A Cambridge historian, Elizabeth Vogelsang, is found drowned, clutching a glass prism in her hand. The book she was writing about Isaac Newton’s involvement with alchemy–the culmination of her lifelong obsession with the seventeenth century–remains unfinished. When her son, Cameron, asks his former lover, Lydia Brooke, to ghostwrite the missing final chapters of his mother’s book, Lydia agrees and moves into Elizabeth’s house–a studio in an orchard where the light moves restlessly across the walls. Soon Lydia discovers that the shadow of violence that has fallen across present-day Cambridge, which escalates to a series of murders, may have its origins in the troubling evidence that Elizabeth’s research has unearthed. As Lydia becomes ensnared in a dangerous conspiracy that reawakens ghosts of the past, the seventeenth century slowly seeps into the twenty-first, with the city of Cambridge the bridge between them. Filled with evocative descriptions of Cambridge, past and present, Ghostwalk centers around a real historical mystery that Rebecca Stott has uncovered involving Newton’s alchemy. In it, time and relationships are entangled–the present with the seventeenth century, and figures from the past with the love-torn twenty-first-century woman who is trying to discover their secrets. A stunningly original display of scholarship and imagination, and a gripping story of desire and obsession, Ghostwalk is a rare debut that will change the way most of us think about scientific innovation, the force of history, and time itself.
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"The son of a woman who dies mysteriously while researching Isaac Newton's study of alchemy hires his former lover to complete the book his mother began. Interesting glimpse into the academic and social history of Cambridge, England." — Christia (4 out of 5 stars)
"The son of a woman who dies mysteriously while researching Isaac Newton's study of alchemy hires his former lover to complete the book his mother began. Interesting glimpse into the academic and social history of Cambridge, England."
“[Ghostwalk] has a scholarly authority and imaginative sparkle all too rare…Mesmerizing…Rebecca Stott…has accomplished something distinctively fresh.”
“A hypnotic brew of speculation, intrigue, and murder…You can’t help but feel swept away.”
“Fiercely intelligent.”
“British historian Stott makes a stunning debut with this hypnotic and intelligent thriller…Much more than a clever whodunit, this taut, atmospheric novel with its twisty interconnections between past and present will leave readers hoping Stott has many more stories in her future.”
" This book had a number of interesting elements: Isaac Newton's character, 17th century Britain, the scientific revolution, alchemy, time travel, ghosts, research ethics. It's a very good story with a satisfying ending. "
" I really enjoyed this book. The mix of historical fact, mystery and the supernatural made it a fun read. "
" Interesting book, but don't think it lived up to the reviews. "
" A good mystery. Easy reading and engaging. "
" My favorite type of historical fiction mystery. Bad shit goes down no matter what the century. "
" What I liked about Ghostwalk is that the reader is left to interpret the problem either way-- corporate conspiracy or supernatural revenge. "
" This is Rebecca Stott's first novel and what a novel it is. "
" An interesting fictional book about Sir Isaac Newton. "
" Spellbinding tale of an author who is taking on the research of a woman mysteriously disappeared. Outstanding imagery and characterization. "
" I liked the idea of this book better than the actual book. It was pretty confusing in places and required a little more willing suspension of disbelief than I was able to muster. The story is a good idea, but the writing didn't capture me. "
" Interesting book, not quite what I expected "
" Very interesting premise -- learned a lot about Newton and Cambridge. I figured out one of the twists beforehand, but was surprised by the other. The narrator was a little bit annoying, however. "
" Very different than what I expected. I liked it. "
" This book was disappointing. After a slow start, it had a lot of potential in the middle but did not wrap up well. I would not recommend it. "
" Good, not great. Less a ghost story and more historical fiction/romance. "
" Not so great. The novel within the novel, about Newton, was more interesting to me than the main story line. Her historical fiction was great, unfortunately the main part of the story was set in modern times that weren't that interesting. "
" The title and description of themes sounded fascinating, but when I tried reading it I felt no interest and gave up after the first couple chapters. "
" If you are interested in Isaac Newton and ghosts this is a good one. "
" Not as good as I was hoping after reading the cover. I found the parts about Isaac Newton really interesting--always love a bit of history and it was certainly well researched. Unfortunately the story she told was too strange and the ending left me cold. "
" This was an intriguing story and made me think about Isaac Newton in new ways. A fine literary thriller. "
" I will never trust the recommendations of the woman at the Booksmith again. This book is a far cry from mesmerizing. "
" Hmm...this book was pretty so-so to me. Unfortunately... "
" I liked the information provided regarding Isaac Newton. Was a surprise to me. The other story "Ghostwalk" was a little hard to follow. "
" I might have to give this one another try... there's so much right about a murder mystery novel about Isaac Newton & glassblowing & the memory of places -- I just had too many cringe moments along the way. "
" Just as I finished listening to this, I finally noticed that it was an ABRIDGED version, horrors! But on second thought, I was just as glad--it was long enough. The reader was excellent, but I never got as interested in this story as I would have expected to... "
Rebecca Stott is a professor of English literature and creative writing at the University of East Anglia and an affiliated scholar at the department of the history and philosophy of science at Cambridge University. She is the author of several books and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio.
Susan Duerden is an actress and an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. Her reading of The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht earned her an AudioFile Best Voice Award and a Booklist Editors’ Choice Award. She has won ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. Here career spans film, television, theater, voice-overs, and animation. She has played critically acclaimed and award-winning theatrical roles on London’s West End and Off Broadway; acted in the features Lovewrecked and Flushed Away; and held a recurring role on ABC’s Lost.
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