The Anatomy of Ghosts - more of a mystery than a ghost story

The Anatomy of Ghosts, by Andrew Taylor is a historic mystery set in the late 18th Century. At Jerusalem College in Cambridge, Frank Oldershaw is deeply disturbed one evening when he encounters the ghost of Sylvia Whichcote. Wanting to save her son's reputation, his mother, Lady Oldershaw, employs ghost sceptic and author, John Holdsworth, to investigate. But his arrival brings to light a deeply disturbing culture of abuse among the privileged elite where not everyone is who they appear to be. As his investigations continue, Holdsworth fears he is being haunted by the ghost of his own dead wife, as well as by Elinor, the very-much-alive wife of the Master. Full of dreamlike sequences and introspection, this is a well told murder mystery, rather than a ghost story, although a note of warning - there are some unsettling passages alluding to the terrible treatment of children and young women at the hands of people who believe they are above the law. I enjoyed the interplay between characters and I especially liked seeing Holdsworth being forced to rethink his beliefs and struggle with his past in order to see if he could, perhaps, deserve a better future. Very enjoyable, and the audio edition was well narrated by John Telfer.

My STAR rating: FOUR stars.

Length: 480 print pages.

Price I paid: £2.84.

Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; audio CD; ebook.

The Dutch House - Touchingly brilliant!

I am soooo far behind with updating this blog that I'm going to do a series of very short entries starting with The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett. Nominated for The Women's Prize 2022, this is the story of two siblings (Danny and Maeve) who grow up in the Dutch House - an amazing building that their father bought on a whim. They were a happy family until their mother, who had always hated the house, left them. Their father remarries a much younger woman who brings two daughters from her previous relationship into the mix. This is where things start to go wrong and when their father subsequently dies, the two siblings are pretty much forced out of their home with their money all tied up in trusts to pay for their education. Maeve (the older sibling) looks after Danny and the two become very close, visiting each other regularly and with Maeve doing the accounts of Danny's business. They swing by the Dutch House every few weeks and sit outside it, chatting, but never go in. Over the course of many years, relationships, illness and the unexpected return of their mother, the bond between the siblings never waivers, and their lives are always drawn back to the Dutch House. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, maybe partly because of the fine story telling of Tom Hanks who narrated the audio edition. The characters are ones I wanted to spend time with and the emotions were raw and believable. The writing was simply beautiful and it totally immerses the reader in the world of the book. This is my first introduction to Ann Patchett and I will certainly seek more from her.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 352 print pages.

Price I paid: £3.50.

Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.