Review
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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT A.J. WEST:
'Amazing. Phenomenal. Astounding. Fantastic and all the other words! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This book is my favourite book of 2021 so far and honestly might be one of my favourites of all time! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'The suspense and the horror involved were amazing and I found myself a bit creeped out at night sometimes while reading it, which is just perfect.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read and I can't wait to see more from A.J.West!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘It’s at the top of my books of the year.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘It's a perfect Halloween read.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘It goes from giving you chills, to checking over your shoulder, to heart palpitations, to choked up with tears, to full on spit your tea out laughing. All of the emotions! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘Wow, what a debut from AJ West! It's engaging, spooky, funny and I will be thinking about that ending for a long time.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Gripping, enthralling, shocking.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This book was beautifully written, immersive with vibrant descriptions that transport you directly to the 1900's. I cannot wait to see more from this author!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'The writing style was fluid, sympathetic to the time period and well researched.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I am thrilled to say that The Spirit Engineer took me by the hand, slapped me round the face several times only to give me a gentle kiss goodbye. An absolute dazzler of an ending.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Deeply engrossing, spellbinding and well-crafted. This grabbed me from the get go, and did not let go.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I had to read parts of this during the day because at night it gave me a really creepy feeling!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This is a tense, paranoid tale of how suggestible the human mind can be and will haunt you…read it at night… if you dare!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This is a rollicking read!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'With cameos by Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle, which were fabulous, the story races to its shocking conclusion. There are a few twists I can tell you!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I absolutely loved The Spirit Engineer! This book was spooky, and it is perfect for Halloween. I highly recommend it!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Very authentic Victorian Gothic novel – I felt transported back in time. I loved the story and the detailed Victorian pen and ink illustrations at the beginning of each section of the book.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
--NetGalley reviews
Product Description
WINNER OF THE HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION DEBUT CROWN AWARD 2022
'A fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deception, and power'
DERREN BROWN
'Haunting, witty and deeply moving'
JODIE WHITTAKER
'A work of true invention and drama that moves at a cracking pace from the very first page and keeps you guessing'
JEREMY VINE
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Belfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society has become obsessed with spiritualism, attending séances in the hope they might reach their departed loved ones.
William Jackson Crawford is a man of science and a sceptic, but one night with everyone sitting around the circle, voices come to him – seemingly from beyond the veil – placing doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen’s parlour tricks gone too far?
Based on the true story of Professor William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, and with a cast of characters including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, The Spirit Engineer conjures a haunted, twisted tale of power, paranoia and one ultimate, inescapable truth...
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*MORE PRAISE FOR THE SPIRIT ENGINEER*
'Set in a historical moment where science and spiritualism meet, The Spirit Engineer is an ingeniously plotted debut novel'
SARAH BURTON, author of The Strange Adventures of H
'It’s clever, it’s quirky, highly entertaining, but carries a chill as cold as the grave'
ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of Cecily
'Dark, powerful and twisting – The Spirit Engineer will leave you wondering what is real and what is illusion'
W. C. RYAN, author of A
