughout the book which made me really happy to see 🥹

I enjoyed the "supernatural" antics that went on, especially with that balance of what a ruse and what is actually paranormal. Even if all things ghostly were not in fact ghosts, the spooky vibe was strong!

The murder mystery plot wasn't the strongest and the characters themselves and their shenanigans were definitely my favourite part but that didn't bother me too much!

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹, such a fun lil murder mystery with a supernatural twist! Super excited to see what the series focuses on next especially with a possible royal cameo 👀

[Rachael Salmon]

Having read “A Grave Inheritance” by the same author, I was thrilled to be allocated an E-ARC from #NetGalley of “A Deadly Scandal”.

The last time we met Ada, Dolores and Violet was when they had just solved a murder and were hopeful that their ‘Society of Free Spirits’ was on the cusp of great success. When we meet them in this instalment, we find that things are not completely as they would like them. Ada is being pressured by her father to conform to society’s expectations of her, Dolores is dealing with coming out of mourning, and Violet is wondering whether or not her talents as a medium are quite what she thought they might be.

The genres of crime/detective fiction and paranormal fiction are entertainingly interwoven. So too are themes including bereavement, feminism, grief, inequality, patriarchy, and same-sex attraction. They are serious topics addressed with a light touch. Plus, I have learned even more about Victorian customs, from the etiquette of taking tea, to what to wear when grieving.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am really hoping that there will be more to come. A great read.

[Joanna]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to return to the Society of Free Spirits as the first book was so much fun. This second installment absolutely didn't disappoint.

I enjoyed the story being told from Ada's perspective, especially as it gave more depth to her character. She seemed quite silly and frivolous in book one, so it was great to see a fair bit of character development.

The mystery was absolutely excellent and full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. There were a few reveals that I didn't see coming and the final one genuinely shocked me and was done so well.

Because souch happens, the pacing is really good and I flew through this book. Despite it being a quick read, it really does deal with a lot so you don't feel like it needs anything more.

I'm even more excited for book three now, especially following the last few pages.

[Emily]

✨4 stars✨

This book was such a fun, historical murder mystery filled with occult and paranormal elements.

I really enjoyed this book and found the writing engaging and easy to get through, especially as it’s quite a short book coming in at around 300 pages. I didn’t realise that this book is technically a second book and I haven’t read the first book. However, this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book so can totally see people just picking this book up for an entertaining palate cleanser.

If you liked The Agency for Scandal series by Laura Wood then I think you’ll enjoy this book/series and Felicity Epps’ writing.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Claire Downing]

This book completely sucked me in.
Yes, the murder-mystery plot is great — a séance gone wrong, a hatpin stabbing, spooky threatening messages from the Spirit Hand — but honestly what kept me turning pages was Ada.
I feel like we really get to know her in this book. She's still that sharp, curious 17-year-old from book 1, but you see so much more of what's going on underneath — how badly she wants to prove herself, how loyal she is to the Society of Free Spirits, and how she's learning to trust her own instincts even when everything's falling apart around her. She felt so real.
Cozy Victorian vibes + occult mystery + a main character you just want to root for? Yes please!
Can't wait for the next one!

[Victoria]

I really loved this and was pleased it was chosen for our book club after we read the previous book together last year.

Things I loved:

⭐️ Dolores is still a weird rich little goth and she will never change.
⭐️ The mystery actually does keep you on your toes even if you suspect some of it there is a surprise like with the previous book - very good plotting. Trust no one.
⭐️ The mix of paranormal and straight up just dodgy people.
⭐️ The ending.

I was slightly nervous about getting the audio this time as I found Ada’s voice to be v grating in the Grave Inheritance recording however was pleasantly surprised that the voice was changed and better suited to her character.

[Jay]

What a wonderfully fun second instalment in the Society of Free Spirits series!

I absolutely loved the first book and unravelling of the mystery following Dolores, so when I found out book 2 was going to be about Ada, I knew there was definitely more chaos to come.

I loved how, throughout the book, other plotlines and characters had moments to shine. We still get to see our girls' friendship blossom even more. I am hoping that there is a book 3, our leading lady will be Violet because I am so intrigued by how she can commune with ghosts, and that would be great to see in her pov.

[Miss R]

I loved this book. Flew through it in three evenings. I was kindly given this as an ARC and even though I didn’t realise it was the second book of a series I didn’t need to worry as the book is a complete story. However I’m going to grab the first book now as I loved this one so much. Ive been bored of intense Romantasy lately and this story was a fast paced, lighthearted read and perfect to get over a reading slump

[Tom Reviews Books]

Once again we step back into Victorian high society, where spirits wish to communicate and murders must be solved.
In truth this is a delightfully different take to the murder mystery genre, that is full of charm as well as death.
This book also stands alone, despite it being part of a series you don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. So pick it up, try something a tad offbeat, a bit different. You might just enjoy it.

Happy Reading

[Poppy]

I absolutely loved this book. The writing and characters were amazing. I adored the first book and this one is even better. The plot was so unpredictable and at the end I was shocked. Book 3??

[Shan]

3.75