My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advance copy of this novel set in the time of gaslights and spiritualism where a duo who think they are clever are caught in ancient game of gods, cults and wannabes.

The problem with being alive is that we never know when the end is coming. Even in this age of medical wonders a 6-month warning about end of life can stretch out for years. Or last only hours. So many things are left unsaid. I'll apologize tomorrow, I'll tell them where the gold is hidden soon, I'll confess my love to her...hey that bus isn't stopping. To quote a band who could be the soundtrack in many ways to this book, 'Plans that either come to naught. Or half a page of scribbled lines." There is no wonder that people through the ages have wanted to act as a messenger to the dead, a medium to share thoughts unsaid, and exist only behind the veil. And since humans love to make money by means both foul and fair, there are many that pretend their gift of communing with the dead is real, honest, and worth a good payout. The only problem is as a philosopher once said, "..If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." The Shadow on the Glass :A Cthulhu by Gaslight Novel by Jonathan L Howard is the story of a two pseudo-mediums who find that instead of rapping on tables, they are wrapped in a game of the Old gods, a game that is heavily rigged against them.

London, England in the year of our Lord, 1891. William Grant was a low level schemer and scammer who after a time on the run has hit lucky streak in the rise of spiritualism. His partner Elizabeth Whittle is better known as the medium Cerulia Trent, and have gained a certain reputation for the communications with the deceased. Elizabeth is very good at conveying messages, though she is finding it harder and harder to remember who she is, as Cerulia Trent seems to be taking up all her time. A chance encounter with a local detective pushes the duo to move their scam to the Continent. Before they go, they plan one last seance, with a recently arrived Sir Donovan Clay, from Australia. Clay has been hiring mediums both good, bad and indifferent and paying out huge sums to get in contact with his recently deceased wife. The night goes wrong, from a storm that suddenly rolls in, Clay's lack of affection for his dead wife, his ancient Uncle, and a ceremony that goes wrong leaving Elizabeth changed. The darkened alleys of London are full of threats for Grant and his companion, leaving him few chances but to go deeper and deeper in the madness that is around them.

A spooky story that is both strong on atmosphere and strong on characters. Howard known for his books about Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, has a good grasp on this subject matter, and it carries over in the writing. Situations are creepy, with lots of potential for cheap scares, but Howard is better than that, dragging the feeling out, and making for some uneasy page flipping. Howard really brings in a lot of elements, early detective stories, penny dreadful story, all mixed with Cthulhu. Quite a lot of fun, and a worthy start to a new series of stories.

Fans of the game Call of Cthulhu will enjoy this, as Howard really nails the atmosphere. Fans of Howard's other books will enjoy this also, as one can feel his signature style, and humor on each page.

This had everything that I wanted from a first book in the Call of Cthulhu world. The concept was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel of the Victorian elements. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel in this story. I enjoyed the overall feel and how Jonathan L Howard wrote this. It uses that detective element perfectly and left me wanting to read more.

A hugely entertaining tale of dark secrets, human greed and cruelty, and cosmic horrors. I loved the characters and the setting, and Howard tells the story in a throwback, old-school way that my Sherlock Holmes-loving heart definitely appreciated. There's a real sense of danger and adventure here, and I really had no idea where the ending was going to take me. Fair warning: I had some really intense nightmares about giant sky-monsters after reading this book so be warned!

This one was.....rough. I really love historical set fantasy but this was kinda juvenile for me. I just didn't care too much about the characters.

Loved the plot. The story is fenomenal. It's a 5 star for me and I recommend everyone it and to read this fantastic book.

I liked the plot of the book fine. Some elements didn't work for me. There were points where I thought the point of view shifted, and there were times I questioned the author's decisions, like attempting to inject some humor in at odd points. ~The cult is Secret Masters of Time...because they had stationary made and it hasn't run out. ~

But in general I liked it. Trent reminded me a bit of Bella Baxter from Poor Things. I liked the layer added by including the police presence. Overall, a nice read.

When two spiritist swindlers accidentally summon something horrific from beyond the stars, they must thwart a sinister time-spanning plot, in this first Victorian-era gaslight fantasy set in the world of Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu. London, 1891. Elizabeth Whittle and William Grant enjoy scalping London’s bourgeoise, taking on the persona of grand spiritist Cerulia Trent and her agent to connect the living and the dead. When a detective arrives, sniffing out fraud with a scientifically minded spiritualist society, the duo decides to take one last job before escaping to the continent. However, their final séance ends horrifically… and soon Lizzie isn’t Lizzie anymore. William, desperate to banish whatever monster they summoned, is soon embroiled in an electrifying eldritch mystery where he makes a deal with the devil to save his friend and stop an even greater evil from transforming the known world.

A cool little horror novel which shows what happens when a seance goes horribly wrong. Not too much new content added to the genre here, but even still, I really enjoyed this one:)