Edinburgh, 1923.
Evelyn Hazard is a young woman living a comfortable and unremarkable middle-class life. One day, her quiet existence is shattered when her steady, reliable husband Robert makes a startling announcement: he can communicate with the dead.
As the couple are pulled into the spiritualist movement that emerged following the mass deaths caused by the First World War and the Spanish Flu, Evelyn's life becomes increasingly unsettled as dark secrets from her past threaten to surface.
Faced with the prospect of losing all that is dear to her, Evelyn finds herself asking: is the man she loves a fraud, a madman or - most frighteningly - is he telling the truth?
'A darkly sumptous love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh past, guaranteed to give you goosebumps. Under its veneer of eccentric frivolity and acerbic wit, HAZARDOUS SPIRITS is a heartbreaking exploration of collective grief and personal trauma. An exquisitely written work of Caledonian gothic.'
- Francine Toon, author of Pine
‘Equal parts lush Gothic mystery and delicately wrought 1920s domestic drama, Hazardous Spirits is a riveting exploration of the unknowable—whether it’s ghosts, spirits, or the people we love most.’
- Tara Isabella Burton, author of The World Cannot Give
"A darkly sparkling jewel of a book: haunting, vivid and stuffed full of secrets."
― Kirsty Logan, author of Now She is Witch
"Unnerving, dark, and rich, Hazardous Spirits is a novel full of heart and strangeness."
― Nell Stevens author of Briefly, A Delicious Life
“Lush, atmospheric and completely captivating . . . It's the ultimate fireside read, combining Mitford levels of glamour with a haunting edge”
― Daisy Buchanan, author of Limelight
“Ghosts, gaslighting and the eerie allure of the afterlife meet in this Edinburgh-set gothic novel”
― Daily Mail
”A modern gothic masterpiece . . . with stunning prose and a thrilling plot, Hazardous Spirits is a thoroughly captivating read”
― Scots Magazine
"With the literary lyricism and precise historical detail of a Sarah Waters novel. . . . Salam injects a wry humor into this tale of secrets, lies, and the power of the ghosts of our pasts."
― Entertainment Weekly, A Best Book of Fall
"Atmospheric. . . . a believable portrait of the 1920s spiritualism scene. Historical fiction fans will savor this."
― Publishers Weekly
"[A] brooding gothic novel. . . . This darkly atmospheric tale asks where the line between charity and deceit lies in a society haunted by those gone too soon."
― Booklist
"Charming, evocative and very well researched. . . . If you need me, I will be reading this in bed with a flashlight."
― CrimeReads
"A moving exploration of collective grief and wryly funny. Readers of gothic mysteries, historical fiction, and domestic drama will all find satisfaction within Salam’s atmospheric, layered world."
― Library Journal
" Glittering. . . . intoxicating."
― Foreword Reviews
"I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and I’m still shaking my head over that ending. Hazardous Spirits is a dark delight, perfect winter reading, no matter what you believe."
― Locus
"Clever. . . . Salam calls attention to family, loyalty, love, and trust."
― Historical Novel Reviews