A woman named Alma Fielding is being plagued by a poltergeist. Lots of strange things are going on around her, which seem like typical poltergeist activity.

This news comes to the attention of Dr Nandor Fodor, of the International Institute for Psychical Research. He decides to investigate this strange case.

This narrative non fiction book is an interesting insight into the human psyche. It is full of intricate details and historical facts. That’s what makes it stand out.

Fodor really wants to find proof that the supernatural experiences he investigates are real. However, most of them turn out to be fake. He is a kind hearted individual, who manages to make the best of the situation presented to him.

The portrayal of the troubled Alma in the writing, is very deep, real and touching.

Fodor becomes so involved in the investigation that he almost reaches a state of obsession, in turn nudging the troubled Alma to the brink.

This isn’t your typical ghost story. This is a complex and thought-provoking read which touches on how our past can haunt us and influence our lives in all sorts of uncanny ways.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading historical drama, and also like to delve into supernatural and unexplained events.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy for an honest review.

Summerscale's latest is immersive in detail, letting the reader feel as if they're in the room with Alma Fielding, the investigators, and her poltergeist. But at times, it feels as if the author has lost her way, reveling in the narrative, but not providing as much analysis of the haunting and its larger meaning for society.

...Summerscale has produced a thoroughly engrossing tale about the power of trauma and how the past can haunt us all... Full review to appear in Booklist.

This is a very well-researched, well-written account of the investigation of one woman’s poltergeist. All the same, I read the book with mounting distaste for the subjects and horror at the way psychoanalysis was so cavalierly used by an untrained person to attempt to “cure” an obviously disturbed woman.
Summerscale effectively portrays the frightening mood of the supernatural juxtaposed with the anxiety of pending war.