Carys Jones verifies and authenticates rare, old books and documents. A former client finds himself committed to an institution and his son retains Carys to evaluate his collection of Dark Age materials to be sold to a private collector.

John Harper, a tech billionaire, is the former client and JJ is his son. Carys meets JJ at his father’s home to begin the inventory and cataloguing process. Harper’s housekeeper, Nicola, is staying at the house to keep it maintained while it is for sale.

As Carys starts to review the books and documents she finds herself drawn into the Latin verbiage while indulging her habit of smelling a book’s odor – “the scent of old manuscripts was perfume to Carys”. Sharing tea with Nicola, Carys is surprised to find that the housekeeper knows of an old journal that is not catalogued but a document John feels is important. Nicola urges Carys to speak with John about its importance.

When Carys visits John she sees he is agitated and listens to him explain that the journal is the diary of a monk, Lestinus who served as the personal priest to King Arthur. Now Carys is concerned that John is insane but listens when he makes her an offer: take the journal and follow the directions to find King Arthur’s tomb. He will pay all expenses, give her his library and half the money they receive when they find the treasure buried with Arthur. Back at the mansion, Nicola gives Carys the journal to read and after reviewing it Carys accepts John’s offer.

And so, the adventure begins. Before Carys can get away, she is approached by a stranger who offers her money for the journal. That very same night Nicola is shot by a burglar trying to steal the manuscript. Very quickly Carys procures a fake passport, through a good friend and former U.S. AG attorney with good contacts and is off to Wales. As she spends more time with the monk’s account, Carys begins to understand John’s mental condition as she imagines Lestinus is visiting her, offering advice. In fact, during a call to John, he confirms that the monk spent time with him as well.

The Ghost Manuscript reads like a Steve Berry or Clive Cussler thriller. Kris Frieswick crafts a riveting story. The characters are fascinating, the pacing impressive – I felt I couldn’t read fast enough. Most important, Ms. Frieswick’s writing provides an account that is both convincing and plausible. Then, Ms. Frieswick delivers an amazing twist when Carys reaches a critical point in her story. Fans of well executed thrillers will find The Ghost Manuscript a true delight.

Carys Jones is an expert on medieval manuscripts. She works for an auction house authenticating texts. When the son of one of her biggest clients tells her that his father has been committed to a psychiatric hospital and that he is planning to liquidate the collection, Carys is called in to authenticate the texts and check the catalog.

Carys meets the housekeeper who tells her that there is one manuscript not in the catalog. It's a journal of a monk who wrote of his employer who was a battle chief fighting the Anglo-Saxon invasion. That's when Carys learns that her employer is just another Arthur chaser and she loses respect for him. That is, she does until she does until she reads the diary herself and starts having hallucinations where the author Lestinus gives her clues that may lead to the grave of Riothamus Arcturus who would become the legendary King Arthur.

But Carys isn't the only one on the track of Arthur and the massive fortune including Excalibur that was buried with him. Her boss George Plourde has his own scam going - blackmailing clients to part with items that will yield him massive commissions. He is also working with an antiquities dealer named Martin Gyles who has his own scam going but has gotten himself in trouble with jihadists and needs the tomb to get himself out of it.

Carys is an interesting person who considers herself broken. She has major abandonment issues. Her father left her family when she was seven. Her mother committed suicide when she was fifteen and her father left her with family friends rather than taking her into his new family. Her relationships hit the wall at about three months because of her inability to share anything of herself but her body. The only constants in her life are the manuscripts that are part of her work.

As Carys travels to follow the clues Lestinus left, she travels to Wales where she meets a new guy and where she meets her father again. Both are instrumental in finding the tomb which has been emptied but for another journal, some seeds, and a small amount of ancient jewels. And the search continues with bad guys trailing behind.

The action was fast and furious. The villains were truly dastardly. The treasure hunt was intriguing. And the book ends on a cliffhanger...

Not engaging, not a mystery, not well written. The language used was more written for the level of a middle-schooler, not adult. But because there is some violence, murder and sex, I would not recommend for such. The narrative strives to emulate the mystery and discovery of a Dan Brown novel, but lacks the in-depth research and subsequent detail needed to pull this off.

I thought I would like this book-it's got lots of elements I usually enjoy: archives, antiquarian books, manuscripts, lost documents, secret places and things related to history. But alas. It's got too many problems for me to enjoy, starting with the use of the term "Dark Ages," which historians and literature scholars and everyone in the know stopped using years ago because of its problematic assumptions. Right there the book's offended or come across as so poorly researched and written that no one with interests in history would read it. Then there was the claim that Welsh was "incomprehensible." That just turned off all of the language nerds. Then there were the characters, who were right out of central casting and notably lacking in depth. In fact, the main character's complaint that her relationships go nowhere--and/or that she can't maintain relationships--is because she's so flat as a character that there's nothing for anyone to be attracted to. Add to these things a bevy of minor irritations because of lack of research and understanding of the scholarly fields the author is trying to tap into, and the book is a mess.

Carys Jones is a rare books authenticator and prefers books to people. Carys is requested by her auction house to appraise a collection of rare books and when the owner of those books asks her to research a journal of a Welsh monk from the year 550 and he supposedly traveled with King Arthur and it may hold the key to the burial of King Arthur. There are some bad guys who want this journal as well and thus begins the mystery in today and back in time. Fascinating read. Carys was lucky to get out alive as many others die in the process. If you like history and mystery this is a good read for you. Could definitely see this as a movie!.

I found this book more intriguing than interesting and that kept me going through this book. There were certain times when I felt the book to be confusing but it was never not entertaining. Overall I enjoyed it and will look forward to another book by Kris Frieswick. A big thank you to NetGalley and Post Hill Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I enjoyed The Ghost Manuscript very much. I love books and books about books even more.

The lead character is Carys Jones. She is a book authenticator. I wish I had a job like that, spending all my time with rare books. She lives for her job. So she doesn’t have any personal life. But the reason for that is her past. Her mother’s suicide and her father’s leaving her made sure of her current lifestyle. One day she gets an offer she can’t refuse. She is contracted to find something that would change history. And so the hunt begins.

I couldn’t put the book down because it’s full of adventure and history and I love both.

You have to read the book to find out what the hunt is about but it is worth the time you spend on it.

I hopw there will be a sequel or something because the ending is not entirely closed. And I’m giving only four stars because of this and also because the last 20 % of the story felt a little rushed.

All in all this is a really exciting story full of adventures and twists.

I received a digital copy of this book from Post Hill Press through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the first part of the book - Carys felt like a reluctant Indiana Jones, and the action was exciting and non-stop.
However, at the point in the story where the characters return to Boston, the whole thing began to feel a bit drawn out. There was too much going on, too many people introduced and the big reveal of the bad guy wasn't a surprise at all. The ending wasn't really an ending and seemed flat and hurried - and I'm so disappointed with how the big love story ended.
Three stars but all based on the enjoyment of the first part.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Well-developed characters pursuing an intriguing literary mystery, with a fantastic "ghost" twist that was actually fairly believable!

Unfortunately, around the same time I read "The Ghost Manuscript", I also read another recently published book, "Bookworm" by Mitch Silver, that has a very similar plot and characters, so it is difficult for me to separate the two of these books in my mind--It has been a couple months since I read both, but I definitely remember enjoying both of them quite a bit.

My only disappointment in the book was when David was killed off near the end. I would expect that sort of harsh reality in a more "literary" novel, but in The Ghost Manuscript it was a somewhat jarring blow to an otherwise fun but exciting adventure story.

Not compelling enough to keep the reader moving past the first few pages--slow and difficult to get into. Writing lacked depth and nuance.

A good book that started great but kinda dragged toward the end due to most of the characters being killed off great for history mystery lovers

Whatever you do, never ever stick your nose in an old book to sniff up the smell of paper ever again. You hear me? Keep out! Or weird stuff will happen!

While appointed by her auction house to appraise a collection of books from the Dark Ages, Carys' expertise is requested by the owner to research a specific journal from the year 550. This work by a monk who travelled with King Arthur presumably holds the key to Arthur's tomb and the treasures buried with him.
Carys makes herself at home and pretty soon does what all of us love doing: she inhales the smell of the book. And so the adventure begins.

The story takes the reader on a modern day treasure hunt through Saxon times. Fast paced and exciting, with intense characters good and bad, through darkness and in light. From being hunted in American cityscapes to being the hunter in Welsh countryside. So many moments of holding my breath, so many breathtaking moments.
I enjoyed the poems in the journal and dreamt Carys' dreams. The quirky monk is an adorable guide.
Will they find what they're looking for?
At full speed we are treated to an unexpected twist, before the story enters its magical finale.
What a gem!

Thank you Netgalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC

I liked the main character and found the bad guys intriguing. I liked the beginning When picked up the book, I did not realize that it would be about King Arthur. So when I got to the middle, I thought this is going to be a stupid book about King Arthur. However, the ending picked up and it had a twist.

I look for books that hit all my favorites. A little mystery, old books, libraries, ancient myths, and an adventure. The Ghost Manuscript hit all of these. Frieswick even throws a little romance into the mix. I envy Ms. Carys Jones. She has the perfect job. She authenticates Dark Age texts for potential buyers and reads ancient Latin like it’s her native tongue. When she is given the task of verifying a library inventory for one of her favorite clients, it’s a tough assignment. As she works her way through the shelves, she uncovers a secret that could change the path of history. She begins to question the validity of what she is reading and she wonders if this is what put her client in a psychiatric hospital. Carys rapidly learns the truth and the dangers in this revelation. She’s not sure how she should progress with her information but she soon finds a guide to assist her on a quest that will take her to Wales and back to her own backyard.

This was a very entertaining novel and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The overall quest was a great surprise for me but didn’t change my mind as I continued reading. I highly suggest this one for readers of Dan Brown, even Clive Cussler though this doesn’t have all the toys available to Dirk Pitt. This is pure enjoyment reading at its best. It’s a great one for teens who enjoy their pages filled with great suspense with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Good reading~

The Ghost Manuscript is like The Mummy and Tomb Raider. Carys is a rare book authenticator. When she is tasked with finding King Author, she travels far and wide for answers. She also gets help from a 1500 year old monk. Not strange at all, right? The story is engrossing and will catch your attention and keep it. Carys is smart, clever and strange. I enjoyed this story and would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I rec'd this advanced copy via Net Galley and did not get to start it till after the Christmas holidays.

I found it interesting, easy to read and read through the book in about a week. The story itself, about King Arthur's tomb, was what drew me to asking to read this book. Although there was some information on King Arthur's life and where his tomb might be, I felt, myself personally, that there was somewhat to much descriptive writing about non essential items and not enough background and action information on important things.

I'm giving this book only 4 stars as the main plot of the story started out somewhat slow; but, within about 30-40 pages began to pick up. I was also somewhat disappointed in the ending (especially what happens to Dafydd); but, feel that there might be a continuation of the story in the future (I'm hoping so!).

The Ghost Manuscript is an adventure, thriller, mystery in the style of Indiana Jones, Laura Croft, and Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt. I loved the main character, Carys Jones, who gets sucked into a client's fantasy and never looks back. With the help of a 1500 year old ghost whose manuscript she's working, she chases one of the greatest mysteries -- the legend of King Arthur. I really enjoyed the ride! Highly recommend!

I liked this book. The summary gave me hopes that it would be one of those "can't put it down-can't wait to turn the next page" type of books. I would not say that it captured me like that, however It is still a good story. I had a hard time liking or pulling for the main character. Some of the plot seemed a little unrealistic. The book just did not capture my attention as I had hoped.

This book had all the right ingredients, but then again it was also by an unknown author and from an unknown publisher, but then again…ghosts and manuscripts, yes please. Plus it was very much a bibliomystery and I love those. Still, don’t think I was prepared for how much I liked it. It was like a grand adventure, the sort of treasure hunting adventure I normally expect and don’t especially enjoy from the likes of Clive Cussler, but pleasantly testosterone free, actually well written and smart. This book features an intrepid, emotionally unavailable book expert who gets involved in deciphering an ancient manuscript that can potentially lead to one of the greatest historical discoveries of all time. Needless to say she and the man who hired her aren’t the only ones after it, soon it gets messy, even deadly, but it’s just too irresistible of a quest to walk away from. And so this bicoastal adventure goes, discoveries, dangers and daring dos. It is all genuinely very exciting. And yes, there is an actual ghost, a very obliging and supportive kind, albeit there turns out to be a perfectly rational explanation for him, so this book can’t be chalked up to some sort of supernatural mystery. There is a mystery here, several in fact, including a very nice surprising plot twist in the end, but it’s all of a very regular, albeit extraordinarily exhilarating sort. Definitely the best take on the King Arthur legend I’ve read, a very original and interesting theory. Plus great descriptions, charismatic multilayered characters and oodles of thrills. The only thing that threw me was the body count, somehow I wasn’t prepared for how high the author would take that, didn’t quite seem like that kind of a book. But at any rate, it was a very exciting, fun and enjoyable read. Recommended for all fans of great stories and grand armchair adventures. Thanks Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book, thoroughly entertaining and maintained a fast pace throughout its entirety. Carys Jones, the main protagonist is well thought out and easy to connect to. She starts out as a rare book authenticator hired to evaluate a library of ancient manuscripts which is where she becomes entangled in the journey of one particular manuscript and the journey it describes.
The plot line is engaging although sometimes predictable, this didn’t put me off the story though by any means. The landscapes surrounding the story are well described and there is enough real lore involved to keep my interest throughout the whole story. Would recommend 4.5/5 stars.