Finalist for the Irish Book Award for Crime Fiction Book of the Year, a Classic Cozy Big-House Mystery Haunted by the Specters of World War One—For Readers of Agatha Christie and Simone St. James Winter 1917. As the First World War enters its most brutal phase, back home in England, everyone is seeking answers to the darkness that has seeped into their lives. At Blackwater Abbey, on an island off … Abbey, on an island off the Devon coast, armaments manufacturer Lord Highmount has arranged a spiritualist gathering to contact his two sons, both of whom died at the front.
Among the guests, two have been secretly dispatched from the intelligence service: Kate Cartwright, a friend of the family who lost her beloved brother at the Somme and who, in the realm of the spiritual, has her own special gift; and the mysterious Captain Donovan, recently returned from Europe. Top secret plans for weapons developed by Lord Highmount’s company have turned up in Berlin, and there is reason to believe enemy spies will be in attendance. As the guests arrive, it becomes clear that each has something they would rather keep hidden. Then, when a storm descends, they find themselves trapped on the island. Soon one of their number will die. For Blackwater Abbey is haunted in more ways than one . . . .
An unrelenting, gripping mystery, packed with twists and turns and a kindling of romance, A House of Ghosts is the perfect cold-weather read.
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This page-turner is an old-school style murder mystery set on a forbidding island, complete with an old abbey, séances, ghosts, romance, and World War I intrigue. Excellent!
This novel grabbed me from the first page! While parts are reminiscent of Agatha Christie, this book runs away all on its own. Characters are well rounded over time as secrets and hints of past mistakes are revealed. All scenes were well played out. I loved this book!
I didn’t think it was very cozy and it is kind of a weird story but it is pretty interesting.
It does its bit to show what a nasty stupid war the 1st World War was.
A great mystery story! Suspense, a little romance, ghosts, danger, and spies! what more could you want? Looking forward to reading more.
Perfection! This tale kept me intrigued from the opening page to the tantalizing ending.
Fun story with interesting characters
I love this book and have read it many times. I emailed the author to find out if he plans a sequel. He is very diffident about that, but I do hope that he will change his mind.
Wish that I could give it ten stars!
absolutely wonderful!! the pace and characters… so rich…
Another reviewer called this an atmospheric mystery, and I concur enthusiastically: a former monastery-turned family mansion on a remote island, secret passages, severed telephone line, and a seance during a stormy night, followed by a murder…And an unknown presence lurking in the background.
Enjoued this book but it was not something I remember well. If you are looking for a ghost story you will be disappointed. But it is worth reading.
Set on a private island off the Devon coast that’s owned by a British munitions industrialist and his wife, this is a very Golden Age mystery in an opulent country house with a house party going on.
Readers will encounter literal ghosts, genuine mediums, fake mediums, a cad, shell-shocked near-ghosts, country-house secrets, mysterious Intelligence directives, and (of course!) a bad winter storm that cuts off the island. Somehow it manages to be believable, and a good, lively read.
I loved this book and hated for it to end. The descriptions were so detailed they appealed to all your senses and made you feel like you were right there. I checked for other books by the same author but sadly, couldn’t find any.
It was very original and handled the spiritual aspect very believably.
I truly enjoyed this book. It moved along and even though I figured out the killer I did not figure out the circumstances of the killings. With ghost, people on an island they could not leave, and a killer on the loose, why would someone not enjoy this book.!
Enjoyed the way the book mixed spying and ghosts in an intelligent way. The time around WW I and just after good for spies and spiritualism and can be treated as realistic for that period. Lead character were also a good reflection of the time period
It held my attention. I never guessed who done it.
It would have been better without the ghosts. The isolated island cut off by severe weather was a bit contrived. Still I enjoyed the two main characters.
This was a fun read! A period mystery set in a British country house it had a serving of ghosts but the mystery stood on its own the supernatural added a pleasantly creepy atmosphere but the action had its feet on solid earthy ground it is the perfect read for a rainy weekend if you have a fireplace so much the better
A House of Ghosts by W.C. Ryan, William Ryan is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This book features a haunted house and it does have plenty of ghosts but the main story is the many mysteries! The ghosts are just there and watch the show! Lol! There is an island just off the mainland and several people are invited. It’s a big mansion and the year is 1917. Miss Cartwright is asked to come with her fiance but she has called off the wedding so is asked to go with Mr Donavan. They both work for C, a secret organization for the war dept.
Everyone at the house has there own reasons for being there. There is also supposed to be a famous psychic doing a seance at some point.
The author really sets the atmosphere for the year, (speach, styles, war related themes, etc), and mysterious mansion.
I love that two of the ones that arrive at the mansion can really see ghosts but one pretends not to. Also lots of many fascinating and curious mysteries happen and they just keep piling on before anyone can solve one, another happens!
I like the simple and charming romance that starts to bud between Donavan and Cartwright!
Although I hoped for a good scary haunting book when I picked this book, I am glad it is just like it is! The evil was the living and the harmless ghosts enjoyed the show
ghosts, paranormal, war-is-hell, WW2, murder, England, fraud, military-intelligence, romantic *****
It was a dark and stormy winter solstice in 1917 on the island off the Devon coast.
Despite all the ghosts, it’s all very business-like til the last quarter when a bit of romance wriggles in. Kate is rescued from an important but boring job in decoding by the head of a rather sketchy government department and told to rescind both her invitation regrets and her recently dropped fiance to join her parents and attend a house party/séance in hope of reassurance regarding those missing in action in France. Kate knows she can see ghosts and things but it’s not spoken of. Despite the evil winter storm there are several people there for the séance as well as another undercover person. The mansion was once an abbey, and the hidden passages figure highly in this twisty plot full of red herrings. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Skyhorse Publishing/Arcade via NetGalley. Thank you!