Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

Good Narrator not tedious to listen to.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding is an interesting ghost story and was very well researched

A fascinating true story of trauma, spiritualism, psychology, and national fear. I really enjoyed this look into the 1930's obsession with supposed hauntings, and why people were so desperate to believe in the existence of life after life at this time (and beyond). Summerscale does a great job of setting the scene, showing a nation on the verge of war and how current events influenced the interest in the paranormal.

I really enjoyed the quirky cast of characters, from Fodor, a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and devoted parapsychologist who's desperate to prove that Fielding's case is a true haunting, to Alma herself, a housewife with a dark past who may or may not be faking her experiences. Summerscale depicts their strange relationship and how they fed off of each other, with Fodor's obsession with Alma's increasingly strange case growing.

I love stories of the supernatural and The Haunting of Alma Fielding is a fascinating look at a poltergeist haunting drawn from the investigator's own notes. I'd highly recommend the audiobook for this one, the narrator does a great job.

This was probably one of the most anticipated books of 2020. I am a believer and enjoy the super natural as I am sure ghosts do exist.

I have heard about Kate Summerscale and her 2 previous books but haven’t read them.

This fell a little flat. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. Seems rather clinical to me.. clearly a lot of research has been done and I’m sure some parts are true maybe I am not relating to the narrator? It’s slow going and I feel myself skipping parts which I don’t often like to do. I will do my own research into Alma Fielding.

It seems like it was listing facts more like a report to me than a ghost story.
No flow with the narrative and I will struggle to finish zzzz

Thanks Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for the lacklustre opinion

This is my second Kate Summerscale book and I’m not sure she is a writer for me. I did however enjoy this book as an audiobook but it took me a while to get through as I wasn’t captured by the story.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding is an interesting ghost story but comes off somewhat dry. It’s well researched and the narrator is good.

I really wanted to love this book, bcvause the synopsis sounded incredible and I love a good ghost story, but in the end I only liked it.

It was an interesting listen and has obviously been well researched, but it was very dry and I could only listen for an hour at a time.

The narration by David Morrisey was ok, though he pronunciations were sometimes a bit odd.

I was attracted to this audiobook because I find the subject matter fascinating. Unfortunately I found it rather flat and dull. I think the problem was that for me it lacked suspense and tension, and I felt that the author prefered a more clinical approach, perhaps because it was a true story.

There were interesting aspects to the story, but I felt that it was communicated in a very cold and factual way.

Not for me I'm afraid.

Reactions after finishing audiobook: This feels like the story is in the wrong medium (get it? Medium? Ghosts? My dad jokes are here all week, folks!). RTC, but I feel this would have worked better as a long running investigative podcast series, similar to Dirty John, Tenfold More Wicked or The Missing Crypto-Queen, rather than a book.

***Audiobook given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***

I don't normally go towards non-fiction, but the idea of this intrigued me that when I first saw it on NetGalley, it gave me a little creep and went "Ok, I need to know what this is."

It's not creepy like I thought. Instead, this is an investigative of a haunting set just before the Second World War. A young housewife, Alma Fielding, is being haunted and ask for help. In walks Nandor Fodor, a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research, who needs a case due to events. As he begins his investigation, he realises that this case is more complex than he realises. As the Second World War creeps closer and closer, Alma's behaviour becomes more troubling and Fodor becomes more obsessed with finding the truth: is Alma truly haunted? Is she lying? Or is something much darker afoot?

I know many readers who have said this doesn't stand next to Kate's previous non-fiction, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, but as I haven't read (though I want to), I can't compare. But compared to other non-fiction I have read, the execution is a problem. This feels a little flat, a little thin. I know the source material was more vague, but we had a possible haunting set on the eve of the Second World War and the main investigator in this was Jewish and was trying to save his reputation, and this book touches on mental health and past trauma such as PTSD, child abuse and grief. This sounds like fertile grounds, and yet... it only ever felt like we were skimming.

The biggest issue I had is that, all the way through this, right from the very start, I kept going "This isn't working as a book/audiobook. This feels more like a podcast. Why isn't this a long investigation podcast?". This felt like it was told in the wrong medium (Dad pun alert!). It felt, all the way throughout, that if this was a long-term investigation podcast, with weekly episodes, there would be more ground to cover and it would be allowed to breathe.

The story has a whole was interesting, but I think the execution and how the story was told is this book's biggest downfall. I mean, is this really a ghost story or a look into mental health such as trauma?

Fascinating story and a very engaging narration. I lover the narrator's soothing voice as well. Great ghost story for modern times.

Over Christmas I read and adored The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale so I was obviously very excited to get my hands on The Haunting of Alma Fielding, Summerscale's latest book. This is a nonfiction book, set in 1938 when Nandor Fodor (a ghost hunter for the International Institute for Physical Research) starts to investigate a haunting at Alma Fielding's house. The book follows the characters over the months, as Fodor realises the case is even stranger than he first believed. All of this is set to the backdrop of the run-up to WW2.

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first - I think the first probably appealed more to my personal interests (true crime, detectives, Victorian literature) - but I nevertheless found this one very interesting, well-researched and enjoyable. Kate Summerscale has such an easy writing style, and the book never felt dry, dense or repetitive. I think she's a very gifted storyteller, weaving together information from scattered primary sources to create one vivid and interesting case. I really liked the way that she reflected what was happening between Alma and Fodor in the general pre-war feeling of England at the time, but perhaps wanted a little bit more of this detail. I think I found this a slightly simpler book than The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, as it didn't deal with quite as many themes. This is all personal preference though, and I think this one would definitely be a better starting point if you aren't sure about reading nonfiction/don't want anything too heavy or time-consuming.

The subject matter was really interesting - I had no idea that people had such an interest in the paranormal in the 30s or that there were Societies dedicated to trying to prove it. As well as Alma and Fodor's brushes with the paranormal, Kate Summerscale also relates some other stories of hauntings and investigations from the time, which I found very interesting.

This book explores the hauntings in relation to psychology (Freud makes a cameo!), especially to trauma. Fodor's own suspicions and beliefs about the hauntings are interesting, but I actually found Summerscale's own most interesting, and I was disappointed that these were mostly kept out of the book until the final chapter. Obviously, she wanted to tell the story in an objective manner, but her thoughts on the subject were so interesting that I would've liked to see them spread more throughout the book itself.

As a note on the audiobook - I found the narrator really captivating and thought he did the voices of the characters incredibly well, adding a creepiness especially to the séance scenes.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding was meticulous and fascinating, and I certainly recommend it to fans of nonfiction and those who like the idea of investigating real-life hauntings!

The Haunting of Alma Fielding is so much more than a ghost story. In this captivating examination of a historical case of the supernatural, Kate Summerscale uncovers an age of anxiety, a national mood that pervades the personal and domestic and a history of female trauma.

On the surface, it seems straightforward - Alma is being haunted by a poltergeist. With breaking crockery, toppling wardrobes, objects appearing from thin air, Nandor Fodor, from the International Institute for Psychical Research seeks to find out what is truly happening. Fodor has debunked paranormal occurrences before, but even he struggles to see how Alma could be committing these acts. In the developing relationship between Fodor and Fielding, Summerscale uncovers a zeitgeist rather than a poltergeist. She captures the mood of a nation on the brink of war, where spiritualism was rife, and a changing world was saw the ennui of the housewife that Betty Friedan would capture just over twenty years later. Even more so, the figure of Fodor, a Hungarian-Jewish refugee adds another dimension to this clever socio-historical exploration.

However, Summerscale never makes this tale feel like a textbook, contextualising it as a story and giving the characters a real depth and sense of feeling. Uncovering Alma's personal trauma, as well as the trauma of wider politics is such a fine balance which Summerscale sustains throughout. As an audiobook, this was so well paced and narrated that you can't help but be entirely immersed in this story. A perfect read for anyone who doesn't think they are a fan of non-fiction.

Thoroughly enjoyable. It's a strange, twisty and compulsive story that keeps you guessing. David Morrissey is a charming reader and brings the whole thing to life beautifully. I kept having to remind myself that isn't a novel! The sort of audiobook that would make me miss my stop (if only I could leave the house).

With many thanks to both Netgalley and the Publisher for letting me have a listen.

This true story of the disturbing happenings involving Alma Fielding made compelling listening. Alma Fielding appeared to be a normal housewife, living with her husband in a fairly ordinary house in Thornton Heath. However, following some disturbing events at their home, in 1938 Nandor Fodor is invited to investigate a series of bizarre and frightening poltergeist attacks. As Fodor investigates these happenings, he peels away the many layers to try to find the truth. This is a very well written account of his investigation and others linked with it. On the one hand it is fascinating, but on the other it is deeply disturbing. This is a story of the paranormal and trauma. David Morrisey is a great narrator for this audio book and thought-provoking read.
Thank you to Kate Summerscale, David Morrisey, Net Galley and Bloomsbury Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the concept of poltergeists and whilst I have watched films concerning them, this was my first poltergeist read. Set in 1930s London, Alma Fielding is experiencing poltergeist activity, which is the reason for involvement from Dr Nandor Fodor, chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical research. The book is a non-fiction account of his investigation. On reflection, whilst I enjoyed this book I would have preferred a fictional supernatural tale.

I did enjoy listening to this audiobook as I am a fan of the narrator,

Thankyou to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Circus for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be a really fascinating exploration of the psychic and spiritual events that were seen to happen to Alma Fielding in the late 1930s, which led to a detailed and thorough investigation into the supernatural. The book is a chronological account of events, beginning with the initial haunting of Alma, her husband and their lodger by a suspected poltergeist. Sparking the interest of the Hungarian psychical researcher, Nandor Fodor, he begins to investigate Alma as more and more events occur. Delving into Alma's past and her psyche, we unravel a dark history and the way in which the narrative unfolds is incredibly well paced, given that we follow the same emotional journey as Fodor. Kate Summerscale has clearly researched the topic very well and this is evident in the narrative, which is full of evidence-based theories and musings. She also lends a very human aspect to what could otherwise be quite a dry book, with emotional clarity and thought provoking commentary on the place of women in society, as well as the looming threat of Fascism through constantly checking in with the news of the day. David Morrissey does a great job with the narration, imbuing a gravitas to the proceedings which I really appreciated. Overall, I thought this was a very accomplished piece of historical non-fiction and would definitely recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding is set in 1930's England where a nation is on the brink of war. Nandor Fodor is a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and the chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research. He soon learns of a suspected haunting at the home of a London Housewife, Alma Fielding. Initially belived to be a poltergeist activity Fodor soon learns that there are far more sinister things hidnig in the shadows of Alma's past that have a huge bearing on these so called 'supernormal' activities.
I listened to the audiobook and I think David Morrissey's narration added a lot of gravitas to what could have been quite a bland story overall. I wanted excitement and scares but what I actually got was a true account of a lady that had been through traumatic and terrible circumstances in her life that manifested in this bizarre paranormal behaviour. I enjoyed all the parts of the book that included seances and how the psychical research was conducted and I especially liked the skepticism that Fodor had about the case the whole way though the investigation. I didn't find Alma to be a likeable character which quickly cut short the amount of empathy I had for her but I could see how painful she had found her life and the lengths she was willing to go, whether consciously or not, to get help with her traumas.
I don't think I would have enjoyed this as much had I read it in a physical book, the audiobook definitely elevated it and made it amore interesting experience.

I really didn't gel with this book, David Morrissey read this book and I found it to be a valiant effort but not one I could really enjoy and get into. The idea was quite good, but the execution of it was something else for me, it felt more like a report than a story. I also found Alma very irritating and annoying, the writing was really dry as well but I don't want to criticise the book too much as some of these things that didn't work for me might work for another reader.

The séances and information surrounding that was actually really interesting and I didn't know about it. I feel that the book was very well researched and I like that about the book, I'm betting the author spent a lot of time on this book.

I've never read any Kate Summerscales books before but I have seen her highly praised by other readers before and perhaps this book wasn't my cuppa or didn't gel as well with me as the blurb made me feel. That said, I'd read her other stuff.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Publishers and the author, Kate Summerscale for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I think of myself as fairly open minded when it comes to the paranormal, and this will definitely help the reader when reading this book.
It was fairly critical of Fielding, trying to find rational explanations for the phenomena she experienced, and this definitely gave the book the balance it needed.
I really enjoyed this book, although was still in 2 minds even as the book finished!

The hours of research that must have gone into this book are clear, and it's a compelling and entertaining look at a 'real life' poltergeist haunting in 1930s London. It was intriguing to get a glimpse behind the scenes at how the International Institute for Psychical Research worked, and the author manages to stay balanced throughout. Well worth a read/listen if you are interested in hauntings and paranormal investigation.

Kate Summerscale is an excellent writer who seems to be criminally overlooked. Her latest work is no exception and it swirls around a poltergeist that terrorises a house in London in 1938.

As the story unfolds the main player becomes Doctor Fodor, a Hungarian intellectual who works for a psychical research institute.

Predictably, the recipient of the poltergeist, the titular character, is eventually revealed to be a fraud but her reasons for acting out in such a way are the heart of the story. It seems that, in an era where the nation reeled from the trauma of WWI, the shadow of WWII was hanging over everyone and such things as female equality, sexual liberation and extra marital relationships were acceptable, there was little outlet for the expression of suppressed feelings, hidden desire and unresolved trauma.

The book is well narrated, the sound quality is excellent and the narrator has a nice quality to his voice.

This book is highly recommended.