The Charteris Books

London 1840. The city is in the fever grip of mesmerism, an intensified form of hypnosis and James Charteris, master mesmerist, is at the top of his game. Cold and ruthless, the almost God-like power he wields over his subjects appeals to his huge ego and it becomes his addiction, along with opium. When a rival mesmerist steals James's limelight, his response is brutal and cruel, using all of his considerable gifts to tear apart everyone who stands in the way of his ambition, including his own wife.