'Molly was fifteen when she began working with the dead.' This is the provocative opening line to Faye L. Booth's debut novel, Cover The Mirrors, which has all the trademarks of a Victorian potboiler – sex, death, class, hysteria – but Booth's wry narrative gives it a contemporary twist. Molly, a successful medium in an age of superstition, is tough, ambitious and sexual, not the classic romantic heroine. Interestingly, it is her lover who takes the more passive role. Perhaps the real love story is between Molly and her friend, Jenny, harshly tested as Molly climbs the social ladder. Booth explores themes of passion and independence in raw, visceral detail. Nothing in this novel is ever quite as it seems – but though far from demure, Molly is a strong and believable character. Cover The Mirrors is a pleasure to read, with some powerful writing that suggests a bright future for its author (and of course, Molly herself.)