# The Accidental Medium

By Tracy Whitwell · The Accidental Medium, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-accidental-medium-5db3cf3d/

Tanz needs work after her television career fades. A job in a London new-age shop brings a discovery she wasn’t looking for: the voices she hears belong to the dead. Her family has a history of mediumship, and her new abilities eventually draw her into a murder investigation.

## What makes it funny?

Tanz brings an outspoken, wine-loving actress’s voice to her unexpected psychic career. There are still bills to pay and a social life to manage while the dead demand attention. Her off-color commentary gives the encounters a less solemn tone than the spirits might expect.

### The comedy at work

Whitwell keeps the supernatural business close to Tanz’s everyday life. Friends, work and a new love interest occupy much of the story, so learning to speak for the dead becomes another complicated adjustment for a woman already trying to rebuild her career.

### Try this if…

Readers who enjoy a strong conversational voice and a character’s changing life alongside their ghosts have more to explore here than a single murder puzzle. The British Fantasy Society review singles out the dialogue and cozy feel, with some darker moments.

### Good to know

The murder mystery develops late, and the British Fantasy Society review found this opening volume felt like the beginning of a longer story. Tanz is grieving a friend killed in a car crash. Her narration can be abrasive: Publishers Weekly objected to some off-color jokes, including a derogatory joke about gender presentation, and was unconvinced by the detective work.

## What to expect

- Genre: Fantasy · Mystery
- On the shelf: Cozy mystery · Paranormal mystery
- The atmosphere: Irreverent
- Story ingredients: Supernatural detective
- Format: Novel
- Published: 2022

## A few distinguishing details

- An out-of-work actress discovering her family’s mediumship
- Everyday London life interrupted by the dead

## Sources & further reading

- Review: [British Fantasy Society review](https://britishfantasysociety.org/he-accidental-medium-by-tracy-whitwell-from-panmacmillan-bookreview-humour-fantasy-ghoststory)
- Publisher: [Publisher](https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/tracy-whitwell/the-accidental-medium/9781529087529)
- Review: [Publishers Weekly review](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781529087512)