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The Ghost Hunters #1
The Ghost Hunters
A hair-raising fictionalized account of the Borley Rectory haunting, based on contemporary first-hand testimonies.
Welcome to Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England.
The year is 1926 and Sarah Grey has landed herself an unlikely new job - personal assistant to Harry Price, London's most infamous ghost hunter. Equal parts brilliant and charming, neurotic and manipulative, Harry has devoted his life to exposing the truth behind England's many 'false hauntings', and never has he left a case unsolved, nor a fraud unexposed.
So when Harry and Sarah are invited to Borley Rectory - a house so haunted that objects frequently fly through the air unbidden, and locals avoid the grounds for fear of facing the spectral nun that walks there - they're sure that this case will be just like any other. But when night falls and still no artifice can be found, the ghost hunters are forced to confront an uncomfortable the ghost of Borley Rectory may be real. And, if so, they're about to make its most intimate acquaintance.
Welcome to Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England.
The year is 1926 and Sarah Grey has landed herself an unlikely new job - personal assistant to Harry Price, London's most infamous ghost hunter. Equal parts brilliant and charming, neurotic and manipulative, Harry has devoted his life to exposing the truth behind England's many 'false hauntings', and never has he left a case unsolved, nor a fraud unexposed.
So when Harry and Sarah are invited to Borley Rectory - a house so haunted that objects frequently fly through the air unbidden, and locals avoid the grounds for fear of facing the spectral nun that walks there - they're sure that this case will be just like any other. But when night falls and still no artifice can be found, the ghost hunters are forced to confront an uncomfortable the ghost of Borley Rectory may be real. And, if so, they're about to make its most intimate acquaintance.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 24, 2013
98 people are currently reading
3846 people want to read
About the author
Neil Spring
6 books358 followersNeil Spring is the author of several novels, many of which are inspired by real events.
His debut novel, The Ghost Hunters, was adapted into a critically acclaimed television drama for ITV starring Rafe Spall.
The Haunted Shore is his fifth novel and is out 15 Oct 2020. Preorder: https://amzn.to/2CCMxv9
Originally from South Wales, Neil lives in London and can be contacted via his website, www.neilspring.com, or followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Neilspring.a..., and on Twitter as @neilspring.
Neil is represented by the literary agency, Curtis Brown.
His debut novel, The Ghost Hunters, was adapted into a critically acclaimed television drama for ITV starring Rafe Spall.
The Haunted Shore is his fifth novel and is out 15 Oct 2020. Preorder: https://amzn.to/2CCMxv9
Originally from South Wales, Neil lives in London and can be contacted via his website, www.neilspring.com, or followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Neilspring.a..., and on Twitter as @neilspring.
Neil is represented by the literary agency, Curtis Brown.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
February 9, 2017
I thought this was an okay novel. The thing that made it quite good was the fact that it was based on some reality, although the characters did enjoy some embellishment for the sake of the story. Obviously, a lot of research had been put into the novel, and for that, I can give it good props.
Unfortunately, the tale was a bit on the dull side. From a pure story view, there's absolutely nothing here that hasn't been seen a hundred times when it comes to the intrepid scientific debunker of mystical charlatans or the expected twists that come with tales of this nature. "Is it real or is it hoax?" So often, readers of this kind of trope rely on the strength of the characters and the excitement of the plot to carry us along.
So where the characters exciting and complicated and delightful? Well... they were serviceable. I wish that I actually liked Henry more or perhaps hated him more. I wanted to Feel something more. Did I want to see his downfall something fierce? Nah. Did I fear for his bitter end? Nah.
So what about Sarah? I liked her quite a bit, but not enough until after she had left Henry the second time did I really get attached to her. And that was well past the half-way point of the novel. So could the debunking really carry the novel? No. Not really. They were mildly curious oddities, and I've watched tons of b-movies, read lots of silly tales, and I've even read a lot of the greats within both sides of the issue, from Manly P. Hall to Madame Blavatsky, and this novel just kinda... moved along.
It wasn't a bad novel. It just wasn't very special. I found myself kind of hoping that some great lovecraftian reveal might happen just to stir my blood, but unfortunately, there was no such luck. It was based somewhat on reality, and so we must suffer a lot of the disappointments therein.
What? People are disappointing? They're flawed and given to delusions no matter where you look? Noooo... it can't be! *sigh*
The "ghost" was slightly interesting, at least, but she wasn't nearly strong enough to carry the rest of the tale, or possibly, the tale would have been served a great deal more by glossing the early debunking stuff and focusing on the manor entirely.
I'm too spoiled in having read really great ghost stories to get really excited with this one. Alas.
Unfortunately, the tale was a bit on the dull side. From a pure story view, there's absolutely nothing here that hasn't been seen a hundred times when it comes to the intrepid scientific debunker of mystical charlatans or the expected twists that come with tales of this nature. "Is it real or is it hoax?" So often, readers of this kind of trope rely on the strength of the characters and the excitement of the plot to carry us along.
So where the characters exciting and complicated and delightful? Well... they were serviceable. I wish that I actually liked Henry more or perhaps hated him more. I wanted to Feel something more. Did I want to see his downfall something fierce? Nah. Did I fear for his bitter end? Nah.
So what about Sarah? I liked her quite a bit, but not enough until after she had left Henry the second time did I really get attached to her. And that was well past the half-way point of the novel. So could the debunking really carry the novel? No. Not really. They were mildly curious oddities, and I've watched tons of b-movies, read lots of silly tales, and I've even read a lot of the greats within both sides of the issue, from Manly P. Hall to Madame Blavatsky, and this novel just kinda... moved along.
It wasn't a bad novel. It just wasn't very special. I found myself kind of hoping that some great lovecraftian reveal might happen just to stir my blood, but unfortunately, there was no such luck. It was based somewhat on reality, and so we must suffer a lot of the disappointments therein.
What? People are disappointing? They're flawed and given to delusions no matter where you look? Noooo... it can't be! *sigh*
The "ghost" was slightly interesting, at least, but she wasn't nearly strong enough to carry the rest of the tale, or possibly, the tale would have been served a great deal more by glossing the early debunking stuff and focusing on the manor entirely.
I'm too spoiled in having read really great ghost stories to get really excited with this one. Alas.
October 13, 2016
Sarah Grey has returned to England after a brief time as a model in Paris. She is looking for a new job, but she never expected to be offered and accepting a job as a personal assistant to Harry Price, the infamous ghost hunter. Harry has devoted himself to expose mediums and false hauntings. And, despite being temperamental and neurotic is he also very charming and Sarah can't help but be drawn to him. One of the most puzzling cases for them will be Borley Rectory. Is the place really haunted or are the rumors about it exaggerated?
I think the knowledge that Borley Rectory was a real haunted place and Harry Price was a real ghost hunter makes this book extra special. The author has taken some liberations with the story. This is not a true story, but there are some truths in the story. Sarah Grey has never existed, she is based on a secretary that worked for Harry Price a while. But still, it's really fascinating to read this book and I was intrigued by Harry Price and can fully understand why Sarah Grey was too. Even though as I understand it the Harry Price in this book was more charming than the real one.
I didn't know before I read the book that Borley Rectory had existed and that Harry Price was a real person. Or rather I have a vague feeling that I have known and forgotten about it and it hit me when I looked up the place and the man himself on the net during the time I read the book. Strange how the mind can forget things.
The story in itself was good. This was after the First World War, a time when many people were desperate to make contact with the other side, to know that they were all right. And, many people took advantage of this to earn money of other people's grief. Harry Price like Houdini in America, debunked many false mediums. Arthur Conan Doyle has a small part in this book, he was quite crossed with Harry Price because of his negative attitude towards the paranormal. Conan Doyle believed quite strongly in the afterlife.
This is absolutely not a horror book, more a mystery would I say. A paranormal mystery book. Despite dealing with a house that is said to be haunting was the book never scary to read. And, it could feel a bit long sometimes. I can honestly say that if Sarah Grey and Harry Price had not been so interesting to read about had this been dull to read. But they give the book life.
It's a very interesting book. There are not many big twists in this book, but still, the story is enjoyable. There are one big secret thing; Sarah Grey's secret that she hides from Harry Price. But, that never felt like a secret. I don't know how it was for others that read the book, but I guessed it right away and then it was just waiting for her to tell him. And, honestly, I thought that she was a bit too cruel to him towards the end when everything was revealed. Although he did treat her appalling sometimes. In the end, one can say that the case of Borley Rectory became something that bound and tore them apart.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
I think the knowledge that Borley Rectory was a real haunted place and Harry Price was a real ghost hunter makes this book extra special. The author has taken some liberations with the story. This is not a true story, but there are some truths in the story. Sarah Grey has never existed, she is based on a secretary that worked for Harry Price a while. But still, it's really fascinating to read this book and I was intrigued by Harry Price and can fully understand why Sarah Grey was too. Even though as I understand it the Harry Price in this book was more charming than the real one.
I didn't know before I read the book that Borley Rectory had existed and that Harry Price was a real person. Or rather I have a vague feeling that I have known and forgotten about it and it hit me when I looked up the place and the man himself on the net during the time I read the book. Strange how the mind can forget things.
The story in itself was good. This was after the First World War, a time when many people were desperate to make contact with the other side, to know that they were all right. And, many people took advantage of this to earn money of other people's grief. Harry Price like Houdini in America, debunked many false mediums. Arthur Conan Doyle has a small part in this book, he was quite crossed with Harry Price because of his negative attitude towards the paranormal. Conan Doyle believed quite strongly in the afterlife.
This is absolutely not a horror book, more a mystery would I say. A paranormal mystery book. Despite dealing with a house that is said to be haunting was the book never scary to read. And, it could feel a bit long sometimes. I can honestly say that if Sarah Grey and Harry Price had not been so interesting to read about had this been dull to read. But they give the book life.
It's a very interesting book. There are not many big twists in this book, but still, the story is enjoyable. There are one big secret thing; Sarah Grey's secret that she hides from Harry Price. But, that never felt like a secret. I don't know how it was for others that read the book, but I guessed it right away and then it was just waiting for her to tell him. And, honestly, I thought that she was a bit too cruel to him towards the end when everything was revealed. Although he did treat her appalling sometimes. In the end, one can say that the case of Borley Rectory became something that bound and tore them apart.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
July 9, 2015
'Of course with ghost hunting anything can happen and mostly never does.'
I bought The Ghost Hunters impulsively in a supermarket at Halloween last year. I found reading it a nostalgic experience, not because the book itself reminded me of something else, but because it brought back memories of a time when I chose what to read very differently - with no planning, no goals in mind, just buying whatever was cheap and looked vaguely interesting, usually from the paperback chart in a supermarket or WH Smith's half price book of the week, and then reading it on my lunch at work or while waiting somewhere in my car. Like most of the books I chose and read in that way, The Ghost Hunters was very readable, fun and entertaining, if not exactly exceptional.
The plot is based on a true story, that of Borley Rectory, the alleged 'most haunted house in England', and its investigation by paranormal researcher Harry Price. Complete with academic-style, apparently factual footnotes, it's obviously been painstakingly well-researched, to the point that most of it might read like non-fiction were the story not told from the viewpoint of a fictional character - Price's secretary and research assistant, Sarah Grey. Grey's account makes up the majority of the book, and it is framed by the tale of a psychologist who, in the 1970s, has discovered it in Price's decaying library of oddities.
The researchers' study of Borley takes up a great chunk of the narrative, and at more than 500 pages the book is substantial, but Sarah's narration zips along and I never felt bored. She's a likeable, sympathetic character who makes the long and complicated history of Borley a pleasure to read about. Her relationships with both Price and her mother are shaped well and become, after a while, quite emotionally powerful. There is a somewhat contrived twist at the end, but that's the sort of thing I like about books like this: I really didn't mind that it was contrived.
While The Ghost Hunters didn't take my breath away and is unlikely to stick in my memory for very long, it's been a while since I've read something that was so purely enjoyable - involving without feeling like it was making any demands on me. A good book to round off the year.
I bought The Ghost Hunters impulsively in a supermarket at Halloween last year. I found reading it a nostalgic experience, not because the book itself reminded me of something else, but because it brought back memories of a time when I chose what to read very differently - with no planning, no goals in mind, just buying whatever was cheap and looked vaguely interesting, usually from the paperback chart in a supermarket or WH Smith's half price book of the week, and then reading it on my lunch at work or while waiting somewhere in my car. Like most of the books I chose and read in that way, The Ghost Hunters was very readable, fun and entertaining, if not exactly exceptional.
The plot is based on a true story, that of Borley Rectory, the alleged 'most haunted house in England', and its investigation by paranormal researcher Harry Price. Complete with academic-style, apparently factual footnotes, it's obviously been painstakingly well-researched, to the point that most of it might read like non-fiction were the story not told from the viewpoint of a fictional character - Price's secretary and research assistant, Sarah Grey. Grey's account makes up the majority of the book, and it is framed by the tale of a psychologist who, in the 1970s, has discovered it in Price's decaying library of oddities.
The researchers' study of Borley takes up a great chunk of the narrative, and at more than 500 pages the book is substantial, but Sarah's narration zips along and I never felt bored. She's a likeable, sympathetic character who makes the long and complicated history of Borley a pleasure to read about. Her relationships with both Price and her mother are shaped well and become, after a while, quite emotionally powerful. There is a somewhat contrived twist at the end, but that's the sort of thing I like about books like this: I really didn't mind that it was contrived.
While The Ghost Hunters didn't take my breath away and is unlikely to stick in my memory for very long, it's been a while since I've read something that was so purely enjoyable - involving without feeling like it was making any demands on me. A good book to round off the year.
January 22, 2014
I've read some reviews that call this a 'good old fashioned ghost story', but I would disagree: it is anything but a standard ghost story. I would call this book more character-driven literature than a ghost story, because, even though haunted Borley Rectory looms large in this book, I felt it was more of a backdrop to the story, an obsession for Sarah and Price, rather than the central theme of the book, which is the relationship between Sarah and Harry Price. There are a couple of spooky bits, but Neil Spring walks a very delicate line between belief and scepticism, and, since Sarah is mainly sceptical and she is our storyteller, I found very few sections actually unnerved me. The seance at Borley and the moment when Vernon leaves Sarah in the church being notable exceptions. If you're after out and out spookfest, don't bother with this book, go read M R James instead.
I wanted to give this book 3.5 out of 5, because 3 seems miserly considering I did enjoy most of it, but I'm not quite at 4. It has some printing mistakes, missing letters, mis-spellings etc, which I mention for those of the grammatically pedantic persuasion, but this didn't overly bother me. However, I did find it somewhat long-winded and ponderous at times. The fact I've been interested in Borley since I was a child meant I ploughed through the first section where Sarah meets Harry and (eventually) becomes his secretary, but I really, really wanted them to get to the damn haunted house :). And when they got there, I was a bit disappointed that the experience wasn't more meaty.
Of course, this book has the tricky job of mixing history with fiction, because Borley is a real place, Harry Price was a real person and both he and his investigations of Borley are well documented. Which is why, the story, for me, got spookier the further from Borley it went. It is Sarah's personal relationship with The Dark Woman that is the scariest part of this book and not the sometimes laborious matching of the book's timeline to the real investigations of Borley.
So, in conclusion, I would recommend this book to lovers of psychological thrillers rather than ghost stories, because the latter is very much the backdrop for the former in this story.
I wanted to give this book 3.5 out of 5, because 3 seems miserly considering I did enjoy most of it, but I'm not quite at 4. It has some printing mistakes, missing letters, mis-spellings etc, which I mention for those of the grammatically pedantic persuasion, but this didn't overly bother me. However, I did find it somewhat long-winded and ponderous at times. The fact I've been interested in Borley since I was a child meant I ploughed through the first section where Sarah meets Harry and (eventually) becomes his secretary, but I really, really wanted them to get to the damn haunted house :). And when they got there, I was a bit disappointed that the experience wasn't more meaty.
Of course, this book has the tricky job of mixing history with fiction, because Borley is a real place, Harry Price was a real person and both he and his investigations of Borley are well documented. Which is why, the story, for me, got spookier the further from Borley it went. It is Sarah's personal relationship with The Dark Woman that is the scariest part of this book and not the sometimes laborious matching of the book's timeline to the real investigations of Borley.
So, in conclusion, I would recommend this book to lovers of psychological thrillers rather than ghost stories, because the latter is very much the backdrop for the former in this story.
July 26, 2016
2.5
This is a hard book to rate. I almost left it unread more than once (I never do that), especially the first third. Note to future readers: this is not a horror story. If you expect a horror story, you will be disappointed. I have to stop paying attention to labels.
This is historical fiction, a well researched story. Its focus are Borley Rectory, allegedly the most haunted house in England, Harry Price and his fictional assistant Sarah Grey.
It is hard to enjoy a book with characters as either despicable, infuriating or boring as these. I mean all of them. Their relationships are just presented to the reader. They are unexplained. Most of the time you will not see the connection beyond what you are told about them. Usually in books when you come upon something you don't agree with, that doesn't mean it isn't well presented and explained in a book. You don't even have to accept it to understand it. Here, that is not the case. Here, I spent most of my time gritting my teeth whenever characters' feelings were in the focus. Let's just say various relationships in this book are not its greatest strength.
Sarah Grey narrates the story how she became Price's assistant, their various investigations, how Borley Rectory left its mark on them. That is the main story. However, the author tries to go deeper but, as I said, a relationships of any kind are not really good. Maybe that is the reason why I hated all the characters: weak Sarah, devious Price, too ambitious Wall, selfish mother, etc. None of them are even remotely likeable.
Regarding ghosts, in the end you are free to think whatever you want, to accept the hauntings as true or not. The way this book is written, both are acceptable. I think this is this book's greatest strength. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been expecting a horror story. The most important thing is to start reading this knowing this is closer to historical fiction than horror.
The best part? I loved the way the letters, extracts from journals, newspapers articles and various other documents are used to tell this story.
This is a hard book to rate. I almost left it unread more than once (I never do that), especially the first third. Note to future readers: this is not a horror story. If you expect a horror story, you will be disappointed. I have to stop paying attention to labels.
This is historical fiction, a well researched story. Its focus are Borley Rectory, allegedly the most haunted house in England, Harry Price and his fictional assistant Sarah Grey.
It is hard to enjoy a book with characters as either despicable, infuriating or boring as these. I mean all of them. Their relationships are just presented to the reader. They are unexplained. Most of the time you will not see the connection beyond what you are told about them. Usually in books when you come upon something you don't agree with, that doesn't mean it isn't well presented and explained in a book. You don't even have to accept it to understand it. Here, that is not the case. Here, I spent most of my time gritting my teeth whenever characters' feelings were in the focus. Let's just say various relationships in this book are not its greatest strength.
Sarah Grey narrates the story how she became Price's assistant, their various investigations, how Borley Rectory left its mark on them. That is the main story. However, the author tries to go deeper but, as I said, a relationships of any kind are not really good. Maybe that is the reason why I hated all the characters: weak Sarah, devious Price, too ambitious Wall, selfish mother, etc. None of them are even remotely likeable.
Regarding ghosts, in the end you are free to think whatever you want, to accept the hauntings as true or not. The way this book is written, both are acceptable. I think this is this book's greatest strength. I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been expecting a horror story. The most important thing is to start reading this knowing this is closer to historical fiction than horror.
The best part? I loved the way the letters, extracts from journals, newspapers articles and various other documents are used to tell this story.
December 23, 2017
I borrowed this book from a friend who won it on goodreads as I wanted to win this book. Loved this book got me to the edge of my seat from start to finish if you like a good ghost book read it and enjoy.
December 3, 2013
This kinda steps away from my whole romantic, chick-lit genre, but I just HAD to post a review because this story was sensational. I don't think I have ever been more intrigued or creeped out than I was when I was reading The Ghost Hunters. What's even better is the story is written about an actual house. I became that intrigued with it all that I just had to get myself onto Google and research EVERYTHING about the people, the stories and all the other little bits that came along with it. The Ghost Hunters really gets inside of your mind, and makes you think twice about going downstairs with the lights off. It makes you begin to wonder what's really lurking within the dark.
The cover of The Ghost Hunters is superb. It's creepy looking, it's chilling and it looks like what a book about the paranormal should look like. What I love most is the little house which resembles Borley Rectory. Everything fits perfectly, even the font looks the part! It looks very dated and old-fashioned, really taking you back in time to when the whole story began with Sarah Grey and Harry Price.
Written in first person, everything we read is from Sarah Grey's point of view, except at the very beginning and the very end. I don't want to say too much about this as it will give a huge part of the story away so I'll leave it at that!
We first meet Sarah Grey when herself and her mother are on their way out to attend a seance, which Sarah is rather reluctant to go to, but with her mother's insistence, she decides to hold her tongue. From the second Sarah Grey was introduced to me, I liked her. She's smart, witty and refuses to let anybody push her around. She makes her own decisions and stands by them, no matter what or who gets in the way. Her dedication to her mother is absolutely beautiful, and so lovely to watch. After Sarah loses her father, and her mother loses her husband, both women look to each other for support and love. I think the loss of Sarah's father still effects her deeply, as is said on page 13.
"My father had meant the world to me. He was a terrifically busy man, of the most highly respected barristers in west London. Work, for him, had been a matter of survival."
Sarah's father actually got killed during the war, and you find out at a later stage in the book how and why he died.
Sarah's mother is a hopeless dreamer. That's the impression I got any way. Since the day she was told at her front door of her husband's passing, she has gone to seance after seance, trying to make contact with the man she loved and still loves. Much to Sarah's aggravation and frustration, her mother continues to pray upon a medium bringing forth the spirit of her husband so they can talk once more. Not having chance to say goodbye is one of the worst feelings in the world, and I can totally relate to how she feels. I think Sarah wonders why her mother hasn't gotten over the death of her father yet, but as you find out later on, there's a much bigger story behind it all. Behind why her mother is so eager to speak to her father, behind why Sarah hears her mother late at night, rooting around in the wardrobe and restlessly walking about. I liked Sarah's mother, as much as she is a hopeless dreamer, it's also so sad to read about her constant desperation to talk to the dead.
Harry Price is an absolutely amazing character in The Ghost Hunters. I loved him. From the minute he first waltzed onto the page, I found everything he said entertaining. Mr Price works in a laboratory in London, which he uses to shine a light on fake mediums and people pretending to be able to speak to the dead. He pulls up countless fakers, and shows them to the public, and Sarah Grey is intrigued by this. When her and her mother attend Mr Price's seance at the beginning of the book, she is quite literally mystified by his ways and finds herself wanting to know more about the man that is on everybody's tongues. He's immense, he's passionate about his work, and he always seems distracted, even when he's doing absolutely nothing, which is very rarely mind you. He's got tons of crazy ideas, and he is obsessed with anything to do with the paranormal. Harry Price was actually a real guy, which makes the story even more interesting than it already is! I loved his character in this story. He seems totally deranged, yet Sarah Grey loves to be beside him, working with him on yet another surreal project.
Everything about this story is enchanting. Not in a fairy-tale kinda way, but a ghostly kinda way, if you know what I mean. I really, really enjoyed The Ghost Hunters. I, like many others out there, find the paranormal mysterious and I've always enjoyed reading stories, seeing pictures of haunted houses and "apparitions". What's included in the book is exceptionally mystifying; maps of the actual Borley Rectory, illustrations of the house and newspaper clippings. It's terrifying yet entertaining and I just couldn't put this one down. There's something about this book... I can't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something different about it. And personally, I LOVE different. There's nothing better than it.
I'm giving Neil Spring's The Ghost Hunters a fantastic rating of 4 stars.
It has everything a paranormal lover could want, everything that keeps you hooked and the pages turning.
Brilliant story!
I've already told most of my family about it, and they all want to read it now too ;)
The cover of The Ghost Hunters is superb. It's creepy looking, it's chilling and it looks like what a book about the paranormal should look like. What I love most is the little house which resembles Borley Rectory. Everything fits perfectly, even the font looks the part! It looks very dated and old-fashioned, really taking you back in time to when the whole story began with Sarah Grey and Harry Price.
Written in first person, everything we read is from Sarah Grey's point of view, except at the very beginning and the very end. I don't want to say too much about this as it will give a huge part of the story away so I'll leave it at that!
We first meet Sarah Grey when herself and her mother are on their way out to attend a seance, which Sarah is rather reluctant to go to, but with her mother's insistence, she decides to hold her tongue. From the second Sarah Grey was introduced to me, I liked her. She's smart, witty and refuses to let anybody push her around. She makes her own decisions and stands by them, no matter what or who gets in the way. Her dedication to her mother is absolutely beautiful, and so lovely to watch. After Sarah loses her father, and her mother loses her husband, both women look to each other for support and love. I think the loss of Sarah's father still effects her deeply, as is said on page 13.
"My father had meant the world to me. He was a terrifically busy man, of the most highly respected barristers in west London. Work, for him, had been a matter of survival."
Sarah's father actually got killed during the war, and you find out at a later stage in the book how and why he died.
Sarah's mother is a hopeless dreamer. That's the impression I got any way. Since the day she was told at her front door of her husband's passing, she has gone to seance after seance, trying to make contact with the man she loved and still loves. Much to Sarah's aggravation and frustration, her mother continues to pray upon a medium bringing forth the spirit of her husband so they can talk once more. Not having chance to say goodbye is one of the worst feelings in the world, and I can totally relate to how she feels. I think Sarah wonders why her mother hasn't gotten over the death of her father yet, but as you find out later on, there's a much bigger story behind it all. Behind why her mother is so eager to speak to her father, behind why Sarah hears her mother late at night, rooting around in the wardrobe and restlessly walking about. I liked Sarah's mother, as much as she is a hopeless dreamer, it's also so sad to read about her constant desperation to talk to the dead.
Harry Price is an absolutely amazing character in The Ghost Hunters. I loved him. From the minute he first waltzed onto the page, I found everything he said entertaining. Mr Price works in a laboratory in London, which he uses to shine a light on fake mediums and people pretending to be able to speak to the dead. He pulls up countless fakers, and shows them to the public, and Sarah Grey is intrigued by this. When her and her mother attend Mr Price's seance at the beginning of the book, she is quite literally mystified by his ways and finds herself wanting to know more about the man that is on everybody's tongues. He's immense, he's passionate about his work, and he always seems distracted, even when he's doing absolutely nothing, which is very rarely mind you. He's got tons of crazy ideas, and he is obsessed with anything to do with the paranormal. Harry Price was actually a real guy, which makes the story even more interesting than it already is! I loved his character in this story. He seems totally deranged, yet Sarah Grey loves to be beside him, working with him on yet another surreal project.
Everything about this story is enchanting. Not in a fairy-tale kinda way, but a ghostly kinda way, if you know what I mean. I really, really enjoyed The Ghost Hunters. I, like many others out there, find the paranormal mysterious and I've always enjoyed reading stories, seeing pictures of haunted houses and "apparitions". What's included in the book is exceptionally mystifying; maps of the actual Borley Rectory, illustrations of the house and newspaper clippings. It's terrifying yet entertaining and I just couldn't put this one down. There's something about this book... I can't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something different about it. And personally, I LOVE different. There's nothing better than it.
I'm giving Neil Spring's The Ghost Hunters a fantastic rating of 4 stars.
It has everything a paranormal lover could want, everything that keeps you hooked and the pages turning.
Brilliant story!
I've already told most of my family about it, and they all want to read it now too ;)
October 29, 2013
This novel merges fact and fiction in an absorbing and evocative ghost story. Harry Price (1881-1948) was a real psychic researcher; a sceptic renowned for exposing fake spiritualists and best known for his investigation into Borley Rectory, called ‘the most haunted house in England.” In this book, an academic is given a manuscript by Miss Sarah Grey, which tells the story of Price’s investigation into Borley Rectory. Miss Grey was a young woman whose father had died in the first world war and who lived with her mother. Like many of her generation, her mother looked for answers in spiritualism, which flourished after the war, capitalising on grief. Sarah and her mother attend a meeting with Mr Price, after which she is fascinated by both him and his work. Before long, she has become his assistant and her life is changed forever.
This story takes place over some years, following Price’s work looking at mediums and at the unfolding story of Borley Rectory and the visits made there by him and Sarah Grey, as well as journalist Vernon Wall and the changing inhabitants of the Rectory. Those of you who enjoy horror books may find this a little tame – but it is perfectly pitched for those who enjoy a more old fashioned ghost story. The characters are sympathetic, the events at the Rectory both creepy and sensational and neither those in the book, nor the readers, are sure what to believe. My main complaint with most ghost stories are the endings, which are often either tame or unbelievable, but the author manages to finish the book well and bring about a sense of completion. Overall, I found this very impressive – it would make a wonderful book for a reading group too, which much to discuss and is a perfect Halloween treat.
This story takes place over some years, following Price’s work looking at mediums and at the unfolding story of Borley Rectory and the visits made there by him and Sarah Grey, as well as journalist Vernon Wall and the changing inhabitants of the Rectory. Those of you who enjoy horror books may find this a little tame – but it is perfectly pitched for those who enjoy a more old fashioned ghost story. The characters are sympathetic, the events at the Rectory both creepy and sensational and neither those in the book, nor the readers, are sure what to believe. My main complaint with most ghost stories are the endings, which are often either tame or unbelievable, but the author manages to finish the book well and bring about a sense of completion. Overall, I found this very impressive – it would make a wonderful book for a reading group too, which much to discuss and is a perfect Halloween treat.
December 28, 2022
Sublime. This is 100% my kind of thing, and like all of Neil Spring's books it's a work of fiction based on fact, real people and real events. In this case it's the rise of spiritualism in post WWI Britain and centres around Harry Price who was an investigator and researcher in psychical phenomena and spent much of his time exposing fraudulent spiritualist mediums.
This probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's slow paced but its rich with wonderful characters and beautiful writing. I think reading this book last instead of first really helps, there are some lovely nods to the next book The Watchers and of course there is a 2nd Ghost Hunters The Lost Village featuring the wonderful Sarah Grey.
This probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's slow paced but its rich with wonderful characters and beautiful writing. I think reading this book last instead of first really helps, there are some lovely nods to the next book The Watchers and of course there is a 2nd Ghost Hunters The Lost Village featuring the wonderful Sarah Grey.
April 30, 2016
THE GHOST HUNTERS, by Neil Spring is a fantastic piece of historical-fiction based on the real case of the reputed haunted Borley Rectory. Harry Price sets out to debunk (where possible) the existence of supernatural phenomenon, and attempts to find proof of human manipulations. In this story, we are introduced to the fictional character of Sarah Grey, who becomes Mr. Price's assistant on these journeys, and other efforts to the same end.
Mr. Price's character has several sides to him--and none of them match up to any one person's perception of the man. Sarah's character was a bit "over-the-top" and transparent to me, but I can see why the author added her as she made for several additional branches of this story.
The main haunting--that of Borley Rectory--was the most intriguing part of the book, by far, in my own opinion. The "hauntings" themselves, as well as the various people that inhabited the Rectory throughout the years were really thought provoking. After reading this book, I plan on looking up some of the "real-life" happenings of the Rectory, as well as some more about Harry Price, himself.
Recommended.
Mr. Price's character has several sides to him--and none of them match up to any one person's perception of the man. Sarah's character was a bit "over-the-top" and transparent to me, but I can see why the author added her as she made for several additional branches of this story.
The main haunting--that of Borley Rectory--was the most intriguing part of the book, by far, in my own opinion. The "hauntings" themselves, as well as the various people that inhabited the Rectory throughout the years were really thought provoking. After reading this book, I plan on looking up some of the "real-life" happenings of the Rectory, as well as some more about Harry Price, himself.
Recommended.
November 15, 2019
Not a scary story but it is an interesting story and well written
November 26, 2013
First: if you're thinking a) that this is a book about a group like TAPS or some other paranormal investigation group, or b) that it's a full-on ghost story, you may be a little disappointed. However, if you can get past those two obstacles, and you don't mind a little melodrama here and there, you may enjoy it. I absolutely hate giving ratings, but I'll give a 3.8 rounded up to a 4.
The Ghost Hunters is really several stories meshed into one -- first, there is the story of Sarah Grey, a young woman living with her mother who in this book became confidential secretary to Harry Price, the subject of the second story, a "psychical researcher" and debunker of fake mediums during a time when spiritualism was at its heyday. The third story focuses on the "most haunted house in England," Borley Rectory. When I first bought this book I thought I was getting a horror story, and even though it didn't completely turn out that way, I was totally amazed at just how good this book is. While there is a bit of overdo on some parts of the drama, the novel as a whole is highly atmospheric,and there are definitely parts that will send shivers up your spine here and there, and parts that will satisfy any ghost-story lover's craving for a solid ghostly tale.
The narrative is related mainly by Sarah Grey, looking back over her life and career from 1955. Her story begins in 1926, two weeks before she turned 22. Her widowed mother, having lost her husband during the war, is very much into spiritualism, and on this particular day in January, Sarah is reluctantly accompanying her to the gala opening of Harry Price's new laboratory. Sarah disapproves of her mother's interest in mediums and seances, thinking spiritualism to be in "poor taste," and also believing that instead of focusing on the dead, people should be thinking about moving on. The laboratory is paid for by funds from the Society for Psychical Research, "equipped with the necessary scientific equipment," and is a place where "men and women with open minds can test the mediums unhindered by preconceived prejudices." On this night, the two women witness the testing of a medium whose powers seem so real, only to be followed by Price's denunciation of her work as a trick. Price also announces that he does not believe in ghosts, and notes that his "science, psychical research," will leave behind the "cheap mummery of the seance rooms." His comments are objected to by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a member of the Society for Psychical Research, famous for his belief in spiritualism, making for an exciting evening. Harry himself is rather at odds with the Society, and makes no bones about his stance on their methods. Eventually, this gala opening turns into a position for Sarah as Price's confidential secretary, as well as his eventual assistant in his debunking activities. It isn't long until Sarah comes across a letter from a Dr. David Chipp, who also attended Harry's lab opening, and who finds that his own experiences are "at odds" with what Harry had to say. The letter goes on to tell about several eerie things that happened to him during a visit at the family home of a colleague and friend, Borley Rectory. Chipp tells Harry that perhaps he should investigate the place for himself. Sarah alerts Price, who is not at all interested, and the matter drops until sometime later when a story is written in the newspaper about Borley Rectory and the experiences of the new tenants of the place. As it turns out, the reporter who wrote the piece, Vernon Wall, is eager for Harry to visit, because he himself had traveled there and witnessed some things that "confounded all reason." With Sarah in tow, Harry meets Wall at the rectory, and what happens during this investigation will have an impact on the remainder of Sarah's life.
While, as I noted earlier, this isn't a horror story per se, there are some spine-tingling moments in this book that aficionados of ghost stories and haunted house stories would love. Mr. Spring details each and every event so well that I got totally immersed in the Borley scenes and didn't want them to end. The author incorporates actual sources into Sarah's account; in fact, to be really honest, since this was the first time I'd ever heard of Borley Rectory, I thought they were all fake until my post-read curiosity got the better of me and I discovered that there really is a place called Borley Rectory, and that there really was a person named Harry Price. The book also provides an atmospheric quality that gets under your skin as you read; whether or not you are in the Rectory, you can't help but wait for that next little jolt of fear to hit. On top of all of this, the author also sets up a running theme of deception and its costs.
When all is said and done, Harry Price turns out to be a character loaded with irony, and the author sets things up so that it isn't up to the last that we discover exactly what that irony entails. The "secret" Sarah carries around with her isn't so earth shattering when revealed, but even with this little bit of drama (a tad bit overdone, imho), she is also an interesting person both with and without Harry Price. There are many side characters who also come to life here -- most notably, the tenants of Borley Rectory, past and present.
Overall, considering I went into this book with the wrong expectations, I really enjoyed it ... just the perfect thing for a windy/stormy night's read.
The Ghost Hunters is really several stories meshed into one -- first, there is the story of Sarah Grey, a young woman living with her mother who in this book became confidential secretary to Harry Price, the subject of the second story, a "psychical researcher" and debunker of fake mediums during a time when spiritualism was at its heyday. The third story focuses on the "most haunted house in England," Borley Rectory. When I first bought this book I thought I was getting a horror story, and even though it didn't completely turn out that way, I was totally amazed at just how good this book is. While there is a bit of overdo on some parts of the drama, the novel as a whole is highly atmospheric,and there are definitely parts that will send shivers up your spine here and there, and parts that will satisfy any ghost-story lover's craving for a solid ghostly tale.
The narrative is related mainly by Sarah Grey, looking back over her life and career from 1955. Her story begins in 1926, two weeks before she turned 22. Her widowed mother, having lost her husband during the war, is very much into spiritualism, and on this particular day in January, Sarah is reluctantly accompanying her to the gala opening of Harry Price's new laboratory. Sarah disapproves of her mother's interest in mediums and seances, thinking spiritualism to be in "poor taste," and also believing that instead of focusing on the dead, people should be thinking about moving on. The laboratory is paid for by funds from the Society for Psychical Research, "equipped with the necessary scientific equipment," and is a place where "men and women with open minds can test the mediums unhindered by preconceived prejudices." On this night, the two women witness the testing of a medium whose powers seem so real, only to be followed by Price's denunciation of her work as a trick. Price also announces that he does not believe in ghosts, and notes that his "science, psychical research," will leave behind the "cheap mummery of the seance rooms." His comments are objected to by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a member of the Society for Psychical Research, famous for his belief in spiritualism, making for an exciting evening. Harry himself is rather at odds with the Society, and makes no bones about his stance on their methods. Eventually, this gala opening turns into a position for Sarah as Price's confidential secretary, as well as his eventual assistant in his debunking activities. It isn't long until Sarah comes across a letter from a Dr. David Chipp, who also attended Harry's lab opening, and who finds that his own experiences are "at odds" with what Harry had to say. The letter goes on to tell about several eerie things that happened to him during a visit at the family home of a colleague and friend, Borley Rectory. Chipp tells Harry that perhaps he should investigate the place for himself. Sarah alerts Price, who is not at all interested, and the matter drops until sometime later when a story is written in the newspaper about Borley Rectory and the experiences of the new tenants of the place. As it turns out, the reporter who wrote the piece, Vernon Wall, is eager for Harry to visit, because he himself had traveled there and witnessed some things that "confounded all reason." With Sarah in tow, Harry meets Wall at the rectory, and what happens during this investigation will have an impact on the remainder of Sarah's life.
While, as I noted earlier, this isn't a horror story per se, there are some spine-tingling moments in this book that aficionados of ghost stories and haunted house stories would love. Mr. Spring details each and every event so well that I got totally immersed in the Borley scenes and didn't want them to end. The author incorporates actual sources into Sarah's account; in fact, to be really honest, since this was the first time I'd ever heard of Borley Rectory, I thought they were all fake until my post-read curiosity got the better of me and I discovered that there really is a place called Borley Rectory, and that there really was a person named Harry Price. The book also provides an atmospheric quality that gets under your skin as you read; whether or not you are in the Rectory, you can't help but wait for that next little jolt of fear to hit. On top of all of this, the author also sets up a running theme of deception and its costs.
When all is said and done, Harry Price turns out to be a character loaded with irony, and the author sets things up so that it isn't up to the last that we discover exactly what that irony entails. The "secret" Sarah carries around with her isn't so earth shattering when revealed, but even with this little bit of drama (a tad bit overdone, imho), she is also an interesting person both with and without Harry Price. There are many side characters who also come to life here -- most notably, the tenants of Borley Rectory, past and present.
Overall, considering I went into this book with the wrong expectations, I really enjoyed it ... just the perfect thing for a windy/stormy night's read.
January 31, 2014
Screw this 'has to be a whole star' business. 3.5 Stars
Ooph, look at that beautiful cover.
Neil Spring's 'The Ghost Hunters' tells the tale of one of the most haunted houses in the entire of the UK, Borely Rectory. The house has been featured in many ghost stories before this and was famously the object of an investigation by the Society of Physical Research, around which this novel is based.
This novel presents itself to you as an account written by one of the lead investigators during that time, and is treated very much like a diary written after the fact. The lead narrator is constantly foreboding events that have yet to happen, and adding suspense and build up throughout. All the while, keeping the reader semi-clueless about the whether or not the events that are unfolding are real.
It's a very enjoyable read, yet it never quite hit the 'creepy scale' for me.
Things I liked
The Setting - It seems obvious to count the setting as a major plus point in a haunted house novel, but there is something undeniably creepy about old mansions in the British countryside. For some reason I'm always more willing to believe in spooky going's on if they're said to be happening in the middle of nowhere and the Borely Rectory fits that description well.
The Main Character - Our main character here goes by the name of Sarah, and is a Victorian woman who goes against the norm of the society when it comes to things like wanting a career and working for herself. She is strong-willed, and dedicated to her employer. In the end, I didn't even mind the romantic attraction she seemed to share for him (which felt a little out of place at first.)
The Hauntings - Taking facts and information from the original investigation worked well here, I mean, who doesn't want to read about a ghosty nun staring at you through windows while taking jolly walks across the garden?
Things I didn't like so much
The Character of Harry Price - The novel throughout has this kind of Homes and Watson style vibe with Price deemed to be the quirky Sherlock of the two. At first I wasn't sure whether we were supposed to like and appreciate his recklessness or fight against authority? In truth, for the first half of the novel or so, I found him rather pompous and annoying.
The Length - This is a LONG ASS BOOK. Coming in at just over 500 pages, I will say that I found the novel could have done with a tiny bit of editing. There is a lot of build up that could have been cut out (they don't even arrive at the Rectory until just over 100 pages), and I don't think the edits would have affected the novel in any way really.
Overall this was a really enjoyable novel, that was well thought out, and well detailed with facts from the original case. If you're looking for a good ghost story you can't really go wrong with this one. Just make sure you're willing to put in the time, and can handle a maybe (too) large word count.
I totes be watching you.
Ooph, look at that beautiful cover.
Neil Spring's 'The Ghost Hunters' tells the tale of one of the most haunted houses in the entire of the UK, Borely Rectory. The house has been featured in many ghost stories before this and was famously the object of an investigation by the Society of Physical Research, around which this novel is based.
This novel presents itself to you as an account written by one of the lead investigators during that time, and is treated very much like a diary written after the fact. The lead narrator is constantly foreboding events that have yet to happen, and adding suspense and build up throughout. All the while, keeping the reader semi-clueless about the whether or not the events that are unfolding are real.
It's a very enjoyable read, yet it never quite hit the 'creepy scale' for me.
Things I liked
The Setting - It seems obvious to count the setting as a major plus point in a haunted house novel, but there is something undeniably creepy about old mansions in the British countryside. For some reason I'm always more willing to believe in spooky going's on if they're said to be happening in the middle of nowhere and the Borely Rectory fits that description well.
The Main Character - Our main character here goes by the name of Sarah, and is a Victorian woman who goes against the norm of the society when it comes to things like wanting a career and working for herself. She is strong-willed, and dedicated to her employer. In the end, I didn't even mind the romantic attraction she seemed to share for him (which felt a little out of place at first.)
The Hauntings - Taking facts and information from the original investigation worked well here, I mean, who doesn't want to read about a ghosty nun staring at you through windows while taking jolly walks across the garden?
Things I didn't like so much
The Character of Harry Price - The novel throughout has this kind of Homes and Watson style vibe with Price deemed to be the quirky Sherlock of the two. At first I wasn't sure whether we were supposed to like and appreciate his recklessness or fight against authority? In truth, for the first half of the novel or so, I found him rather pompous and annoying.
The Length - This is a LONG ASS BOOK. Coming in at just over 500 pages, I will say that I found the novel could have done with a tiny bit of editing. There is a lot of build up that could have been cut out (they don't even arrive at the Rectory until just over 100 pages), and I don't think the edits would have affected the novel in any way really.
Overall this was a really enjoyable novel, that was well thought out, and well detailed with facts from the original case. If you're looking for a good ghost story you can't really go wrong with this one. Just make sure you're willing to put in the time, and can handle a maybe (too) large word count.
I totes be watching you.
January 4, 2014
I really wanted to like this book a whole lot more than I actually did.
I was born and brought up in Suffolk about 15 miles from Borley (on the Suffolk/Essex border) and was always aware of the tales about the place. In fact as teenagers we sometimes used to drive out there to try and spook ourselves. We never saw or felt anything, needless to say!
Staying in Suffolk over the New Year I began reading this book, and one afternoon we drove to Borley again. Well, I had to really!
I note that careful efforts have been made to stop the casual passer by from parking. In fact there's nowhere to park at all. There's a small car park next to the church but it had a large chain across, firmly padlocked. I understand that the church gets lots of unwelcome amateur ghost hunters, and the villagers get fed up with them messing around in the building. Can't say I blame them.
The book itself claims Borley is surrounded by 'Essex marshes' but that's not true - it stands on a small hill (Suffolk is fairly flat) and is surrounded by arable fields.
The big problem I had with the book is the dialogue. It just doesn't ring true and frequently feels forced and stilted. And in the 1920's did people really talk about 'glamour modelling', or the Rectory being 'in lockdown'. At one point Amy tells Sarah 'don't be a stranger'. Was that an expression used in England at that time? These are just a few examples out of many.
I read the kindle version and it was peppered with typos. Also the 'continuity' was often incorrect. The whole book is badly in need of a decent editor to get rid of these numerous amateur errors and problems, and give it a good tidy up.
I believe this is a first book, and to be fair I did think it improved as it went along. The character of Harry Price was well drawn - a really mercurial personality. I'm going to investigate more about him. Sarah, the ex glamour model (??) never rang true for me. In fact many times I could have cheerfully slapped her.
Interesting subject, but ultimately all a bit disappointing.
I was born and brought up in Suffolk about 15 miles from Borley (on the Suffolk/Essex border) and was always aware of the tales about the place. In fact as teenagers we sometimes used to drive out there to try and spook ourselves. We never saw or felt anything, needless to say!
Staying in Suffolk over the New Year I began reading this book, and one afternoon we drove to Borley again. Well, I had to really!
I note that careful efforts have been made to stop the casual passer by from parking. In fact there's nowhere to park at all. There's a small car park next to the church but it had a large chain across, firmly padlocked. I understand that the church gets lots of unwelcome amateur ghost hunters, and the villagers get fed up with them messing around in the building. Can't say I blame them.
The book itself claims Borley is surrounded by 'Essex marshes' but that's not true - it stands on a small hill (Suffolk is fairly flat) and is surrounded by arable fields.
The big problem I had with the book is the dialogue. It just doesn't ring true and frequently feels forced and stilted. And in the 1920's did people really talk about 'glamour modelling', or the Rectory being 'in lockdown'. At one point Amy tells Sarah 'don't be a stranger'. Was that an expression used in England at that time? These are just a few examples out of many.
I read the kindle version and it was peppered with typos. Also the 'continuity' was often incorrect. The whole book is badly in need of a decent editor to get rid of these numerous amateur errors and problems, and give it a good tidy up.
I believe this is a first book, and to be fair I did think it improved as it went along. The character of Harry Price was well drawn - a really mercurial personality. I'm going to investigate more about him. Sarah, the ex glamour model (??) never rang true for me. In fact many times I could have cheerfully slapped her.
Interesting subject, but ultimately all a bit disappointing.
February 10, 2014
Scary ghost story? I've been more spooked by an episode of scooby doo! Its a run of the mill haunting, stones and objects get thrown, cold spots, footsteps, yaddah, yaddah... The problem I found is the author just didn't get the tension in there. The whole book reads like an account of hauntings, not specifically Borley Hall, though that is the focal point. Its all told from the point of view of Sarah Grey, a self centred slightly neurotic woman who quite frankly is bored, and decides working for Harry Price would be exciting. You see this is another problem, I just didn't like any of the characters. All of them were on the make, they all had their own agenda and the story got lost along the way. I had worked out the "fantastic twist" at the end (other reviewers words, not mine) as it was happening. I dont see how you couldn't, it was certainly no big shock to me when it was finally revealed. Ok, I admit, I'm not easily spooked, and people of a lesser constitution may find this book a bit scary but it left me bored. I read a book many years ago and have re-read it several times, and it scares me every time. It was also made into a film in 1963 and its the only film I cant watch on my own, even in the daytime. Its about a house, it has voices,writing on the wall, a back story. But the author has written it so you feel the tension and fear of the characters. Its called the haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Give that a go if you dare!
Added 10/2/14: I lent this book to friend who found it quite scary and had to keep stopping. So there you go. My spook threshold is obviously quite high. If you spook easily you'll like it. If you dont it will be a disappointment. You decide!
Added 10/2/14: I lent this book to friend who found it quite scary and had to keep stopping. So there you go. My spook threshold is obviously quite high. If you spook easily you'll like it. If you dont it will be a disappointment. You decide!
October 3, 2017
My first Halloween read of 2017.
This had all the right ingredients for a great spooky mystery, including an author who knows how to construct a sentence. Unfortunately, because of the way the story is told (a story within a story evolving over a long period of time with years long gaps between events) it takes far too long for the mystery to unfold, there is way too much tell and not enough show, and the characters were so annoying that I didn't care what happened to them. Sarah Grey, the main character, spent most of her time dithering, getting mad, feeling guilty, deciding on a course of action, then changing her mind and then changing it back again. On top of all this, it's just not scary; the ghosts were hardly part of the story. This book needed a ruthless chopping and didn't get it. Here's hoping the promising author's next book embraces simplicity and contains more faceted and developed characters.
This had all the right ingredients for a great spooky mystery, including an author who knows how to construct a sentence. Unfortunately, because of the way the story is told (a story within a story evolving over a long period of time with years long gaps between events) it takes far too long for the mystery to unfold, there is way too much tell and not enough show, and the characters were so annoying that I didn't care what happened to them. Sarah Grey, the main character, spent most of her time dithering, getting mad, feeling guilty, deciding on a course of action, then changing her mind and then changing it back again. On top of all this, it's just not scary; the ghosts were hardly part of the story. This book needed a ruthless chopping and didn't get it. Here's hoping the promising author's next book embraces simplicity and contains more faceted and developed characters.
Read
February 24, 2019Don't usually read ghost stories. This had a ghost story as well as other stuff going on so I liked it.
October 9, 2013
Mixing fact with fiction and told from the point of view of a ghost hunter's assistant in the 1920s/1930s, this is a chilling ghost story with lots of twists and turns. As the ghost hunter Harry Price and his assistant Sarah Grey investigate the haunted Borley Rectory, determined to prove there are no ghosts, they find things are not all as they seem. Truly scary at some points this is a must-read for any horrror fan.
November 26, 2024
4.5☆ (Sono sconvolta.)
Devo dire di essere abbastanza sconvolta da questo libro. È stata una bellissima esperienza e devo dire di aver apprezzato molto sia la narrazione che lo stile. Lento ma comunque che attira e coinvolge.
Fino alla fine ho creduto una cosa, che quella cosa fosse certa. E invece mi son sbagliata. E il twist finale? Mi ha sconvolta davvero perché, alla fine, tutto è collegato. Dall'inizio fino all'epilogo.
Il setting storico, ambientato tra gli anni '20 e '40 del 1900 in una Inghilterra post prima guerra mondiale e inizi seconda non è stato per niente male. La storia, incentrata sulla persona di Harry Price e del suo studio e della sua fissazione nel debunking, nello sfatare i "miti" e gli spiritisti mi ha conquistata malissimo. Adoro queste cose, adoro lo spiritismo, adoro il paranormale e le case infestate. Adoro anche quando affossano le teorie e spiegano logicamente ciò che realmente succede.
La presenza di Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (che non avevo idea fosse uno spiritista incallito) e la narratrice, Sarah Grey, hanno fatto sì che questo libro, che racconta comunque la storia romanzata di Harry Price e il suo coinvolgimento della storia del Borley Rectory, la casa più infestata d'Inghilterra, fosse interessantissimo e super coinvolgente! La storia del Borley Rectory non la conoscevo. Non avevo idea che l'Inghilterra avesse una casa più infestata, demolita nel 1944. Eppure la storia mi ha incollata alle pagine. Ero veramente tanto coinvolta che alla fine ne sono rimasta sconvolta. Ovviamente dopo aver finito il libro sono andata a cercare la storia della casa e, nonostante sia abbastanza diversa da quella raccontata nel libro, resta comunque interessante. Soprattutto perché le persone citate sono realmente esistite!
I personaggi super interessanti, da Sarah a Price. Da Vernon Wall a Marianne Foyster. Le sfaccettature della storia e dei personaggi particolari hanno reso questo libro una vera avventura paranormale. Price, sia nel libro che nella vita vera, è stato un personaggio abbastanza ambiguo e fuori dagli schemi. Il voler a tutti costi smascherare gli spiritisti l'ha portato ad essere un elemento scomodo nei salotti londinesi. Eppure come Sarah ne era attirata pure io, leggendo, ne ero. Volevo sapere, volevo conoscerlo. E, a dirla tutta, non mi è piaciuto ciò che ho conosciuto.
Sono estremamente curiosa di leggere gli altri suoi libri perché, come questo, raccontano in maniera romanzata la storia di persone reali e fatti veramente accaduti.
I should say, to begin with, that before this I was never inclined to take such stories literally. Though I have always held a deep, theoretical – and private – interest in matters of the peculiar, tales of haunted libraries and similar legends have never represented anything more to me than fascinating insights into the way people think and form their beliefs.
Devo dire di essere abbastanza sconvolta da questo libro. È stata una bellissima esperienza e devo dire di aver apprezzato molto sia la narrazione che lo stile. Lento ma comunque che attira e coinvolge.
‘Then what,’ I mused, ‘are mediums afraid of?’ ‘Ah, well, that’s easy,’ Price proclaimed, sweeping past. ‘They’re afraid of me!’
Fino alla fine ho creduto una cosa, che quella cosa fosse certa. E invece mi son sbagliata. E il twist finale? Mi ha sconvolta davvero perché, alla fine, tutto è collegato. Dall'inizio fino all'epilogo.
It’s the living we need to look out for, not the dead.
Il setting storico, ambientato tra gli anni '20 e '40 del 1900 in una Inghilterra post prima guerra mondiale e inizi seconda non è stato per niente male. La storia, incentrata sulla persona di Harry Price e del suo studio e della sua fissazione nel debunking, nello sfatare i "miti" e gli spiritisti mi ha conquistata malissimo. Adoro queste cose, adoro lo spiritismo, adoro il paranormale e le case infestate. Adoro anche quando affossano le teorie e spiegano logicamente ciò che realmente succede.
How sad it is, I thought as I willed myself back to sleep, that we love what is hard and run from what is easy, and only look back when it is finally too late.
La presenza di Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (che non avevo idea fosse uno spiritista incallito) e la narratrice, Sarah Grey, hanno fatto sì che questo libro, che racconta comunque la storia romanzata di Harry Price e il suo coinvolgimento della storia del Borley Rectory, la casa più infestata d'Inghilterra, fosse interessantissimo e super coinvolgente! La storia del Borley Rectory non la conoscevo. Non avevo idea che l'Inghilterra avesse una casa più infestata, demolita nel 1944. Eppure la storia mi ha incollata alle pagine. Ero veramente tanto coinvolta che alla fine ne sono rimasta sconvolta. Ovviamente dopo aver finito il libro sono andata a cercare la storia della casa e, nonostante sia abbastanza diversa da quella raccontata nel libro, resta comunque interessante. Soprattutto perché le persone citate sono realmente esistite!
This is what ghosts do, I thought as I wrapped my mother in my arms. They bleed us of life and potential and hope and happiness. They make us shadows of ourselves.
I personaggi super interessanti, da Sarah a Price. Da Vernon Wall a Marianne Foyster. Le sfaccettature della storia e dei personaggi particolari hanno reso questo libro una vera avventura paranormale. Price, sia nel libro che nella vita vera, è stato un personaggio abbastanza ambiguo e fuori dagli schemi. Il voler a tutti costi smascherare gli spiritisti l'ha portato ad essere un elemento scomodo nei salotti londinesi. Eppure come Sarah ne era attirata pure io, leggendo, ne ero. Volevo sapere, volevo conoscerlo. E, a dirla tutta, non mi è piaciuto ciò che ho conosciuto.
Then I went quickly from that place, leaving him desperate and alone with nothing but ghosts for company.
Sono estremamente curiosa di leggere gli altri suoi libri perché, come questo, raccontano in maniera romanzata la storia di persone reali e fatti veramente accaduti.
November 8, 2013
This book is an imaginative account of the haunting of Borley Rectory, apparently "the most haunted house in England" and the investigation of it by ghost hunter, showman, charlatan - make up your own mind which - Harry Price. Set between the 1920s and the 40s, it takes us to a world where the relatives of those who fell in the First World War are exploited by false(?) mediums. The mediums who are in turn turn hunted down by the indefatigable Price. But Price has a problem. He is being supported and his "laboratory" accommodated by the Spiritualist movement, whose pet mediums he keeps debunking. So it may seem very convenient when an opportunity arises to investigate a serious haunting. Will Price, and his assistant, Sarah Grey, encounter something much darker and much nastier than they expect?
Based on real events, the story is told, mainly, in Grey's voice, in a dusty manuscript found years after the events it narrates.
So, is it really any good?
I don't like to have to dissent from the general tone of positive reviews, but I had some problems with this book. I feel it's almost two different books, one rather mundane, the other eerily effective.
The first part, following what actually happens at Borley, seemed rather plodding to me. Frankly, nothing much happens: Spring moves his characters to Borley and back, introduces a journalist (a real person), Vernon Wall, to inject some tension, and tries to animate a conflict between him, Price and Grey. But to me, it didn't convince. This comes to a climax in a scene where Wall leaves Borley for London and Grey apparently faces a choice - him or Price? - that is referred back to repeatedly and is apparently an emotionally key episode to all three. But somehow the writing never matches up to that, I simply ended up puzzled as to why everyone behaved as they did.
It doesn't help that the writing is, in paces, slightly garbled. For example, consider this description of a haunting:
"...One night, Marianne found pebbles behind her pillow; another time, just outside the Blue Room, she was struck in her face by some unseen force only to be turned out of bed, three weeks later, in one night!"
Struck in her face by some unseen force - horrible. Turned out of bed three times in one night - ghastly. But... three weeks between the two? This just reads oddly.
Spring has clearly carried out an admirable amount of research, which he generally deploys with skill - but in some places, and this is one, I think the contents of his notebooks have been dumped into the story without being completely digested. Another example is towards the end of the book, where there is confusion about who owns the Rectory by then - we are told that in the 1940s the Rectory was about to be disposed of "by the Rector" so that Price had to act quickly, then that (earlier) it had been sold to a Captain Gregson, who filed an insurance claim only to have it rejected.)
I realise this may seem picky, but glitches like these bring the reader (well, me) up sharp and make it hard to stay in the book, as it were.
So do numerous phrases ("video camera", "glamour modelling", "photo shoots", "State-of-the-art", "I like unconventional", "hijacked my thoughts", "the Rectory is in lockdown" which belong more in the 2000s than the 1920s or 30s. More seriously, there are howlers such as "mitigated against" (for "militated") and - in a book that features Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes's famous saying "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth" is misquoted as "when you have eliminated the improbable..." making it into a nonsense. All this is, I think, simply poor editing. It is a great shame when an author is let down by stuff like that: the point of editing a book is to pick up things which the author, having read the text seventeen times, simply can't spot any longer.
And indeed, I found it very hard to keep going with this book, all the way through the first two thirds. I didn't believe the characters, I kept tripping over the writing, and not much happened.
I am very glad to be able to say, though, that the book did improve. As the story went on, it did become less of an account of "bumps in the night", flying bars of soap and heaving tables and turned into some much more subtle and chilling. It is actually difficult to say more without giving away some of the secrets of the book. But it is worth reading that first section for the sake of the ending.
That gives me a dilemma in rating the book - sometimes I find that the hardest part of a review. if I had to judge the first part on its own, I would award it no more than two stars. For the ending, I'd give four. So overall - three stars.
I think that Neil Spring is a very promising author. I hope that he writes more - and that those books are decently edited!
Based on real events, the story is told, mainly, in Grey's voice, in a dusty manuscript found years after the events it narrates.
So, is it really any good?
I don't like to have to dissent from the general tone of positive reviews, but I had some problems with this book. I feel it's almost two different books, one rather mundane, the other eerily effective.
The first part, following what actually happens at Borley, seemed rather plodding to me. Frankly, nothing much happens: Spring moves his characters to Borley and back, introduces a journalist (a real person), Vernon Wall, to inject some tension, and tries to animate a conflict between him, Price and Grey. But to me, it didn't convince. This comes to a climax in a scene where Wall leaves Borley for London and Grey apparently faces a choice - him or Price? - that is referred back to repeatedly and is apparently an emotionally key episode to all three. But somehow the writing never matches up to that, I simply ended up puzzled as to why everyone behaved as they did.
It doesn't help that the writing is, in paces, slightly garbled. For example, consider this description of a haunting:
"...One night, Marianne found pebbles behind her pillow; another time, just outside the Blue Room, she was struck in her face by some unseen force only to be turned out of bed, three weeks later, in one night!"
Struck in her face by some unseen force - horrible. Turned out of bed three times in one night - ghastly. But... three weeks between the two? This just reads oddly.
Spring has clearly carried out an admirable amount of research, which he generally deploys with skill - but in some places, and this is one, I think the contents of his notebooks have been dumped into the story without being completely digested. Another example is towards the end of the book, where there is confusion about who owns the Rectory by then - we are told that in the 1940s the Rectory was about to be disposed of "by the Rector" so that Price had to act quickly, then that (earlier) it had been sold to a Captain Gregson, who filed an insurance claim only to have it rejected.)
I realise this may seem picky, but glitches like these bring the reader (well, me) up sharp and make it hard to stay in the book, as it were.
So do numerous phrases ("video camera", "glamour modelling", "photo shoots", "State-of-the-art", "I like unconventional", "hijacked my thoughts", "the Rectory is in lockdown" which belong more in the 2000s than the 1920s or 30s. More seriously, there are howlers such as "mitigated against" (for "militated") and - in a book that features Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes's famous saying "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth" is misquoted as "when you have eliminated the improbable..." making it into a nonsense. All this is, I think, simply poor editing. It is a great shame when an author is let down by stuff like that: the point of editing a book is to pick up things which the author, having read the text seventeen times, simply can't spot any longer.
And indeed, I found it very hard to keep going with this book, all the way through the first two thirds. I didn't believe the characters, I kept tripping over the writing, and not much happened.
I am very glad to be able to say, though, that the book did improve. As the story went on, it did become less of an account of "bumps in the night", flying bars of soap and heaving tables and turned into some much more subtle and chilling. It is actually difficult to say more without giving away some of the secrets of the book. But it is worth reading that first section for the sake of the ending.
That gives me a dilemma in rating the book - sometimes I find that the hardest part of a review. if I had to judge the first part on its own, I would award it no more than two stars. For the ending, I'd give four. So overall - three stars.
I think that Neil Spring is a very promising author. I hope that he writes more - and that those books are decently edited!
November 24, 2013
I came to this book knowing nothing about the subject matter but as a keen student of history and Ghosthunters did not disappoint. It started too slowly for my liking but then I found it to be drawing me more and more into the story and caring about Sarah Grey, the mysteries surrounding the haunted Borely Rectory and the strange larger than life Harry Price. This to me is a very British story. It tells of eccentricity as one man and his enterprise creating a laboratory invested in solving the paranormal mysteries of the day and of ages past. He is a showman and a self-publicist operating in a very clipped, very precise world but he is also very much part of this world. He is also a very British boffin conjuring up new devices to unmask mediums who are magicians and other paranormal fraudsters. It is also a very British story to have a situation whereby a man's qualifications and his integrity can be called into question in an area where belief is usually suspended. There are also undercurrents of secrets that must not see the light of day and repressed love that cannot be. All these events are seen from the reflection of Sarah Grey and in truth it is more her story and how events impact and how Harry impacts upon her.
I enjoyed the read despite so-called historical inaccuracies. Anachronistic as some elements may have been, it is for the author to have some poetic license and as much of the text is from Sarah Grey's manuscript written decades after some of the events in the story, it for sure could easily be explained away on this basis.
I see this book primarily as a work for television and can't wait to see it gracing our screens. If you want to tell your friends that you discovered it before ITV, BBC or Sky, then buy the book now!
I enjoyed the read despite so-called historical inaccuracies. Anachronistic as some elements may have been, it is for the author to have some poetic license and as much of the text is from Sarah Grey's manuscript written decades after some of the events in the story, it for sure could easily be explained away on this basis.
I see this book primarily as a work for television and can't wait to see it gracing our screens. If you want to tell your friends that you discovered it before ITV, BBC or Sky, then buy the book now!
July 16, 2015
So far this is an excellent glass of wine, roaring log fire sort of ghostly tale. Lots of dark hints, a mysterious journal, parapsychology professor and a spooky old building. What more could a reader want? I'll update when done.
60% and just cannot force myself to read this any more.
As usual, I'm left disappointed and wondering whether it's just me...I struggled to keep reading this until I got to 60% and then I thought, nah, life's just too short. This is basically a relatively simple story spun out and spun out and spun out and spun out and (are you tired of reading this yet?) spun out and spun out and (seriously, giving up yet?) spun out and...
Basic premise is girl goes to work for parapsychology professor in the late 1920s, early 1930s. He's trying to prove it's all bunk. She's not sure and is in love with him.
Spin
Spin
Spin
Spin
Ack, I give up. I don't care.
Very disappointed. It's not badly written, it's just going nowhere about nothing.
Okay, I've just gone and read some of the other reviews on here and some mention that the last third of the book is the best and that it has a superb twist. If anyone wants to tell me in a comment (hide with spoilers so we don't ruin someone else's enjoyment) I'd be more than happy to discover it. It goes to show how boring I found this book that even knowing there's a twist like that I still can't force myself to return to it.
60% and just cannot force myself to read this any more.
As usual, I'm left disappointed and wondering whether it's just me...I struggled to keep reading this until I got to 60% and then I thought, nah, life's just too short. This is basically a relatively simple story spun out and spun out and spun out and spun out and (are you tired of reading this yet?) spun out and spun out and (seriously, giving up yet?) spun out and...
Basic premise is girl goes to work for parapsychology professor in the late 1920s, early 1930s. He's trying to prove it's all bunk. She's not sure and is in love with him.
Spin
Spin
Spin
Spin
Ack, I give up. I don't care.
Very disappointed. It's not badly written, it's just going nowhere about nothing.
Okay, I've just gone and read some of the other reviews on here and some mention that the last third of the book is the best and that it has a superb twist. If anyone wants to tell me in a comment (hide with spoilers so we don't ruin someone else's enjoyment) I'd be more than happy to discover it. It goes to show how boring I found this book that even knowing there's a twist like that I still can't force myself to return to it.
October 20, 2015
This is one of those really interesting books that from within a few pages in you find yourself unable to put it down, wanting to find out what is waiting for you on the next page, wanting to know exactly how things play out. That being said, I felt as though there was a little bit of a mixed bag in places: at times it seemed to be moving at a great pace whereas at others things seemed to be dragging on unnecessarily. Overall it was a great paced book, I just felt as though some of the aspects were focused upon for much longer than was necessary.
Furthermore, I think my biggest disappointment with the book was the fact that I worked out the link between the prologue and the epilogue before I’d even started the first chapter, due to that I was somewhat disappointed come the end (although the ending itself was great within its own right, being a perfect ending to the book).
There was a period of time within the book which I questioned whether my idea was wrong yet that second guessing didn’t last long and my assumption was proven correct only a short while later. I think I would have been much happier had more effort been put in for the link not to be made quite so obvious, for more second guessing to be involved.
Nevertheless, the book kept me entertained for the most part and it was an interesting read.
Furthermore, I think my biggest disappointment with the book was the fact that I worked out the link between the prologue and the epilogue before I’d even started the first chapter, due to that I was somewhat disappointed come the end (although the ending itself was great within its own right, being a perfect ending to the book).
There was a period of time within the book which I questioned whether my idea was wrong yet that second guessing didn’t last long and my assumption was proven correct only a short while later. I think I would have been much happier had more effort been put in for the link not to be made quite so obvious, for more second guessing to be involved.
Nevertheless, the book kept me entertained for the most part and it was an interesting read.
December 2, 2013
For lovers of good old fashioned ghost stories....you will thrill to this. Harry Price ghost hunter extraordinaire! and his trusty assistant Sarah Grey unravel the mystery and the strange goings on in Borley Rectory. The book has everything for this seasonal time of year and lots of twists and turns along the way....lovers of M R James and Shirley Jackson will welcome this modern yet old fashioned interpretation of the haunted house theme.
November 7, 2013
So, I wandered in to my favourite local stockist one Saturday afternoon just before Halloween and spotted this one sitting on the shelf. I read the blurb and discovered that it was about Borley Rectory, a place that has always fascinated me, with the tales of supernatural happening and ghostly apparitions. It's sort of a local folk tale to me, as I live about ten miles down the road. Long story short, I bought it totally on a whim. I usually do a little bit of research in to books before I buy them, but in this case I didn't. Man, was I impressed.
It turns out that this is Neil Spring's first published novel. It turns out he's working for John Lewis (blame Goodreads; it's not stalking - I promise, Your Honour), it also turns out that this novel is one of the best ghost stories, historical novels or gothic novels that I have read in years. Bravo, that man. Wow. Seriously, damn (said in an American accent).
I think what gets me about this book is the sheer scope and scale of it. Spring manages to blend fact and fiction seamlessly, and creates a wide array of twists and turns that constantly wrong foot the reader. It left me questioning what was real and what was not from start to finish, and due to the basis on fact (or at the least on reality), I was never quite sure what to believe and what not to. There were some twists in there that left me stunned, but only because Spring had devised them so ingeniously and had covered his tracks like a seasoned pro. Indeed, this is a genuinely impressive feat for any novelist, let alone a debutant, and it's something truly original; a curious mixture of a Bronte-esque bildungsroman - complete with unreliable and downright shifty narrator, a burning gothic mansion (think Jane Eyre), and a chinese box type narrative - with an E.L. James ghost story, all shown with a thoroughly modern viewpoint that had me gripped from start to finish.
Part of the charm of the novel is that Spring has clearly done his research. He knows and loves his subject and his characters, that much is plain. I love footnotes in fiction that can tie it to reality, and his little notes that linked fictional happenings with the real deal were really something special. Oh, and he managed to capture Suffolk, and the area around the Essex borders perfectly (I'm a native, so felt right at home.) The representation of the supernatural and the strange blurring between the real and unreal was something that I didn't expect when I picked this up. I just wanted to be spooked. I was, and then some. Spring clearly has a gift and it's one that I would definitely wish to see more of.
If you're a fan of spooky tales, of things that go bump in the night, of gothic fiction, detective stories, or hell, if you just fancy a good old yarn around a camp fire that will keep you wondering from start to finish, give this one a go. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a five from me, and it's found its way on to my favourite books shelf; I'm sure it will for you too.
One last little note, and one that doesn't in any way detract from the quality of the story, or the talent of the author. The edition I picked up, a Quercus paperback, was really very poorly edited. There were typos all over the place, and I had to re-read whole paragraphs to understand what was going on, there was also a curious incident where the header didn't change between two chapters, just due to iffy proof reading. I guess this is because Quercus are a relatively small publisher, but it was a distraction, and I can't help but think that the book, and the author are worthy of more.
It turns out that this is Neil Spring's first published novel. It turns out he's working for John Lewis (blame Goodreads; it's not stalking - I promise, Your Honour), it also turns out that this novel is one of the best ghost stories, historical novels or gothic novels that I have read in years. Bravo, that man. Wow. Seriously, damn (said in an American accent).
I think what gets me about this book is the sheer scope and scale of it. Spring manages to blend fact and fiction seamlessly, and creates a wide array of twists and turns that constantly wrong foot the reader. It left me questioning what was real and what was not from start to finish, and due to the basis on fact (or at the least on reality), I was never quite sure what to believe and what not to. There were some twists in there that left me stunned, but only because Spring had devised them so ingeniously and had covered his tracks like a seasoned pro. Indeed, this is a genuinely impressive feat for any novelist, let alone a debutant, and it's something truly original; a curious mixture of a Bronte-esque bildungsroman - complete with unreliable and downright shifty narrator, a burning gothic mansion (think Jane Eyre), and a chinese box type narrative - with an E.L. James ghost story, all shown with a thoroughly modern viewpoint that had me gripped from start to finish.
Part of the charm of the novel is that Spring has clearly done his research. He knows and loves his subject and his characters, that much is plain. I love footnotes in fiction that can tie it to reality, and his little notes that linked fictional happenings with the real deal were really something special. Oh, and he managed to capture Suffolk, and the area around the Essex borders perfectly (I'm a native, so felt right at home.) The representation of the supernatural and the strange blurring between the real and unreal was something that I didn't expect when I picked this up. I just wanted to be spooked. I was, and then some. Spring clearly has a gift and it's one that I would definitely wish to see more of.
If you're a fan of spooky tales, of things that go bump in the night, of gothic fiction, detective stories, or hell, if you just fancy a good old yarn around a camp fire that will keep you wondering from start to finish, give this one a go. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a five from me, and it's found its way on to my favourite books shelf; I'm sure it will for you too.
One last little note, and one that doesn't in any way detract from the quality of the story, or the talent of the author. The edition I picked up, a Quercus paperback, was really very poorly edited. There were typos all over the place, and I had to re-read whole paragraphs to understand what was going on, there was also a curious incident where the header didn't change between two chapters, just due to iffy proof reading. I guess this is because Quercus are a relatively small publisher, but it was a distraction, and I can't help but think that the book, and the author are worthy of more.
February 12, 2015
The Ghost Hunters is a fictional memoir of Sarah Grey, assistant to one of the most renowned ghost hunters in all of England, Harry Price. Sarah began working as a model, but changed careers to become a secretary for Mr. Price.
Mr. Price receives tons of letters and inquiries asking for his assistance in investigating supposed haunted houses. After experiencing his own losses, Harry Price went from complete believer to one of the most die-hard skeptics of paranormal activity. Known for uncovering fake psychics, Sarah has witnessed first hand the lengths Harry will go to, even against a friend, in order to ensure that the truth is upheld.
After receiving a letter from a frantic journalist who had visited the Borley Rectory, Sarah presents the case to Harry but is ignored. Later, Harry is again approached about the presence of paranormal activity within the Borley Rectory and agrees to investigate. Thus begins the most trying few years of Sarah's life as she accompanies Harry through the Borley Rectory multiple times while coping with the loss of her father and attempting to protect her grief stricken mother.
This is definitely a novel that the reader should go into without having much background on the plot. The Ghost Hunters was a beautifully written and eerie novelization of the events at the Borley Rectory and the life of Harry Price. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this novel and while it did take about 150 pages for the plot to really pick up, I was creeped out multiple times in the beginning.
Neil Spring did an excellent job of bringing the Borley Rectory to life for the reader in a way that leaves you very unsettled after finishing the story. A must read for any horror buff.
Mr. Price receives tons of letters and inquiries asking for his assistance in investigating supposed haunted houses. After experiencing his own losses, Harry Price went from complete believer to one of the most die-hard skeptics of paranormal activity. Known for uncovering fake psychics, Sarah has witnessed first hand the lengths Harry will go to, even against a friend, in order to ensure that the truth is upheld.
After receiving a letter from a frantic journalist who had visited the Borley Rectory, Sarah presents the case to Harry but is ignored. Later, Harry is again approached about the presence of paranormal activity within the Borley Rectory and agrees to investigate. Thus begins the most trying few years of Sarah's life as she accompanies Harry through the Borley Rectory multiple times while coping with the loss of her father and attempting to protect her grief stricken mother.
This is definitely a novel that the reader should go into without having much background on the plot. The Ghost Hunters was a beautifully written and eerie novelization of the events at the Borley Rectory and the life of Harry Price. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this novel and while it did take about 150 pages for the plot to really pick up, I was creeped out multiple times in the beginning.
Neil Spring did an excellent job of bringing the Borley Rectory to life for the reader in a way that leaves you very unsettled after finishing the story. A must read for any horror buff.
January 29, 2016
I was always intrigued by the story of Borley Rectory as a child. So the description of this book pulled me in right away. It didn't disappoint. I was a little worried about the fact/fiction aspect before I read it. However once I started the book I was pulled in straight away. It builds the chilly atmosphere as the story builds. I'd long ago given up being spooked by the Rectory story. This reversed that. The night I finished it sleep was difficult, the book had got under my skin and unnerved me somewhat.
A well written, gripping tale.
A well written, gripping tale.
December 12, 2016
4.5 Stars
Now that's what I call a really good ghost story. It was so different to the (para)norm.
The Ghost Hunters oozed style and readability like the flow of ectoplasm from a Mediums mouth!
Neil Spring is a great writer and put this story together in a truly unique way. I've never read a ghost/paranormal book like this, with footnotes (which I usually hate with a passion) that enhanced and supported the story perfectly.
A well earned 4.5 stars. I'm looking forward to reading The Watchers by this author.
Now that's what I call a really good ghost story. It was so different to the (para)norm.
The Ghost Hunters oozed style and readability like the flow of ectoplasm from a Mediums mouth!
Neil Spring is a great writer and put this story together in a truly unique way. I've never read a ghost/paranormal book like this, with footnotes (which I usually hate with a passion) that enhanced and supported the story perfectly.
A well earned 4.5 stars. I'm looking forward to reading The Watchers by this author.
November 17, 2013
I really enjoyed the book, It was creepy,in all the right places, with enough intrigue, to keep you reading.
Neil Spring, has brought the legend of Borley Rectory, which has been named, The Most Haunted House in England, to life. There is romance,tragedy,humour,and mysteries, everything you could want,on a cold Winter night, Fantastic! Can't wait for Neil's next novel. :)
Neil Spring, has brought the legend of Borley Rectory, which has been named, The Most Haunted House in England, to life. There is romance,tragedy,humour,and mysteries, everything you could want,on a cold Winter night, Fantastic! Can't wait for Neil's next novel. :)
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