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Sign up todayThe Mesmerist
A Novel
Narrator
Carlotta Brentan
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Length
10 hours 11 minutes
Language
English
AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR • A tightly plotted page-turner ripped from the headlines of history, as three very different women must work together to stop a killer and save the truest home they've ever known.
Before hypnotism, there was Mesmerism. And in 1894 Minneapolis, in the wake of a national financial crisis, spiritualism of every stripe is all the rage, and women are dying under mysterious circumstances. But until a new guest lands at the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers, refusing to speak or explain her arrival, the sordid stories of unexplained deaths seem unconnected. Faith’s reticence is quickly interpreted as malevolence, setting the house abuzz with whispers of dark magic.
Abby, a staunch Quaker, lifelong supporter of progressive causes, and the Bethany Home’s treasurer, thinks the rumors of mystical powers swirling around Faith are nonsense, but she recognizes the danger of a good story. Unwilling to allow the Home’s important mission to be clouded by scandal, Abby tasks Faith’s roommate, May, with tracing Faith’s path to the Bethany Home.
May is desperate to end her year at Bethany Home engaged and on track to her happily-ever-after—even if her prince charming is Hal, a man she’s not sure she can trust. She uncovers a Minneapolis she never expected as she begins digging into Faith’s shadowy background, and her investigation brings her closer to polite society and Hal than she could have dreamed. The more May learns, the more she’s forced to question the motives of everyone around her, including Abby and Faith, and as more women turn up dead, May must reevaluate the future she wants, and which lies she’s willing to tell, for whom.
Rich with tension, suspicion, and sharply observed characters, Caroline Woods reimagines a classic American genre through the eyes of three bold, unforgettable women.
CAROLINE WOODS holds an M.F.A. in fiction from Boston University. She is the author of the novels The Lunar Housewife and Fräulein M., and she has taught fiction writing at Loyola University Chicago, Boston University, and the Boston Conservatory. Raised in Delaware, she now lives near Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
Reviews
An NPR Best Book of 2024"Immersive and compelling . . . The Mesmerist will linger long after you turn the last page." --NPR
"History and imagination merge in The Mesmerist" --The Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Caroline Woods is a masterful storyteller. You will be on the edge of your seat as you read the story of Faith, Abby and May as they set out to solve a murder in nineteenth-century Minneapolis. Unforgettable characters set in a time of dark history is haunting, atmospheric and thrilling. True crime junkies and historical fiction fanatics, this fabulous read is for you!" --Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
"The magic of The Mesmerist is not only found in the spiritualism that haunts every page, but also the three tenacious women at its core, dedicated to unmasking America’s first serial killer. With expert skill, Woods turns the screw, ratcheting up the real danger and the contemporary panic around women’s independence. A darkly textured, delicious read." --Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author of The Cloisters
"A mystery, a page turner, and a glimpse of true crime in nineteenth-century Minneapolis, The Mesmerist is both entertaining and enlightening. It’s a compelling story of murder, deception, unwed mothers, and the steadfast women dedicated to helping them. Beautifully rendered characters and excellent storytelling." --Allegra Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of Sam
"The Mesmerist nimbly explores the power of women’s solidarity in fin-de-siècle Minneapolis, weaving dark magic and peril into a propulsive and chilling read. Clever, atmospheric and haunting." -- Michelle Min Sterling, New York Times bestselling author of Camp Zero
"Based on the real-life journals of Abby Mendenhall, The Mesmerist is part mystery, part exploration of lives of young women on the margins in the Gilded Age, prey to men who will use and abuse them. It’s mesmerizing. Put it at the top of your TBR list." --The Pioneer Press
"Excellent . . . Fastidious historical detail, expert suspense, andindelible characterizations combine to make this acertifi ed page-turner. Readers will be up all night." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A jewel box of a historical novel, Caroline Woods' The Mesmerist draws the reader into a richly detailed story of women forced to make their own way in a world that would really prefer they didn't. With bare-faced, beautiful honesty, The Mesmerist navigates the complexities and intimacies of womens' lives outside of polite society, all with a deliciously sinister undercurrent of mystery." --Claudia Cravens, bestselling author of Lucky Red
"The Mesmerist . . . entrances and intrigues with its thrilling mix of fact and fiction. . . Discerning readers will detect what Woods does so well, which is to complicate simple female archetypes--such as the crone, the mother, and the harlot--by having characters occupy many of these roles simultaneously or move between them fluidly. While relationships with men propel the novel, the relationships women form with each other are front and center." --Shelf Awareness
"Riveting. . . . A good, timely choice for discussion on women's bodily autonomy and the ability to live independently from a man's control." --Booklist
“This historical crime novel, based loosely on actual events, is intricate and intelligently written and proceeds through its pages with increasing suspense and tension. . . Recommended.” --The Historical Novel Society
"Caroline Woods exposes the plight of Victorian women and transforms history into an intricately plotted mystery in The Mesmerist." --BookPage
“A super smart thriller set in a past that feels too close for comfort and reminds us just how terrifying real women’s lives could be.” --Kirsten Miller, author of The Change
"The trust that ebbs and flows among the characters is this novel’s strength. . . . . An atmospheric turn through a real-life 19th-century scandal." --Kirkus
“Caroline Woods, known for the historical novels The Lunar Housewife and Fräulein M., has created something magical with The Mesmerist.” --The Big Thrill
"Fascinating" --BookRiot
"A dark mystery, a nervous thriller . . . I exulted in it." --Delaplaine Magazine Expand reviews
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