Friday Review: Questionable Minds by Fraser Sherman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting paranormal historical fantasy. It is set in a Victorian England in the time of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. Psychic powers are real, and it is widely accepted that most people possess some form of vril (the term here for those powers). Most even believe that the development of vril is the next step in human evolution. But we have Sir Simon Taggert, the “Baronet Detective”, who not only has no vril of his own, but has mental shields that prevent him from being influenced by other mentalists. He uses this ability, his social standing, and a few rather unsavory contacts to help Scotland Yard solve crimes involving mentalists and vril. He also has an ulterior motive for aiding the police: his wife was murdered at the order of the Guv’nor, who essentially runs the crime world in London and he wants to solve that crime. The main plot of the story revolves around Jack the Ripper, who, in this world, uses his vril to attract his victims. His brutality and his mental powers seem to be increasing as well. Simon believes the attacks are more than simply the cravings of a madman, and he also thinks he knows who is behind the bigger plot, but he has to tread carefully because the Ripper’s powers could make foes out of friends.

This was a good story. The worldbuilding is very well done, and it is apparent Sherman did his research. The inclusion of the psychic aspects in this alternate world are almost seamlessly woven into the real world Victorian fascination with mental powers and spiritualists. There are multiple references to other events and people, both real and fictional, that round out the believability. Simon himself is a complex character. He is obsessed with finding the truth behind his wife’s apparent suicide (which he believes was really murder), although we find he may not have truly loved her. He is a devoted father to their daughter, and would do anything to protect her, especially from her own psychic abilities. He is having an affair with his daughter’s nanny, but is more than guilty about it. There are things to truly like about him, and other things that make you not care for him. It’s a layered, complex story that builds bit by bit to its conclusion. It’s not perfect, but the misses are small, and don’t detract at all from enjoying the story.

If you enjoy stories with complex main characters and the paranormal in an alternate historical setting, this one will likely do nicely.

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