A stunning novel and worthy debut, that examines grief and guilt, that descends into madness and delusion.
Tragically based upon real life protagonists, William Jackson Crawford, and medium, Kathleen Goligher, this is set in Belfast 1914, two years after the sinking of the Titanic. There was so much grief and guilt following this disaster, that many people turned to spiritualism, in the form of churches or taking part in seances, in an attempt to contact their loved ones.
William Crawford is an engineer, and he set up experiments to prove that spirit mediums are frauds and use trickery, then he becomes convinced that souls do live on after the body has died, due to a set of tragic family deaths.
There are ghosts, crafty plot twists, red herrings galore, and enough chills and shocks to keep a person intrigued, but read in the daylight!!
This excited and scared me in equal amounts, and when it also involved Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was a genuine believer, and Harry Houdini, a genuine sceptical person, it made this story even more clever. At times the action was like a staged play, there were plenty of clues, but I missed them all. I was like a fish, hooked and unable to let go of these pages. I didn’t see the ending and it was a complete shock, and made me question all I had understood before.
Wonderful! A five star read. I will recommend the life out of this one ( sorry!), and it will find its way onto my actual bookshelf this October, birthday treat for myself.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Duckworth publishers for my ARC, in return for my honest and unbiased review, freely given. I will post reviews to other retailers later.

This was one of the spookiest books I've read recently. It's about ghosts but also family, loss, greed and the pressures society puts us under. Haunting, deeply moving and overall very well researched. Really brilliant stuff!

When you start a book late at night and wake up with your glasses on and kindle in hand, you know it’s a good one as you literally couldn’t put it down.

This fantastic debut needs to be added to everyone’s list, and being released in October, it is THE spooky book to read this Halloween.

I loved the start of the book, learning about Crawford and family life before following his journey into spiritualism (look out for some recognisable character). The seance scenes were so eerie to read about, such atmospheric writing.

Throughout the book, you can clearly understand the amount of research that AJ West has undertaken to make this book what it is. Make sure you check out his website for more information on the characters.

This is screaming to be made into film (to be watched with the lights on tho! 😂)

Thank you to @netgalley @duck_books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for a honest review.

Spirit Engineer
Sep 7 2021

I am speechless. I can truly say I have never had a final chapter of a book punch me so endlessly, over and over, with such satisfying conclusions and reveals.

JUST FOR THE EPILOGUE TO COME IN AND MAKE ME FEEL INSANE AGAIN.

My only beef was how long it took me to truly be interested. I am a type who suffers through exposition—I know it has to be there, but I rarely enjoy it. It took me about 100 pages of Spirit Engineer to be all-in, but I’m so glad I got there.

The atmosphere was completely delicious, and despite my constant frustration and dread surrounding our protagonist, I really loved the characters and the pacing (after the initial 100 pages.)

I absolutely love a “is it supernatural or are they all bonkers or frauds” vibe, and if that’s your thing too, then this one is very for you.

*many thanks to netgalley for this arc*

At the turn of the summer season, there is nothing better than a ghostly tale to prepare us for autumn and Halloween. But, don't get me wrong, The Spirit Engineer is by no means a ghost story.

Set in 1914, after the sinking of the Titanic, The Spirit Engineer is a fantastic work of historical fiction based in fact. One of my favourite things about the book, was not even in the book itself (Although the cover is gorgeous, and I definitely need to get my hands on a hardcover copy for my bookshelves!). Having finished the story, and wanting to source the validity of the tale, I googled William Jackson Crawford and was directed to A.J West's very own website, detailing his research for the book! Check it out for yourself here.

[Link included on Goodreads]

I was also very interested to learn that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was an outspoken spiritualist! Having read all of the works surrounding Sherlock Holmes that I have been able to get my hands on, I found it the ultimate irony that Sherlock's creator believed in the supernatural! I was also fascinated to learn that Harry Houdini debunked spiritualists.

I spent the entire read pondering my own views on spiritualism. I am still undecided what I believe, but thoroughly enjoyed the ride this question and - by extension - the book, led me on.

The Spirit Engineer by A.J West is a historical fiction novel based on the true story of Professor William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher.

Belfast, 1914. Two years after the tragic sinking of the Titanic, the high society has become obsessed with spiritualism and seances in the hope that they can contact and communicate with their departed loved ones.

William Crawford is a man of science and a sceptic. William gets entangled in the world's spirits and shadows, when one night, he follows his wife Elizabeth to the Goligher circle. Something happens in the attic at that dark ally that places doubt in his heart and mind. Could one truly communicate with spirits, or is everything not what it seems?
~~

Set in the early 20th century, The Spirit Engineer is dark, mysterious, spooky, and atmospheric. It is well-crafted, the characters are humorous and the writing─exquisite.

I have mixed feelings for this. I really enjoyed reading it till the first half─it was haunting and captivating. After that, the story dragged and took so long to unfold. The main character was not that likable─he was witty but hard to connect with. The ending, however, was unexpected and shocking; I didn't see it coming.

Overall, It was an okayish read for me. Some parts were so good and others not so. I loved the gothic setting, the writing, the humour, and the spookiness.

Rating: 3.5/5
_____
Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC.

This story is powerful and gripping. It drags you into a world of spiritual curiosity. The story follows William, an engineer who is charming and intelligent. He is a rational man and is curious of the after life. He wants to look after his family and provide for them. He must however, investigate the curious things he sees and hears. I highly recommend this book.

I *so* wanted to love this book — creepy ghosts, Belfast in the early 1900’s, and a touch of real life history? It was right up my alley. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit all the spots I was hoping it to. While I found the concept of seances after a tragedy like the titanic intriguing and a solid plot point, it fell short with the execution. For me, I found the MC William so utterly unlikeable I couldn’t root for him in any way and didn’t really care about how his journey panned out. Although I acknowledge that his blatant sexism and sectarianism was very much on purpose and a sign of the times, it just made me lose interest in him as a character and in the story as a whole. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style either, it was a bit too cut and dried to make the occult and ghostly aspects properly effective. Perhaps I just lean towards more lyrical, atmospheric writing but I felt like there was quite a bit missing from a prose point of view. I will say that as someone living in Belfast I appreciated the touches showing the author really knew his way around the city — from the famous Fuscos ice cream to the slang terms used in the ship yards — that was one of the redeeming factors for me. Overall, I give it a 3/5 stars.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Set in Belfast 1914, two years after the sinking of the Titanic and right at the start of World War I, as high society's obsession with spiritualism was reaching a peak, this novel is a fictionalized version of the true story of William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, which I knew nothing about before reading this novel.

The first chapter starts with a bang as it flashes forward to 1920 and the end of the novel. Unfortunately though, the rest of Part 1 (about 30% of the novel) dragged for me. This section mostly followed William through his day to day life to set up the plot and I did not really find William a likable protagonist. So while I was intrigued to see how he'd get to where we see him in Chapter 1, I found him rather insufferable and self-centered and did not enjoy being in his head. And potentially because the story is in first person, none of the other characters felt substantial enough to be engaging either. My favorite aspects of Part 1 were the tidbits of life in Edwardian Belfast (mentions of the Titanic, unrest in Ireland, unrest in Europe, etc.) but there wasn't enough of that to keep me interested in Crawford himself.

That being said, after the spooky stuff starts happening at the end of Part 1 and going into the rest of the novel I was thoroughly engrossed. The rest of the story moved at a fairly fast clip and got progressively creepier while still maintaining some moments of humor and levity. While I hated being in first person POV in Part 1, I think it worked really well for the rest of the novel because we got to experience the events through the eyes of Crawford and it made his journey into spiritualism more visceral. I loved the journey of sceptic to publicly endorsing séances and the cameos by Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini were quite clever.

I think this novel is a really solid debut and the perfect spooky season read, especially for those who already have interest in historical fiction and/or spiritualism and séances. Throughout the novel, it is clear that A.J. West has done his research into the era and these people. He also has all sorts of extra information about the real-life Crawford and Goligher on his website and even made a Spotify playlist that really helped set the mood for the story!

The Spirit Engineer is the story of a scientifically minded man attempting to prove or disprove the existence of the afterlife. The main character, William, is at times unlikable and others sympathetic. He is a man waiting for his chance at recognition and success. It appears he is deserving of it based on merit but lacks the connections of others. He is very over confident and frequently day dreams of success at delusional levels. He also seems to be unaware of those around him. Locked into his own viewpoint missing what is going on around him and with other characters. He will acknowledge that his wife has had a more difficult time recently, and when presented with the opportunity to be helpful he will openly critize her. All of his contradictions make the twists and turns hard to see coming, and increase the entertainment of the story.

I received an advanced copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was intrigued to read this book after seeing it advertised and spoken about numerous times.
I like the authors writing style he clearly has a talent for writing novels. The book is creepy and eerie with plenty of suspense along with many humorous parts.

The story has lots of different characters the main character being Professor William Jackson Crawford who is a professor of engineering in Belfast. He meets Kathleen Goligher a spiritualist medium and he becomes obsessed with trying to prove her abilities.

The story is split into 4 parts with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would definitely read another book by this author.

Thank you to Duckworth Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Spirit Engineer" by AJ West evokes the early 20th century perfectly. Based on the true story of Professor William Jackson Crawford and his encounters with medium Kathleen Goligher. It is fascinating to read about spiritualism, the exploration of sham and "real" mediums, plus guest stars Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini who were both involved with spiritualism at the time. The story itself is written really well and it turned out that I suspected the same character as William in meddling with the experiments. Great plot twist at the end too! Perfect reading for the darker winter months.

<i>All my regards to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange of an honest review.</i>

I swear that I tried, I really did, but this book is not for me. This time I arrived at 47% but I still can't continue. Everything in this book annoys me immensely and the writing feels weak. The pacing is irregular and the events don't make sense. I don't want to rate this book because it would feel unfair, but if I had to I would give this a 1.5/5

<i>Original rating</i>
I DNF this book at 22%. Yes, that's not even a quarter. I rarely DNF books, but when I do, it has to really give me hell. I don't like anything about this book: the premise was great, don't get me wrong, but we are at 22% and nothing had happened, the plot in the premise hasn't even appeared yet. All we got was the main character complaining about everything in his life. The writing was not my jam either, although there is nothing wrong about it. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER is annoying and unlovable. I expect to read an atmospheric gothic novel, and all I got was a white man's family drama.
However, I will give this book a retry when it comes out

I really wanted to fall in love with this book. The summary intrigued me and the cover is fantastic! However, the main character William Crawford was by far one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever read. He was an insufferable, self-centered, seemingly uncaring man. Crawford's visions of grandeur overshadowed his earthly responsibilities of being a husband, father, and professor. The remaining cast of characters I found to be equally unrelatable. There were sections of the text that dragged on and were difficult to get through. Then there were other portions of text that had so much going on it was hard to follow.
I do applaud author A.J. West for writing with such skill as to evoke such intense emotions. One does not need to necessarily like the story in order to appreciate the author's talent.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

This book wasn't for me. The characters bored me, the way they spoke annoyed me, the pace was totally wrong. Well, I think you get the picture. I gave up at 72%.
One star for effort, one for gorgeous cover.

Thank you Netgalley and Duckworth Books for the ARC.

It goes without saying - given the topic matter, this deals heavily with bereavement and the after affects on those left behind - so affected readers beware.

Well what a rollercoaster of a ride this was as West manages to make you feel both sympathy for the very flawed main character William, and then detesting him. This is a character who makes very questionable choices, but despite this I was still gripped and desperate to learn how it ends. And boy what an ending - I honestly didn’t see that end coming and those plot twists really came out of the blue.

West’s writing was immersive for me as it felt like I really was in Belfast in the early 1900s, surrounded by all those supporting characters. I really did feel for these characters as they’re all affected by the experiments undertaken to prove the authenticity of the spirit medium.

What a cracking read! I was really impressed given this is a debut. West’s writing really makes you feel like you’re in the 1900s, with some memorable characters, each with their own nuances. I’m looking forward to more books from West!!

DNF at 38%.

I really *really* wanted to like this book. After all, the premise was very interesting, so after reading the description, I was so excited to get into it. That quickly took a turn, however, because I found the main character to be insufferable and the writing to be subpar.

The main character, William Crawford, is emotionally abusive. Especially towards his wife. He constantly accuses her of lying and of infidelity, and has made it a point to criticize her dead brother whenever she brings him up. When he stalks her and causes a scene when she was just trying to find closure from her deceased loved ones, I simply had to stop reading and come back later. It was so awful to read that I didn't even want to find out if he had any character development.

Then, there was the writing. I wouldn't say it was necessarily *bad*, just not good. It took me quite a bit to actually understand what was going on because of how unclear it was. That style of writing just simply isn't for me.

As I stated earlier, the concept was very interesting. I would love to see this story executed in a way that doesn't make me want to throw my Kindle across the room. I tried to keep going with the story, but eventually decided it wasn't worth it in the end when I was forced into a reading slump. Overall, I don't think I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A. J. West's The Spirit Engineer is a slow boil of a book. The first 30-40% of the novel is set-up. After that, the pace quickens steadily, and readers become increasingly unsure about the motives and actions of its characters. The plot centers around a family, a medium, and an investigation of paranormal abilities.

The Spirit Engineer opens in the early 20th Century with a family in turmoil and consistently short on funds:
• William, the husband, is an engineering instructor at a boys' school who hopes the textbook he's writing will change their economic outlook and will win him the respect he's convinced is due to him
• Elizabeth, the wife, overwhelmed by their three children—especially their restless, energetic young son—and the household responsibilities that have fallen on her shoulders since their cook/maid left unexpectedly, and who is still mourning the death of her brother on the Titanic
• "Aunt" Adelia, a wealthy widow who has "taken the family under her wing," helping them manage economically while consistently proving an unwanted, disruptive presence

The family, particularly William, become increasingly involved with a young medium. At first, William is determined to prove her a fraud; then he becomes a supporter, gaining fame by publicizing her abilities and his scientific proof that these are genuine.

That, in a nutshell, is the plot. As the family becomes wealthier, William's behavior becomes more controlling and self-serving. What develops from these changes in William provides the real momentum for the novel—and I don't want to say any more for fear of letting slip key moments in the plot.

Near the end, the novel contains some significant violence—not described in detail, but the sort of thing that some readers might choose to avoid. Ultimately however, that violence is contextualized and doesn't become the key element of the novel.

The Spirit Engineer is based on a real-life medium and the engineer investigating her powers. If you want to read more before you pick up this book, you can go here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Goligher
You may, however, prefer to leave the actual history until after you've spent time in West's version of these events.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

When I first read about "The Spirit Engineer" I was a little nervous about requesting to review it by NetGalley. The fact that this book is based on a true story intrigued me and I am honored that I was chosen to read it. Thank You.

A. J. West is extremely talented at storytelling with laugh out loud humor as it creeps into eerie and suspense. There is a wonderful cast of characters. William Jackson Crawford is a professor of engineering in Belfast, Ireland in the early 1900's. He is a man of science and a sceptic of spiritualism. He meets Kathleen Goligher who is a spiritual medium. William becomes obsessed with experiments to prove or disprove Kathleen's abilities.

This story is full of twists that are so well crafted by the writing and the story keeps you guessing, even when you didn't realize you were guessing, until the very end. The novel includes moments from the sinking of the Titanic and a visit with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.

I give this book a 5 star because it is brilliant. It had me feeling many feelings and thinking many thoughts throughout. This is a well told haunting story.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Based on real historical figures, William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher have an extraordinary relationship.

A creepy, gothic (and clean) ghost story that kept me guessing until the end. Good read!

4☆