The Spirit Engineer

Written by A. J. West

Narrated by Dickon Farmar

‘A fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deception, and power.’ DERREN BROWN

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...

PRAISE FOR THE SPIRIT ENGINEER

‘I adored this book. Haunting, witty and deeply moving, The Spirit Engineer is surely set to become a gothic classic. I was instantly drawn into the mystery and swept along by the shocking twists and turns. A beautifully written novel.’ JODIE WHITTAKER, ACTOR

‘A.J. West has history at his fingertips and writes brilliantly - so clever it makes your head spin! The Spirit Engineer is a work of true invention and drama that moves at a cracking pace from the very first page and keeps you guessing. A compelling and daring book.’ JEREMY VINE, BROADCASTER

‘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

‘A marvellous and menacing gothic chiller, filled with secrets and soaked in atmosphere, in which the ghouls and fiends are not of the other world, but this one...’ NEIL BLACKMORE, AUTHOR OF THE INTOXICATING MR LAVELLE

‘A spooky tale of frustrated ambition, hidden loyalties, and desperation, told with wit, charm and devastating twists. A gothic novel that also manages to make you laugh, even if you shouldn't.’ JONATHAN HARVEY, PLAYWRIGHT

‘With a skilful misdirection that any Edwardian spirit medium would be proud to demonstrate, A.J. West soon turns the screw in this fascinating novel… Obsession builds until the stunning climax of the final shocking séance and its awful repercussions. Was William right to be convinced? Did he prove ghosts exist?’ ESSIE FOX, AUTHOR OF THE SOMNAMBULIST

‘A gripping, gothic story anchored in the political and spiritual chaos of Edwardian Belfast. Part horror, part history, The Spirit Engineer is a chilling and thought-provoking tale of exploitation, faith, deception, fraud, séances, hubris, and prejudice… accomplished and page-turning. Fans of Penny Dreadful and The Nevers will love it.’ GARETH RUSSELL, HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR OF THE SHIP OF DREAMS: THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC AND THE END OF EDWARDIAN BELFAST

• Language: English
• Publisher: Duckworth Books
• Release date: Oct 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780715654620

Reviews for The Spirit Engineer

[Amber Hudson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Flawless gothic historical fiction. This is a must read/listen for spooky season from the debut author everyone’s raving about. Highly recommend!

[Andrew West · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant! The author is clearly a genius and deserves lots of wine.

[Nicholas Allan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Got better and better with many twists and turns.

[candi0parshall · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was amazing. The writing superb. Bravo!! The best I have read all year!

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this through Book Siren to review. Thoughts: This book started a bit shaky for me but ended up very well done. I ultimately enjoyed this historical look at spiritualism and the colorful characters that haunt these pages. This book keeps you guessing right up until the end and it was very well done. It is spooky and creepy and gives an intriguing look into this era and these odd beliefs. It's well written and I love the way the story and mysteries unravel.Oddly one of the things that really put me off initially was that the wife kept calling her husband "Father", I guess she meant as the father of their children but it was confusing and weird sounding. For a bit there I thought he was married to his daughter or something, which would just be extra wrong. I guess it’s like if you call your husband “dad” in front of your kids, but you do it even when you are alone with your husband too?Aside from that there is a whole plethora of unique and crazy characters in this novel; all of them are pretty grey morally and I enjoyed watching them try to manipulate each other. Parts of this book are fairly creepy. However, most of the story focuses on William and his struggle for notoriety as he first tries to debunk spiritualism but then ends up as one of spiritualism’s top proponents and experts. It was a crazy ride for sure, with lots of little mysteries woven throughout.My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book. It’s fairly different from anything I have read before. I liked diving into the history of spiritualism in 1914 and learning some of the tricks of the trade. The psychology here is intriguing too. I would recommend it if you are looking for a creepy read about ghosts, spiritualism and someone who tries to apply engineering principles to spiritualism. It’s a great story and very engaging.

[Helen Wilkinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even though this was based on real events, I wasn’t familiar with the story so was gripped all the way through….I didn’t see that ending coming….brilliant book, well written.

[Shannon Wing · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved the way that William’s obsession spiralled so quickly as he became fixated on exposing the truth about the seances. His behaviour becomes so erratic and I really felt the chaotic nature of his mind throughout this whole part of the book. William’s character was written so brilliantly, and despite not being a particularly likeable character, we see several different sides to him and there is so much character depth and development!

The fact that this is based on the true story of William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher is so interesting! It is an excellent retelling of an amazing story, and we even get a few guest star appearances from Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini!

I thought all the characters were written so accurately, including the female characters, which are sometimes not depicted as well by male authors. I adored every single character and they all had me itching to find out where their stories were going!

As for the spookiness - it delivers! At the start, I got real The Woman in Black vibes from the descriptions, and the way the tension was written. Definitely not one to read at night! I am really getting into historical fiction recently, but I think the mix of historical fiction with paranormal elements is a niche genre I’ve found that I absolutely love, and I cannot wait for more like this!

AJ has an incredible talent - he managed to write this whole book so beautifully, invoking fear, emotion, laughter and shock, and that ending gave me actual chills! I am honestly blown away that this is AJ’s debut novel, and I cannot wait to read more from him in future!!

[jacqueline · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WOW, WOW, WOW, If you like a good creepy read that will make the hairs on your neck stand on end, or just a good creepy read to go with the time of the year then grab a copy of this excellent book now. For A.J.West’s debut novel this is brilliant I was gripped from the start. I have read this book and listened to the audiobook and both are brilliant giving you those spine tingling shivers.

Based in some truth of the life of William Jackson Crawford and his scientific look into the young medium Kathleen Goligher. Narrated throughout by William who is a gentleman, an academic and a scientist, with dreams of one day being famous for his scientific research. He is married to Elizabeth, and they have three children two girls and a son Robert. Money is tight and they are helped out by a benefactor Aunt Adelie, although she is not keen on William she supports Elizabeth. As the story begins it is July 1920 William is sat looking out to see as he remembers some promising words: Death is just the beginning. We then jump back to 1914 Belfast, two years after the sinking of the Titanic and with war on the horizon.

When their housemaid Hazel, seems to suddenly up and leave the family William is bewildered as to why she has left them. Until he finds a letter that she had written to Elizabeth that is a little cryptic and could be read in different ways, William wants to know what Hazel had meant. Before long they have a new housemaid a mute Rose, but where did she come from? William believes his wife has been attending church one evening a week until someone asks why they haven’t seen her for a while. This makes William wonder where his wife has been disappearing to each week, so follows her, to a rough part of the docks. As William looks up at the building his wife has entered he sees a young girl looking down on him,he later discovers this to be the young Kathleen Goligher. What is his wife doing here? Elizabeth’s brother had died on the Titanic, and she is desperate to contact him, but William believes this to be nothing but a load of nonsense and people trying to make money out of another persons loss. As the story progresses. William finds himself challenged to prove through his scientific mind that it is not possible to talk to the dead. The money would come in handy and he takes on the challenge. It’s here that the reader is drawn more into the goings on. As William looks at every possible thing he can think of to prove whether this is genuine or not. But what will his findings prove. As he becomes known as The Spirit Engineer. With meetings with the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.

I love how even though this is a creepy sort of read there is some brilliantly added humour, with great one liners. You will be chuckling one minute, crying the next, and then jumping at every creak or groan you here. I think .A.J.West has done a great job of telling this story, making it engaging. With a number of three dimensional characters some you will love some you won’t. But if this is you kind of read then definitely grab a copy now. Perfect for a Halloween read.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #duckworthbooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review. An absolute gem of a book.

[Laura Fenwick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the perfect spooky season read, and if you haven’t picked up your copy yet, you really should!

West’s writing completely immerses you in the time period, from his use of language and mannerisms, to the fashion and societal norms. It was perfection.

I was gripped to the story from the get go, finding William to be an endearing, if slightly cowardly and eccentric, head of house. As the story builds, we witness such a change from the meek yet ambitious little William to the obsessed and power hungry Professor desperate to uncover the truth, at all costs.

The supporting cast for this book were so well developed, with condescending Aunt Adelia and strong willed Margaret all the way to the rowdy Gollaghers. Each bringing their own personalities and input to the story.

I’m not going to say too much about the story itself, but the short chapters and quick pace make for an easy, yet utterly enjoyable read. Also, THAT ENDING!

I’m shocked that this is West’s debut as he’s done such an incredible job with this fantastic work historical fiction.