A House of Ghosts by W.C. Ryan - Release Day Review

 419 pages

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre

Buy links: Amazon US

Blurb

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 the Devon coast, Lord Highmount has arranged a spiritualist gathering to contact his two sons who were lost in the conflict. But as his guests begin to arrive, it gradually becomes clear that each has something they would rather keep hidden. Then, when a storm descends on the island, the guests will find themselves trapped. Soon one of their number will die. 

For Blackwater Abbey is haunted in more ways than one …

Review

“In a House of Ghosts, the Living Await, Their Certain Fate.”

Fa. Bu. Lous. And I don't just mean the gorgeous edition of this hardback.

It’s been a while since I enjoyed a book as much as I did A House of Ghosts. For me this book holds the best of all worlds. We’re given ghosts. We’re enjoying an Agatha Christie style Manor House Mystery. Furthermore, this is an historical novel, set during World War I. And mixed in with both there’s a love story developing as well. It almost feels as if such a mixture shouldn’t have worked, as if it should have been too much of a good thing. But, quite the opposite is true, as far as I’m concerned. This book worked for me on all fronts, and all the various sub genres only enhanced each other.

Donovan, or Mr. Tyrell—take your pick— was a wonderful hero. Charming, smart, and quick witted there is also a darker side to him. He’s a good man working at a time and in a job that require him to sometimes do things that are of a somewhat dubious nature. He is also, for his time, exceptionally open minded and forward thinking. I liked that he didn’t see the world in terms of black and white.

Talk about being ahead of their time; Kate is a most wonderful heroine. She’s smart, independent and talented, not to mention brave. I always love strong female leads, and Kate is most definitely one of those. And yet, she’s not described as a strident, man-hating, activist. Her strength lies in her capacity to be her own woman without robbing herself of her femininity.

Ghosts play a big role in this story, and it was refreshing to read a book in which their presence wasn’t questioned endlessly. It was stunning that those ghosts never once demanded that I suspense my disbelief. In this book they just were. They belonged there.

As for the mystery. I can’t say that the culprit(s?) came as a huge shock to me. But since I also can’t say that diminished my enjoyment of this book, you won’t hear me complain about that. In fact, while the mystery and the violence in the house certainly kept me turning the pages, I found the interactions between the various characters far more fascinating. I was also intrigued by the layers upon layers of intrigue. Politics, war, economics, family relations, and moral choices all played a role in the events unfolding at Blackwater Abbey.

And that brings me to the reason W.C. (William) Ryan is so very high on my list of favourite authors. He doesn’t always provide easy answers. His heroes sometimes have to do less heroic things. But he always gives his readers a multi-layered, well-plotted, and mesmerizingly well-told story. Whether he takes us to Russia under Stalin, Poland during World War II, or England during the First World War, his stories are always a stunning combination of well researched and unputdownable. Always leaving me with something to think about without ever making me feel as if I’m being lectured.

Honestly. I’m not sure I’ve done this book justice with anything I’ve written above, so I plead with you. If you think you might enjoy a well-written historical/ghostly/mysterious/romantic story you really ought to pick up A House of Ghosts now. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have a very hard time putting it down once you start reading.

Finally, here’s my plea to the author: Please, William. Please tell me there’s more to come. Surely Kate and Donovan are good for another adventure or two?