The Spirit Engineer

By: A. J. West

Narrated by: Dickon Farmar

"A fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deception, and power." (Derren Brown)

A chilling debut teeming with spirits, séances, and scandal – the must-listen novel for this spooky season.

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....

Everyone is talking about The Spirit Engineer

"Haunting, witty and deeply moving." (Jodie Whittaker)

"So clever it makes your head spin! The Spirit Engineer is a work of true invention and drama." (Jeremy Vine)

©2021 A. J. West (P)2021 Duckworth Books Ltd

A Finely Crafted Story

This debut novel by A.J. West is a finely crafted historical fiction based on actual events. Set in Belfast two years after the sinking of the Titanic, society is still reeling from the disaster and looking for any way to come to grips with the event. William Crawford's wife, Elizabeth, devastated at the loss of her brother on the Titanic, is looking for anything to find peace. Enter Kathleen Goligher, a medium, who can summon spirits and give messages to the living.

William thinks his wife is having an affair but finds that Elizabeth is going to Kathleen to talk to her brother and recently deceased son. Ever the scientist and sceptic, William sets out to debunk Kathleen's abilities, but the more he investigates, the more he wonders if what he is experiencing is real.

The story follows William, Elizabeth, and Kathleen in their journey of seances, spiritualism, and ghosts. The story begins a little slow and dry, but becomes a gripping, disturbing, and mind-boggling experience. I almost gave up in the beginning but was happy I didn't. It was a wonderful read.

A.J. West wrote a dark, gothic and spell binding story and Dickon Farmar's narration was excellent.

Totally disappointed

I probably would have returned this book had I not just returned a book last week. As an audible plus member I can return easily but try not to abuse the system. The book cover is outstanding and misleading. The ending very disappointing. I feel like I was misled about the content of the story.