I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Old manuscripts, the Dark Ages, King Arthur, a monk ghost, and adventure. Do not inhale the fragrance of old manuscripts! You do not know where what you will conjure up! Many thanks to Post Hill Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a high octane read. It grabs you from the first page and sucks you in on a wild adventure. Think Indiana Jones, or Tomb Raider but BETTER! The plot is a well-structured road map that leads you on a roller coaster ride of twists and turns. This is a brilliantly executed creation that will force readers to reimagine the lore surrounding King Arthur.

The Ghost Manuscript is a new thriller/mystery adventure with a somewhat mystical element by Kris Frieswick. Released 2nd April 2019 by Post Hill press, it's 432 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I am a big time bibliophile. I will read pretty much anything that features books or librarians (cats optional). I also love mysteries. This book ticked all the boxes for me, but I still found something lacking. Possibly the addition of an Arthurian legend to the mix was a little too far toward the 'National Treasure'/'Indiana Jones'/'Da Vinci Code'. For readers looking for rollicking yarns along those lines, this could potentially be a winner.

The book is fairly well written, but there were several times I found myself yanked out of the story by 'gotcha' moments that were so over the top unbelievable (and telegraphed beforehand) that it was a while before I re-engaged with the story. For readers who dislike strong language, this book has a fair bit. There are also some mentions of sex.

The ending implies a follow up book. It does have a resolution, but the epilogue clearly indicates that it's not a full stop.

Three and a half stars. Rounded up because there are millions of people who are Dan Brown fans, and this book read (to me) very much in the same vein.

Carys Jones is a rare book authenticator. She wants to be left alone to hunt down rare manuscripts.. Carys has an offer to authenticate a collection of Dark Age books which is her specialty. She is looking for a tomb that could change history. When her best clients son offers this chance, she never knew what price she would pay for the hunt. She goes on this quest with a ghostly monk and some friends. There are people who want to protect this tomb and others who will kill for the treasure. How can she know which one she can trust? It's Indiana Jones and the Tomb Raider in one. I loved it. I need to see who survives and what happens to the Tomb. I voluntarily read this book from Net Galley and Post Hill Press for a honest review.

The Ghost Manuscript by Kris Frieswick
Source: NetGalley and Post Hill Press
Rating: 2½/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: By the time I finished this book, a book I truly wanted to LOVE, I found myself somewhat angry and feeling as if I just read a book I have already read many times over by other authors. Make no mistake, I am not suggesting plagiarism or any nefarious issue, just a rehashing of a story line and theme that has already been done. At its core, this is the story of the hunt for King Arthur via clues, hints, history, and sleuthing. There is the requisite bad guy pulling all the strings in the background, the sexy intelligent hunter (Carys), the ultra-rich benefactor, the sexy male companion, and the expected pitfalls and dangers that come along with such searches. As if to reinforce my own feelings about the book, several characters throughout the read openly scoff and note how cliché the search for the legendary King Arthur is at this stage in history. While I was in no way impressed with the plot line, I didn’t dislike everything about this book. In fact, I liked Carys and her best friend, Annie quite a lot and would love to see those two feisty women in a very different story and/or setting. Additionally, there is nothing to complain about in terms of the technical aspects of this read. The author is clearly a competent and capable writer, she just needs a more original story to allow her skills to shine through and not dull her abilities and craft.

I started reading this book on March 24 and I didn’t finish it until April 11. Considering I typically finish a book every 2 to 3 days, nineteen days to finish one felt like an eternity. Something about this book just didn’t click with me and it didn’t hold my interest. I found I had to force myself to read it and that isn’t a good sign for a book. The synopsis really intrigued me though! This should have been right up my ally – adventure, old books, a mystery to solve! But it just fell flat for me in a lot of ways. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros

•Smart, strong female lead character.
•Good idea for an adventure story, but I didn’t feel like it was executed well (see Cons).

Cons

•So many story lines were dropped in this book. I won’t identify them here for fear of spoiling something in case you want to read this book, but there were minor and major storylines just left dangling.
•The major storyline that wasn’t resolved appears to be a purposeful attempt at creating a book series. If this was the case, it actually resulted in making the ending of this book wholly unsatisfying and honestly it didn’t make me interested in reading more.
•The book felt very fragmented to me. The last third of the book, where the story deals with Native Americans, is where it really went off the rails for me regarding storyline/plot.
•The supernatural aspect of the book was weird. It felt like an unnecessary element to the story and it just muddled everything up for me.
•Apparently the author felt she needed a good shock to the story, perhaps to resuscitate interest, because she starting killing characters. Suddenly a bunch of people were getting killed! It wasn’t effective for the story and actually started making me angry. If you are going for a sequel (as I presumed above due to the unresolved ending and other plot holes) then killing off a bunch of your characters doesn’t make a lot of sense!

I really had mixed feelings about this book. I love a good adventure and this one has all the makings of a great one… but it just didn’t quite make it there in my opinion. It almost seems as if there was a little too much going on. The book had potential but just didn’t quite realize it in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Post Hill Press for a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Inhaling mold spores from an ancient manuscript can cause:
A slight high and
A ghost monk called Lestinus
A lover of historical manuscripts, Carys Jones loves her job as a dedicated historical book authenticator. It’s an obsession. She is good at what she does although this does not so in her personal life (latter is revealed later in book as significant to character’s back story).

An assignment to authenticate John Harper’s entire collection of manuscripts has been tasked to Carys. JJ, Harper’s son, decides to sell his father’s estate and all content when his father is placed in an asylum and his health worsens.

On visiting Harper, she is told of an important book in his collection that belonged to a monk and his journey with none-other the King Arthur. Carys is apprehensive and immediately pegs Harper’s ranting as pure madness. Upon seeing the historical artifact, she can’t help but get caught up in the monk’s manuscript.

The mystery of the monk’s manuscript has her traveling to Mumbles in Wales, a reuniting and a love interest. The three of them set out to discover the location as mentioned in the monk’s manuscript for King Arthur’s tomb.

Danger follows them seeking to take the manuscripts and possibly the untold treasures buried with King Arthur.

I definitely have mixed feeling about this book. It was a real tomb raider heart pulpatitating story which included solving clues within a manuscript, bad guys, a ghost and a great adventure.

For the most part I really enjoyed the mystery-slash-adventure book, right up until the cave dive. Than my interest slipped and my initial enthusiasm to continue waned.

At first I thought it was just me tiring of the book, however when reading a number of other comments to judge, I saw that many others were experiencing a similar issue. It had a good start, wallaby middle and an abrupt end. Although there is room to continue onto a second follow up book.

**Slight Spoiler Alert**
(You have been warned, please do not continue reading if you would like to read this book).

My heart broke when one of the nicer characters died, Nicola. For all intensive purposes to the story line, I understand the reasoning for her death.

Later my heart shattered as another good character died, the possible love interest. Than the author cuts one’s heart out when yet another dies as well, Harper himself. I at one point wandered if the main character should also be fearing for her own life.

The twist in the story had an interesting take on “possibilities” and solving an ancient mystery. Although, me, not knowing much of the history and theories behind the legend of King Arthur, i cannot account for the story’s claim.

Many reviewers were quiet passionate in their comments regarding the jaw dropping twist in the story which involved native Americans. I am not going to throw my views for this particular review on this topic.

Simply point… It is a fictional story which skims off a possible hypothetical theory. End of story.

Star rating: 3.5

** I received a copy of The Ghost Manuscript by Kris Frieswick via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#TheGhostManuscript #NetGalley

I decided to listen to the audio version of this book and I found the beginning of the book to be very promising. However, somewhere along the way, I found myself getting more and more bored with the story. Also, I found myself not really caring for the Carys. I think the major problem for me was that I felt just like Carys did when she found out that her client's obsession was all about King Arthur. And, after that, unlike Carys did I not find myself taken with the hunt for the tomb of Arthur. The pacing got slower and slower, and the bad guy's hunt for the document felt like a rehash of so many other books I read. Powerful men that also want the treasure. I just didn't care anymore. When the obvious love interest for Carys steps into the scene did I bid goodbye to the book.

I love hunt for treasure books, with secret documents and wild hunts like in Dan Brown's books. This book just didn't rock my boat. I think the main problem was just the fact that I did not find the book enjoyable, the characters were a bit too plat and everything was too predictable.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Post Hill Press and Kris Frieswick for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

An ancient manuscript that hold the secrets to King Arthur’s tomb? A ghost of the monk who fought by King Arthur’s side and laid him to rest, leading you to a secret location? A monk who appears because you are sniffing the ancient manuscript and it contains spores that bring on hallucinations? How about a handsome, sexy man to help you on your quest. Get ready for an rousing read that takes you on the adventure to find the tomb of King Arthur. This story reminded me of a mash-up between The DaVinci Code and an Indiana Jones type story. You have clues from an ancient manuscript, the promise of ancient artifacts, the race to get there while being chased by bad guys while you decipher the clues to find the treasure. There’s lots of globe hopping, suspense and drama with a little romance in the mix. It is highly entertaining with characters who come to life off the page.

Carys works for an esteemed auction house and is tasked with cataloguing a client’s library. Many of the items in the library were ones she had sourced out herself. But when the old man himself tells her of this secret manuscript that leads to the tomb of King Arthur, Carys can’t help but get caught up in the solving the mystery. She isn’t the only one on the hunt, someone is trying to kill her. The clues lead her to her home country, Wales, where she enlists the help of a handsome local, Dafyyd. Oh, and get this, she loves to sniff the old manuscript, which gives her a sort of high and she begins to see a dead monk, who speaks to her in old Latin and helps lead her from clue to clue. The journey is exciting, the action drives the story at a fast pace but it is the relationships between the characters that give the story depth and keeps you invested in what happens.

I really enjoyed this read. There were so many different elements that could have been overwhelming or too scattered but somehow Frieswick managed to keep it cohesive and make it all work. The characters were well drawn and had interesting back stories that had me rooting for them. The romance fit very well within the storyline and spiced things up just enough. I loved reading about Wales and found the land very captivating. The whodunit part had a nice twist at the end. My only uncomfortable part was when it went back to the States and dealt with Native Americans. You’ll understand what I mean when you get to that part. Overall a good solid read.

I really loved this book. It's like the Librarians meet Indiana Jones (and a female Indiana Jones at that). I also find it ironic that our heroine's last name is Jones, so it adds to the Indiana Jones effect. There are a lot of strong female characters that put the men to shame. It's a nice change. I highly recommend this book.

"The Ghost Manuscript" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Kris Frieswick (https://www.krisfrieswickauthor.com). Mr. Frieswick has published four books. 

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. The story is mostly set in contemporary Wales, though some also takes place in the eastern US. The primary character is Rare Book Authenticator Carys Jones. 

Jones enjoys her books, especially Dark Age manuscripts. One of her better clients has been committed to a mental hospital due to his odd actions. He makes her an offer she can't refuse - his rare book collection if she will assist in deciphering the clues in a very old journal. But it isn't just an academic exercise, her client believes that the clues will lead to King Arthur's tomb. 

There is an urgency to their effort as it quickly becomes apparent that there are others after the same goal and they are more than willing to use force to find the tomb. She begins to question her own sanity when she starts to 'see' the monk who wrote the journal. However, without his 'advice', she would not be making progress. Jones must reluctantly return to Wales to continue the search. There she has to face her long-estranged father and she unexpectedly becomes involved with a Welshman. 

Will she be able to unravel the clues in the journal? Can she avoid the clutches of the others seeking the tomb? Will everyone she has involved in her quest survive?  

I thoroughly enjoyed the 10+ hours I spent reading this 337-page adventure thriller. I liked both the characters created for this novel and the plot. There is adventure, suspense, and a touch of the paranormal. The plot does have a twist or two which I enjoyed. The cover art is OK, but I think something tied to the plot would have been better. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

The Ghost Manuscript by Kris Frieswick is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. This contains spoilers.

It had good action, suspense, mystery but then it went side ways. The author decided to kill off not one main character but all of the main characters except the lead. I expected her to go at any time! Quite upsetting last half. Everything the the book lead up to was knocked down! Too bad, it started out so good!

Carys is a rare book authenticator in Boston, who is called by the son of a regular client of hers. His father is very ill, and the son wants her to catalogue his collection of rare manuscripts and prepare them for sale. But his father isn't dead yet! He tells Carys about a manuscript he has found, supposedly written by a sixth century monk, and leading to what would be the find of the century if it unveils the location of a hidden tomb. So Carys goes off on the trail of the tomb, with the help of her estranged father and a hot dive instructor. Will she find it before the old man dies? Is it there to find anyway? And just whose tomb is it? As Carys follows the clues to Wales, she finds she's not the only one searching for the tomb, and others are willing to use deadly force to get there first.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it was a fun adventure, racing around one step ahead of the bad guys looking for the tomb. Yet on the other the plot was quite flimsy, with some massive flaws in it, which screams of amateur research. I did enjoy it, but I can only give it 3 stars because of the irritating plot defects.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Old manuscripts! Ghostly monks! Treasure! Ghost Manuscript has something for every adventure fan!

Carys is a rare book authenticator. When the eccentric old man who owns the rare Dark Ages library she is authenticating asks her to follow the leads in a sixth century manuscript to find a king’s burial site, Carys can’t resist. However, there are evil forces that are also looking for the site and they are willing to kill to get there first.

Moving from Boston to Scotland and back, Ghost Manuscript is an exciting ride! Carys is a female Indiana Jones trying to find the elusive burial site. While looking, she finds a love interest and reconnects to someone from her past. I thought the first half of the book was great but it did start dragging a bit around the 70% mark. Still, it is an adventure-packed thrill ride of a book! It is perfect for fans of Clive Cussler’s books. 4 stars!

Thanks to Post Hill Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a hard one for me to read. I actually started reading this back in February but had to walk away from it at one point. I liked the first half of the book. I found many of the characters to be interesting and likable and there were enough intrigue and action to keep my interest. The second half of the book, though, completely lost me. I won’t go into detail because I want to avoid some major spoilers, but man oh man do I wish it ended differently. I requested this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review.

What a thrilling adventure... am only 1/3 down the book but couldn't wait till i finished to post my review...
I was given an ARC and I can't believe I waited this long to read it....
The story revolves around carys Jones who spent her childhood buried between books and her adulthood working on discovering and authenticating them... one day she comes across a manuscript that might finally prove the existence of the legendary King Arthur, and a then the thrilling hunt starts to find his tomb...
Filled with chasing down history all the way from the Boston to the Wales, carys embarks on one's biggest adventure to locate and bring to live a legend that has for many centuries tickled the imagination of many poets, authors, historians and adventurers.
If you are a fan of history, Arthurian legends and adventure you will love this book

I received a free e-ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Instilling order. . .It is how we humans survive. Create a routine in the face of chaos, terror, madness. It won't save you, but you'll live a little longer with the illusion of normalcy. Sometimes that's all you need to make it through the day. Sometimes, that next day is when the chaos begins to end.

And sometimes not.

I have labored under this theory myself for the last six years or so. It seems so logical. Unfortunately, it's that last caveat statement that keeps holding true.

Mine goes more like this: Keep moving. It's harder to hit a moving target. If you stop, somebody dumps more shit on you. It'll be different shit, but shit is still shit.

If it seems negative to you, be grateful.

Carys, the main character, she'd get it. She understands the value of holing up alone with a good book or a priceless manuscript to protect the heart and mind.

Except it got her in a whole heap of trouble.

I kept thinking you can't really compare this to Indiana Jones except every time I tried to think of a reason why not, I failed.

So I guess you can. Go ahead, publisher. It beats comparing the book to Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window.

Again. Plus, it's pretty ballsy to compare a debut novel by an unheard-of author to a classic major motion picture blockbuster starring a Hollywood elite.

I like it.

This was a really fun novel. It kind of went overboard at the end in order to wrap up. I can't tell for sure if that was built-in wiggle room for a sequel. I hope not. I think it needs to be done. Not sure I'd go back for Round Two of this tale but I can definitely say I want to read the author's next book.

I think anybody looking for something a little different should check this one out. It won't change your life, but it will take you out of yours for a little while.

Actual Rating: 4 stars
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: Netgalley
Current ebook price: $9.99
Opinion of Price: A little high, but a decent story make for fair value on an unknown quantity
My Cost: $0.00

I usually really love books about books but, for me, there was something missing in this one and ultimately I was left somewhat disappointed. Maybe my expectations were a little too high when I picked this up. Wrong book, wrong time perhaps. i don't want to put other readers off this book as it is fine for a light mystery and I did like the main character who is a kind of Lara Croft or female Indianna Jones. And I also love Wales.. I was just expecting something....more.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for letting me review this book. Spoilers ahead! This book started out GOOD. Solid. Fun. Interesting. Definitely a new take on a fascinating legend. But the end was extremely disappointing. I definitely prefer things to be wrapped up in a neat little bow, but I can enjoy them even when they aren’t. This ending however was very upsetting. I read a whole book for very little reward at the end. Almost important and likeable characters die and the bad guy basically gets away with it. It just felt like a giant let down. For me Carys deserves more. Even finding the burial site wasn’t exciting because of everything that happened right after. Up until the twist at the end, I loved the book. But the ending was too disappointing to me.

A convoluted plot revolving on conspiracy and obsession hurtles a rare-manuscript authority on a treasure hunt for the location of one of the most revered figures in British history. Half-Welsh, half-American Carys Jones takes on the cataloguing of an elderly collector's vast array of Dark Age manuscripts, many of which she had located for him. Soon she is caught up in his obsession: to locate the legendary King Arthur.