I was drawn to this book by the cover which is so eye catching and I’m so excited that I had the chance to read an advanced copy of this book which is based on a true story.

The plot is absolute brilliant and remarkably clever but the characters were my favourite part of this novel. They are funny and believable, with some dialogue making me laugh out loud.

I will be recommending this book to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and I thank the publishers for the chance to read this book.

2 stars

Well, at least the prologue was good.

The Spirit Engineer really drew me in with an amazing premise. Inspired by true events, it tells the story of engineering professor William Jackson Crawford and his meteoric rise among the spiritualist community during World War I. Blending both historical fiction and the paranormal felt like a sure fire bet for someone like me.

Boy, was I wrong.

The Spirit Engineer's fantastic concept is wasted in a book that manages to drag interminably for the first half and then fast forward too aggressively in the second half. It skips over almost all of the events that would have really fleshed out this story. Instead, it skitters along in what is an incredibly surface level telling of an incredibly interesting dynamic. Even the big reveal at the end of the novel, which truly could have been such a thing of beauty, falls flat because the book is so uneven up until that point.

On top of that, the characterization is practically non-existent. The story reads merely as a sequence of events strung together by the presence of our main character. There is very little motivation to be had as West does not take the time to delve into the inner workings of Crawford's mind. The only thing that West actually makes clear about our protagonist is that he is a selfish and incredibly misogynistic man who does not care about anyone in his life. There is absolutely no reason for you to care about him and because none of the other characters are developed in any way, there is no one to anchor the reader in the story.

There is a good idea for a book in The Spirit Engineer. Unfortunately, I found that precious little about it landed for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

William Jackson Crawford is an engineer in post WW1 Ireland, a man intent on rising up through the world of academia. He is, by his account, a talented inventor and destined to be a leader in his field. As he learns that his wife has become a regular attendee at seances, with hopes of contacting her brother who died on the Titanic, Crawford is determined to use science to debunk the medium, Kathleen Goligher. When he is not successful, will he keep trying, or will he become a believer?
I will admit that for the first several chapters, the book was interesting enough, but didn't grab me. However, for the last half of the book I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough! All of the characters were very well developed, the writing is tight and the plot moves quickly. Twists and surprised abound as we delve into the world of spirits along with Crawford and Goligher.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. A.J has the ability to weave a fascinating plot with witty dialogue and compelling characters. Based on a true story, this is a remarkably clever novel that provides the reader with a clear sense of setting. I would highly recommend this to anyone and look forward to reading more of the author's work. Thank you to the publishers and net galley for the chance to be an early reader.

Firstly, I was attracted to this book because of its title and cover. The title conjured up many possibilities, and I needed to know more. My decision to read was sealed by the blurb. I have had an interest in ghosts and spiritualism since my teens, so I’m always keen to read novels based around this theme and what better time to read this than in October and the run up to Halloween.
Prof Crawford is an engineer lecturer at a prestige college and the tone of the novel reflects his scientific nature as he uses his knowledge to debunk the possibility of the after life. The ghostly elements begin from the start and increase with the tension to an unforgettable climax. Based around the first world war when interest in the paranormal and communication of spirits flourished, it offers an intriguing insight into the phenomenon and history of the spiritualist movement. Throughout I was on edge wondering what was real or not, urging him to discover the truth behind the eerie voices and seances. Whether he does, I’m not saying – you’ll have to read it yourself, but it is a dark tale of obsession, fear, science and guilt.
With a cast of memorable, and well-developed characters, I was sucked into the mystery and would have read it in one sitting if I could.
I was delighted to see further illustrations in the book, tempting me to add a physical copy to cherish when released.

This book first caught my eye on FB because of the cover and it was being promoted by one of my favorite authors - even though she's promoting her own new book - Patricia Cornwell! This story is based around "historical facts" that had me hooked and guessing about what's going on with William until the end.

Margaret sniffed and suggested, "You ae a Professor of Engineering, Father; you shouldn't forget it.' William Jackson Crawford' she said .. with the disinterest of any genius tasked with the mundane, 'The Spirit Engineer.'

Adelia swished over, 'Professor Crawford always brings a certain je ne sais quoi to any event he attends. It is quite thrilling;'

Adelia gave an exasperated sigh. 'Honestly you men; overestimating your minds, completely disregarding your souls. I should not be surprised if Paradise were completely female."

Belfast, 1914. Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, high society has become obsessed with spiritualism in the form of seances that attempt to contact the spirits of loved ones lost at sea.

William is a man of science and a sceptic, but one night with everyone sat around the circle something happens that places doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen’s parlour tricks gone too far?

This early 20th century gothic set in Northern Ireland contains all the mystery and intrigue one might expect from a Sarah Waters novel. Deftly plotted with echoes of The Woman in Black, readers will be thrilled to discover West’s chilling prose.

Based on the true story of William Jackson Crawford and famed medium Kathleen Goligher, and with a cast of characters that include Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini, The Spirit Engineer conjures a haunting tale that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Duckworth Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Release date is October 7, 2021.

Belfast, 1914. The Crawford's maid suddenly hands in her notice & disappears, whilst the Crawford children complain of being kept awake by 'the white lady'. William Crawford is a man of science & has no time for paranormal occurrences until he follows his wife, Elizabeth, to a spiritualist séance where she tries to contact her dead brother who died on the Titanic, & her dead son. When William hears his dead son & mother speak to him from beyond the grave, he becomes fascinated with the séance & the medium, Kathleen Goligher, & decides to prove that her powers are real. His research brings him fame & fortune, but there is something dark at the heart of it all.

Based on a true life story, this book looked fascinating & the cover was a real draw. It could have been a really good read too, except I hated the main character, In the book, William is in turns misogynist, boorish, rude, & hubristic. It really spoiled the book for me as I really didn't like reading about him. It was a shame as the book itself is well-written & atmospheric.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Duckworth Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Surprise!! This is what I felt after reading it. A complete surprise package that I enjoyed.

This debut novel is based on true story and the research that went into writing this is commendable. Hats off to the author for going way beyond to get this story. This book made me read many articles of history related to supernatural activities, with also visiting the author's website to learn more about his findings.

This story is dark with heavy scenes which are balanced with a great sense of humor. Being written in four parts, this book takes us through the journey of William Jackson Crawford. The forth part was absolutely crazy and my favourite. William Crawford was a complicated man, a man of science but that changes when he meets the Golighers specially the medium Kathleen Goligher.

The writing is easy, fast paced and brilliant. There was so many emotions to the story with great character development, twists and turns and a thrill to keep you going. The ending was totally unexpected for me. If you plan to read this book do visit the author's website to know about his research, do it after the book. I won't say more in fear of giving away much. This is a great read for spooky nights, definitely recommending it.

Thank you Netgalley, A.J. West and Duckworth Books for a chance to read this.

☠️ Rating ~ 4🌟

This is such a beautifully written book that completely captivated me from the very beginning. It is a gothic, historical fiction based on the life of William Jackson Crawford, a man of science who becomes ever more drawn into the world of spiritualism and seances. Over six years, he researches the famed spiritualist, Kathleen Goligher. The notoriety his work brings earns him the name The Spirit Engineer.

This book is a perfect example of why historical fiction is my favourite genre. It is absolutely full of chilling, edge-of your-seat creepy moments and witty lines. However it is West’s incredible ability to make you empathise with the flawed and complex cast of characters, especially William, that is the reason why this book will stay with me for a long time. This is a brilliant gothic tale, but it gives so much more. The vulnerability created by grief, the role of women in society and mental health at this time are all explored too, creating such depth to this tale.

This is such a great debut, and I can’t wait to see what AJ West writes next.

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is an atmospheric, well constructed gothic story. Although it is set in the years around WWI, it had the feel of a Victorian drama. It is actually based on a real story with real people. Our protagonist and narrator is a professor of engineering. He is an ambitious, misogynistic man full of hubris. His high opinion of his talents do not always win him the accolades he feels he so justly deserves. It affects both his professional and personal life. That personal life seems to be tearing apart.

There are strange goings on in his home. He discovers a cryptic letter after a maid suddenly quits. His wife is conferring with a spiritualist, affected by the deaths of her brother and her young son. William thinks it is all hogwash. He is a man of science and determined to discover how the tricks are played by the medium and her family. Through experiments, rather than being vindicated, he is convinced that the seances are true. He is so convinced that he calls himself the Spirit Engineer as he validates the authenticity around the world.

It is not until he is confronted by no less auspicious characters as Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini that he question his findings. Once he has twigged to the truth, he begins a long spiral downwards, partly predicated by his ego and fear of being mocked. What he is not prepared to find is the truth behind all of it. It is shattering for both William, his family and the reader. Very adeptly constructed, we join William in his journey into the abyss. It is a true page turner..

I do, however, have one major complaint in an otherwise wonderful story. In 1914, long before women had the vote let alone any sense of equality, they would have been addressed in polite society as either Miss, if unmarried, or Mrs. if married. Some careers, regardless of marital status earned the women the title of Mrs. Ms, a modern invention from the women’s movement of the 1960s and 70s, was not known, let alone used by someone such as William. Egregious errors such as this break the spell of the story and cause me to give it four and a half purrs, rather than five and two paws up.

My thanks to #Netgally and #Duckworth publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
Loved it, I enjoyed every creepy moment especially seeing as it was based on a true story and includes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.
It became more gripping as the book progressed and I thought I had things figured out but wasn’t expecting the ending.
A must read especially for the spooky season.

I can’t decide if I should go with 3 stars (good but not great) or 4 stars (great but not amazing) on this, so I might give a rare 3.5 rating. I’m torn over a couple of things:

First, this book is s SLOW burn. A good 50% goes by before the real action hits. It also takes you that long to realize the MC is the absolute worst.

Literally nothing redeems this man. He is one giant red flag. And the fact that he insists that you have to see his point of view is just one more.

The story is based on truth, which is mind boggling. But it somehow makes the reveal less diabolical to know that it’s borrowed from history.

When the story does pick up, the imagery is frankly visceral. And the reveal is definitely insane. The characters are extremely well drawn and the mood is perfectly crafted, even as it waffles from mundane to macabre.

I would say if you’re typically into gothic literature you’ll enjoy this one. If not, it might be hard to stick it out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Duckworth Books for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

My thanks to Duckworth Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Spirit Engineer’ by A.J. West in exchange for an honest review. It is a work of historical fiction that explores the subject of spiritualism during the Edwardian period through the experiences of a troubled man.

1914. Two years following the sinking of the Titanic, Belfast high society has become obsessed with spiritualism as many seek to reach their departed through séances. With the start of the Great War, there are even more families seeking comfort.

William Jackson Crawford is a man of science and a sceptic. He reluctantly joins his grieving wife at a seance led by famed medium Kathleen Goligher. When he experiences voices seemingly from beyond the veil, it creates doubt in his heart and plants a seed of obsession. Over the following six years he continues to investigate Kathleen, writes articles, gives talks and becomes known as the Spirit Engineer.

As I tend not to read blurbs in advance, I was surprised when I reached the Acknowledgments to discover that this novel was based on the life of engineer William Jackson Crawford and his investigations into Irish medium Kathleen Goligher.

West had come across Crawford’s name in Harry Houdini’s 1924 memoir, ‘A Magician Among the Spirits’ and started researching his life including interviewing descendants of Crawford and Goligher. This eventually lead to West writing ‘The Spirit Engineer’ in which both Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle make brief appearances.

How it will be received may well depend on how its individual readers feel about the subject of life after death, psychic phenomena, and spiritualism outside of fiction.

Overall, I found ‘The Spirit Engineer’ an atmospheric and haunting Gothic tale, though note that it does cover some disturbing subjects.

I plan to visit West’s website where he has collected his research on Crawford and related subjects. Given this impressive debut I will be keeping a lookout for West’s future projects.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This story was precisely what I love in books. I picked it up again after previously setting it aside to work, and when I returned to it, I told myself I'd read only a bit. Instead, I read all the rest of it like gulping down air. The book is so atmospheric (perfect for this month! Go, hurry, purchase it and read it! Devour it as I did, or savour it slowly, only buy it!), and the descriptions are lush, placing you in the centre of the book as though you yourself are there to witness it all. The hook that got me was the promise of spirits along with cameos of Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini. I love the Sherlock Holmes series, and Houdini has been an idol of mine since I was a child, so I needed no further persuasion to request this, It really is simply marvellous. Follow along with the narrator, a professor, a man of science, as he discovers that his wife has been going to seances to cope with grief and is now forced to confront whether there may be something more to the world than he can so readily explain.

If I needed to have one tiny complaint, it would be that some errors have slipped by into the print in terms of double words or some such similar errors, but that's nothing at all to stop one from reading the novel. Really, truly fantastic stuff.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All the ingredients of a classic thriller with plenty of cultural references which will appeal to people interested in spiritualism, the Titanic, Conan Doyle and ghosts! I loved how vividly the author described the settings and how evocative the language was when describing the more gothic aspects of the story. A great story to boot!

William Jackson Crawford is a sceptic, a man of science. He does not believe in ghosts and believes spiritualists are hoaxers who prey on the emotionally needy. When he discovers his wife is attending seances to contact her dead brother, he is at first angry and demands that she stops, but then he too starts to hear the spirit voices and becomes convinced that the medium, Kathleen, is genuine. Now it is up to him to prove through experimentation that she is for real, and so are the spirits.

I loved this book so much. It was in turns witty, moving, eerie and frightening, Crawford is a particularly well-imagined character, an irascible father figure, staunch sceptic, committed scientist, zealous believer in his cause. It had me gripped from beginning to end. A perfect gothic story.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was not for me. I absolutely loved the cover and book’s description but the main character angered me becuase he is soo arrogant and so full of himself. I actively hated him.
I’ve read a couple of reviews and most of them praise The Spirit Engineer but for me it was boring. The story couldn’t keep my attention and my hate for William didn’t make it any easier to enjoy the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher though for my copy.

This definitely appears to be a marmite kind of book.

I really wanted to love it but I struggled with the first part which is approximately 20% of the book. It just didn’t grab me.

In part 2 the séances begin and it gets more interesting but I’m afraid it still just didn’t wow me. It was all quite gloomy and depressing and with an arrogant main character I couldn’t root for.

The atmospheric writing is very well done and I could visualise everything.

It was only when I was nearly finished and started looking at reviews that I found this is actually based around a true story.

Mediumship was very popular at the time it is set (1920’s) and the story revolves around an engineer, William Jackson Crawford and his challenge to prove whether Kathleen Goligher, the primary medium for the well known Goligher Circle, is in fact a fraud. He undertakes countless experiments, becoming more and more obsessed. He writes books in the subject and becomes quite well off.

I will not go further into the plot to spoil your enjoyment.

Well researched and great gothic atmosphere but I’m afraid it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The Spirit Engineer by A.J. West is a ghost story.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Duckworth Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Belfast, 1914.  34 year old William Jackson Crawford, father of 3, teacher, scientist and engineer.  He is trying to complete his book on scientific calculations.

One night he follows his wife, who he suspects is having an affair.  Instead, it seems she is trying to communicate with the dead.  In particular, she is trying to contact her brother and her son.

William is a sceptic, but a scientist, and with some wealthy benefactors, is out to prove that medium Kathleen Goligher is a fake.  He surprises himself.


My Opinions:
First, I will probably be in the minority on this one, but not every book is for every person.  I am not a real fan of historical fiction, but I am a fan of ghosts and psychics and mediums, so I thought.....

This book is based on real people.  Engineer William Jackson Crawford did indeed investigate medium Kathleen Goligher.  He did, indeed, commit suicide.  The story we read here is based "around" those facts.

The book is about psychic phenomena, mediums, religion.  It is about faith, and beliefs.  It is also about grief, obsession and exploitation, and about ambition, lies and deception.

I really struggled with this novel.  I hated the main character, and found it impossible to warm to him. He's a pompous ass, so full of himself.  The book had a slow and boring start.  Between that boring beginning and my intense dislike of  William, I seriously considered giving up.  I'm not even sure how I felt with the addition of Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of whom I am a big fan).  That felt wrong to me.

However, I really enjoyed the last 20% of the book, and I absolutely loved the ending!


(Oh, and I liked the cover)



For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, author information and a favorite quotation from the book), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

💀💀 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕥 𝔼𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕣 💀💀
𝐼 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. 𝐴 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑖𝑡𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔, 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑠ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑. 𝑆𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑦, 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑎 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘 ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟, 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑝 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑓 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑘. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑤. 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑝, ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑟. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒.
“𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜, 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟,’ 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑. “𝑌𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡; 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢...“

What can I say about this book?! I loved it, I devoured it in 2 and 1/2 days, I could barely put it down I absorbed it!
The Spirit Engineer is based on real people, real events and covers the extraordinary life of William Jackson Crawford from 1914 - 1920.
It tells the story of how he meets the young girl Kathleen, who it seems can summon spirits.
I’m not going to say too much as I really don’t want to spoil anything of the story but I will say that if you like spooky you’ll love this. I urge you to read it, the writing is beautiful and really draws you into the book. The illustrations are stunning! Definitely a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read.

Beautiful, creepy and evocative, read it, I urge you!