Ghostwalk
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
The son of a reclusive historian finds his mother's drowned body in the tributary of the River Cam that runs through her garden. She is clutching a glass prism. Elizabeth Vogelsang's magnum opus, a book on Isaac Newton's alchemy, is incomplete. Lydia Brooke, a writer friend of the dead historian, returns to Cambridge to the funeral. It is five years since she has seen Elizabeth's son, Cameron Brown, with whom she has had an intermittent love affair that began years earlier. Cambridge, she discovers, is in the midst of an upsurge of attacks by animal rights extremists. Cameron, who, as a neuroscientist uses animal experimentation, has been targeted. Cameron asks Lydia to act as a paid ghostwriter in the completion of his mother's book, Alchemist. Lydia agrees to the proposal and moves into Elizabeth's strange house, a triangular shaped studio on the banks of the Cam. Soon Lydia finds herself entangled, not only with Cameron, but also with a four-hundred year-old murder mystery, a network of 17th century alchemists and a ghostly figure intent on disrupting her work.
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Although at times the narrative ran dry (and certainly much longer than necessary). The characters were slightly flat and the most compelling (and pivotal) characters were left out except for brief cameos (Dilys Kite and Will Burroughs). However, Ghostwatch was redeemed by its excellent, well-researched historical asides. Without question, the several pages devoted to the history of European glassmaking and the techniques necessary for glassware were the strongest and most interesting in the book. The appendices containing Newton's notes on how to do everything from mix a dye appropriate for painting dead bodies to how to catch fish should not be missed.
Perhaps the books would have been better served if the speculation plot and last-minute conspiracy were removed and we were left with a solid historical exploration of Newton and his contemporary Cambridge. Nevertheless, Ghostwatch was entertaining and certainly piqued my interest.
This book had a number of interesting elements: Isaac Newton's character, 17th century Britain, the scientific revolution, alchemy, time travel, ghosts, research ethics. It's a very good story with a satisfying ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! It is a mix of genre's from a gothic , mystery, supernatural, with a bit of a love story thrown in for good measure. The writing, is beautifully descriptive, almost poetic and the story interesting. I always admire an author that can weave facts with fiction and create both a compelling and entertaining read and Miz Stott has certainly achieved that with this novel. I look forward to reading more from this author!
