The Peculiarities

In David Liss's engaging historical fiction, a naive young man in Victorian London becomes ensnared in a perilous supernatural mystery. As he navigates strange conspiracies and encounters bizarre creatures, Thomas must confront deeper issues, including familial sabotage and a peculiar affliction causing leaves to sprout from his skin. To save his family's bank—and himself—he seeks help from unlikely allies, including a lycanthropic medium and the unconventional occultist Aleister Crowley, all while challenging society's dismissal of magic amidst its creeping presence.