Hazardous Spirits

A darkly sumptuous love letter to the ghosts of 1920s Edinburgh, 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
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 humour into this tale of secrets, lies, and the power of the ghosts of our pasts * Entertainment Weekly *
Ghosts, gaslighting and the eerie allure of the afterlife meet in this Edinburgh-set gothic novel * Daily Mail *
Elegantly wrought in crystalline prose, Hazardous Spirits is masterful in its navigation of its subject matter - death - deftly dealing with the lugubrious but without succumbing to it * Sunday Post *
A compelling portrait of a woman spiralling down into an irresolvable crisis * Glasgow Herald *
A darkly sparkling jewel of a book: haunting, vivid and stuffed full of secrets -- Kirsty Logan, author of NOW SHE IS WITCH
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
Densely atmospheric . . . Salam crafts a believable portrait of the 1920s spiritualism scene. Historical fiction fans will savour this * Publishers Weekly *
Equal parts lush Gothic mystery and delicately-wrought 1920s domestic melodrama, 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 SOCIAL CREATURE
Unnerving, dark and rich, Hazardous Spirits is a novel full of heart and strangeness -- Nell Stevens, author of BRIEFLY, A DELICIOUS LIFE

Hazardous Spirits is a dark delight, perfect winter reading

* Locus Magazine *
Salam calls attention to family, loyalty, love, and trust . . . I enjoyed this take on the between-wars era and the author's comforting humour, which beautifully captures the spirit of the times * Historical Novel Society *
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 * Crimereads *
[A] glittering historical novel * Foreword *
This will keep you guessing * Best Magazine *
Hazardous Spirits weaves something of a tenebrous spell over 1920s Edinburgh . . . Both a domestic thriller and a powerful historical evocation . . .this is a slow burner with an icy grip * Crime Time *
Perfectly eerie . . . 1920s Edinburgh comes alive as its bohemian post-war players commingle with the dead -- J.M. Varese, author of THE COMPANY