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The Ghost Writer

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The Ghost Writer

Written by: John Harwood
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

In this tantalizing tale of Victorian ghost stories and family secrets, timid, solitary librarian Gerard Freeman lives for just two things: his elusive pen pal Alice and a story he found hidden in his mother's drawer years ago.

Written by his great-grandmother Viola, it hints at his mother's role in a sinister crime. As he discovers more of Viola's chilling tales, he realizes that they might hold the key to finding Alice and unveiling his family's mystery - or will they bring about his untimely death, as they seem to foretell?

Harwood's astonishing, assured debut shows us just how dangerous family skeletons - and stories - can be.

©2013 John Harwood; 2013 Blackstone Audiobooks Ghosts Gothic Literary Fiction Mystery Suspense Haunted Scary Fiction Fantasy Paranormal
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Moody Suspense Story

John Harwood weaves an interesting chronicle involving a reclusive librarian conducting a decades-long love affair with a secretive pen pal, discovering troubling pre-war writings by his Great-Grandmother, and learning of terrible events in his family history. The author relates the details in multiple timelines from multiple points of view.. with variable success:
The tale is definitely plodding, for example - Harwood writes with absolutely *no* urgency - but he also packs the plotlines with genuinely creepy imagery.
This atmospheric narrative is imperfect, but one of Harwood's best offerings.

Doubtless, Simon Vance's pitch-perfect delivery improves my impression of the book, too. He exhibits his typical peerless diction, timbre, and cadence.. but provides some of the best voice-acting that I have heard from him (his harsh whispery, ghastly, ghostly voices are chilling), and maintains a remarkably interested tone while reading some stretches of frankly boring text.

If you are given the option between a text version (paper or eBook) of 'The Ghost Writer' or this recorded iteration, choose this one. It rates 7.5 stars out of 10 - but doesn't merit a Credit if it leaves the 'Plus' menu. If you can get it for free, however, go for it.

[NOTE: The description of being hunted through an impenetrable fog bank by an animated porcelain child doll is worth the price of admission by itself]

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