I requested this book from Netgalley purely based on the cover. I didn’t even read the blurb… so I only learned when it came to the acknoledgements that it is based on a true story. Which then again lead me to the author’s website and his interview with the descendants of both William and Kathleen, alongside a whole heap of research he has done for this book. Which only made me more intrigued by this fascinating story.

A reoccuring message throughout the book is Death is a beginning, and so we start the book of with William’s suicide. So we know the story isn’t going to end well… But it doesn’t spoil anything. Although we do get an inkling throughout the book as to the why, we are never certain of it till about 90% into the book. And it is still unclear as to why the real William killed himself (Arthur Conan Doyle actually speculates that it was his final big experiment regarding the realness of spiritualism).

Then we move back in time to his introduction to spiritualism. William isn’t a very nice person to begin with, but more in a realistic product of his time kind of way. (From the interview with his descendants I also understand that he probably had Asperger’s… which doesn’t necessarily make him an unlikeable person but does explain his obsessiveness). Starting as a true sceptic of spiritualism, and in need of money, he starts of a host of experiments to find out if these seances are real and the science behind them. We follow his grow in fame and decline into madness.

Now I need to put in some content warnings for the book. Like I said there is suicide on the page. There is also some sexual inappropriatness (with lack of a better word… It isn’t quite abuse but it is enough to make one feel quite uncomfortable), as well as talk of domestic violence.

The writing in this book is stunning. It is beautiful yet very effortless, and managed to suck me in right from the start. I can struggle with a short attention span (especially when reading on my phone), but had no problem reading this book for hours on end.

The atmosphere was spot on, with the the feeling of unease and minor hauntings slowly seeping in from the start, perfectly leading towards that very dramatic ending. And there is a good sense of its time as well, both in William’s ideas and his experiments, the treatment of women, the rise in interest in spiritualism around the first World War and the sinking of the Titanic.

I absolutely adored this book, which is a fascinating character study that just sucked me in right from the start. One I would highly recommend.

I read about a third of the book, but struggled with the characters of William (appreciate he was based on a real person), Elizabeth and Rose, the new housemaid (with how she was portrayed m, all appreciate that may be accurate for the period). I also struggled with the spirits and medium element, found it distasteful and unbelievable. It was well written and set, against the back drop of the recent Titanic sinking, but not for me I'm afraid. I would rather not leave a star rating, it wouldn't be fair because I did not finish the book, but have to, to submit this. Sorry, I thought I would enjoy this book, which is why I requested it, but unfortunately not. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

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

This book has a very creepy and gothic feeling that keeps you reading, and on the edge of your toes. This is the perfect book for October if you read to the seasons or would also work very well curled up by an open fire! I thought this book was well written and the author really captured the era of the story.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

It's turn of the century Belfast, Ireland, and engineering teacher William Crawford prides himself on being skeptical of everything. He's also a self-absorbed twerp who seems to be thoroughly unpleasant towards his beloved wife, his children, students, even his fellow teachers. When they lose a child, his wife Elizabeth connects with a family of spiritualists. She's also mourning the death of her brother, recently deceased in the sinking of the Titanic. But are the spiritualists legit or is it all a scam? William can't quite tell, but as he becomes convinced that they really are in touch with "the other side" he begins to promote them and becomes The Spirit Engineer, to global acclaim. But what if he has been duped after all?

An interesting twist on a ghost story, apparently based on a real incident, but I felt that A.J. West's writing style and characterization of Professor Crawford was so endlessly negative and dismissive that he became a caricature and thereby unbelievable. Which ruined the denouement at the end (which was all pretty obvious to this reader, at least).

The premise sounded so Interesting and I couldn’t wait to get into it. It felt like a slow burn and unfortunately that is not a trope I read as much because I love my books to be fast paced.

This book is going to live rent free in my mind forever. It’s based on a true story about a spiritualist medium in the early 1900s and a professor who sets about to expose her as a fraud. What he finds instead is that maybe death is only the beginning and questions everything he’s believed in up to this point. ⁣
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We get seances, the Titanic, WWI, cameos by Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle, plot twists galore… It’s sinister, it’s creepy, it’s enticing and haunting and I’m absolutely obsessed.⁣
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What I loved most is that at no point did I have any idea what was going to happen next. William Jackson Crawford is such a dynamic character and I absolutely hated him in the best way possible. ⁣
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The story is written in the literary style of the era it’s set in and that was an adjustment for me; however, the dialogue and imagery was so authentic and vivid that it was easy to become completely submersed. West does a fantastic job of reflecting the times for what they were and not romanticizing what life was like back then. I’ve never read a book and been compelled to research the historical facts the story was based on but my morbid curiosity was piqued. I found myself scouring google and wikipedia, exploring The Goligher Circle and Crawford’s works. I’ll be going on a deep dive of the author’s website as well to see what the descendants of these families had to say and I’m particularly interested in their opinion on how William Jackson Crawford has been portrayed (because he is literally horrible).⁣
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I can’t wait to buy this book and add it to my shelf, it’s definitely one of my top reads for the year and will probably remain a favorite for years to come. I can’t wait for more of my mutuals to get their hands on it so I have people to talk about it with! Congrats to A.J. West on this enthralling debut.⁣

*I'm giving The Spirit Engineer 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Thanks to the published and Netgalley for an eARC version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay. First off, I *almost* DNF this one. I had a very difficult time connecting with William, the MC—he was so intensely unlikable to me. I was not invested in him, and read to the halfway mark hoping that he was proved wrong in his beliefs. He was a cruel, stupid man who was clearly narcissistic and selfish and I was hard pressed to keep reading.

I am SO glad I stuck with it. The ending was worth the grumbling. This book has a really great plot, and once the ball gets rolling it’s fantastic. Very creepy, very intelligently presented—ghosts and specters, unbelievers and skeptics.

And then to find out it’s all based on actual historical events? Yes, I enjoyed it. The ending brought everything full circle, and although you may have an idea of where the story is headed, the ending is wonderful closure. AJ West did a great job crafting this story.

A good book about a man trying to work out whether ghosts exist or not. Intermixed with his scientific attempts to prove it one and for all are questions about his own past, his misgivings and pride. The beginning gives a sense of foreboding to the story and it rattles to its inevitable conclusion, but along a route is quite unexpected.

I instantly fell in love with this book when I saw it on here and to actually have gotten approved for it was amazing.
The cover is so beautiful and the art inside is stunning.
The first chapter of the book was immensely gripping. And had me hooked in no time. It has short chapters which I absolutely loved. It was an immensely engrossing story, with alot of gothic and spooky elements.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction and I had never read anything that even remotely touched the incident of Titanic, I haven't even watched the movie so I was very keen and fascinated to read a book that involved this incident. We were
also taken back to WWI and many known key figures were a part of this riveting tale, which was a pleasant surprise and frankly added to its allure.
Its true, this book had me on the edge of my seat, guessing late into the night. The narration and the plot were both hilarious and witty, and oh eerie.
The protagonist William did annoy me at times and his stubbornness to prove the spiritual guide wrong was a bit grating but hey if he hadn't felt like proving him wrong we wouldn't have had a tale woven with twists and turns.
And that ending, My God!! How will I ever recover from that ending?
I highly recommend this book.

<b>Subjective rating:</b>4/5
<b>Writing:</b>4/5
<b>Plot:</b>4/5
<b>Characters:</b>4/5
<b>Themes:</b>5/5
<b>Content Warnings:</b>death, betrayal, abuse (includes breaking fingers), nightmares

This book is haunting. In the best way.

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

Historical horror/paranormal? Everyone, sign the f*ck up.

William Jackson Crawford, aka The Spirit Engineer, is one of the most complex characters you will read about. Especially in a genre like this. In the reader’s eye, he is sweet, smart, mad, stupid, lovely, disgusting. All of these fit him from point to point throughout the story. And this, my friends, is really storytelling.

The writing is beautiful, probably because of the elegant phrasing and dialogues. It has a flow that keeps the reader involved. It made me think back to The Great Gatsby.

The characters are peculiar, complex and mostly annoying. Their opinions and ways of doing things are fascinatingly original. I hated most of them in the best way. The author also captured the connections between historical context and events and the character voices. Social classes and different genders’ roles in the society were well done.

However, the book has flaws. The plot in the first half seemed to miss things. Some characters did not necessarily need to be there. They added nothing to the story, which felt like giving too much attention to the wall behind our characters. Yet, the author is still new and jus like everyone else -maybe even more than everyone else-, has the great potential of improving.

Overall, a fantastically written spooky story that will keep you at the edge of your seats.

This was a fascinating story about spiritualism in the early 1900's.. William Jackson Crawford who initially is an unbeliever. However through his wife Elizabeth he becomes involved in seances with the medium Kathleen Golightly. Crawford is a respected engineer however it soon becomes clear that he has a pompous and bullish attitude. Although dark and disturbing in parts this was excellently written by the author.

A creepy and very gothic feeling that keeps you reading, and on the edge of your toes. Some great cameo moments from some high profile names of the time. The language, on occasion did irritate me with "Farfur" and sadly I struggled to get past it.

The Spirit Engineer is a fascinating book. Spiritualism, paranoia, loss and hope are all explored. The characters and premise are engaging throughout. I highly recommend it.

This wonderfully gothic twisty novel reads like a classic. Set during the height of the spiritualist movement, this novel draws on the human need to cling on to what is lost and explores the lengths that the bereaved would go to in the hope of making connections with loved ones. Full of creepy atmosphere, and featuring cameos from Conan Doyle and Houdini, this book is perfect for fans of Laura Purcell. I loved it!

The curtain opens on 1914 Belfast; a world obsessing over spiritualism versus science. William Jackson Crawford is outraged to discover his wife has been attending séances to communicate with her late brother and their recently deceased son. At first he just wants to expose the deception, but he is eventually lured into the fame and fortune of being the celebrity "Spirit Engineer".

Crawford is an arrogant, self-centered, insensitive cad-- not usually the most appealing qualities for a main character. We are swept up, though, as he struggles with supernatural events he can not deny. He hears voices from the grave confronting him with issues that no one else could know. He commissions photographic evidence proving beyond doubt that trickery is not at play. His findings take society by storm... today he would have a show on Bravo.

AJ West has taken the real historical investigations of William Jackson Crawford on the medium Kathleen Goligher and has created a magical world with science poking at superstition and spiritualism. The supporting characters are fascinating-- especially the mysterious housekeeper and assistant, Ruby. The threatening atmosphere had me riveted right up until the mind-boggling conclusion. 5 stars.

Is death the end or is death a beginning?

Thank you to AJ West, Duckworth Books, and NetGalley for providing the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. #SpiritEngineer #NetGalley

Thank you @Netgalley and @duck_books for this ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Two years after the sinking of The Titanic, when the world is on the cusp of war, Professor of Engineering William Jackson Crawford a man of science and sceptic finds himself living in a house he can’t afford with a family who misunderstand him.

When he discovers his wife Elizabeth has gotten herself entangled in the world of séances and shadows, Professor Crawford is tasked to investigate the physical phenomena of Kathleen Goligher and the group around her, known as the Goligher Circle.

Based on the real life story of Crawford and set in Belfast in the early 20th century, this is a spooky, atmospheric read, well crafted and imaginative. Crawford as a protagonist is quite unlikeable, arrogant and full of his own self importance, however the author very cleverly mixes this unpleasant personality with plenty of intelligent wit and a sufficient amount of human suffering so as to make him possible to bear.

The writing is really good, the story plot driven and fairly well paced. It is shaped into IV parts, each one more eerie and sinister than its predecessor, emphasizing the unravelling of the human mind when faced with the unbelievable.

The ending is a mammoth I failed to see coming. Its the type of ending I love and applaud, making me rethink all the little clues I could recall but failed to connect. A great choice for this spooky time of year.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC.
Okay, if you have this book in your hand you're in for a treat. The story takes place in the 1920s , after WWI, when Spiritualism swept the world by storm. It's the story of an engineer who, thanks to his wife, gets involved in seances. At first a sceptic, he soon sees and hears things that make him a believer in the afterlife and communication with the dead. It kept me reading and kept me guessing. Highly recommended!

Information on author’s website on sources much more interesting than the novel

I requested this with great interest from Net Galley, but unfortunately found this neither scary, funny, absorbing nor tragic. Unfortunately, the author’s characters created from real individuals seemed overwritten, trying too hard – and various discrepancies in the writing annoyed me a lot. For example, the story of psychic investigation begins in Belfast, shortly after the sinking of the Titanic, and takes in the start of the First World War. The psychic being investigated, Kathleen Goligher is sometimes addressed by William Jackson Crawford, the Spirit Engineer of the title, as Ms Goligher. Really?? Crawford clearly has undiscovered abilities to channel the future……………….. The Goligher wider family feature in the story. There was a point in the story where one of the children who has been repeatedly referred to by one last name, inexplicably is given another surname (also linked to the family) before later getting his original name back.

I do have certain problems with fictions-based-on-real-events, particularly where some of what is known gets perhaps further ramped up in ways which are perhaps more shocking/salacious/horrifying than the known facts.

But the author’s website is fascinating, especially the conversation between descendants of both families. It also verified something of what I felt about aspects I am describing as salacious. Sometimes the obsessions of the present try to lay themselves upon the past

The Spirit Engineer by A.J.West is a haunting-pardon the pun-novel.

It's based upon real people: William Jackson Crawford, and the medium, Kathleen Goligher, and is set in Belfast 1914, two years after the sinking of the Titanic. Coupled with the war that came too, it was a peak time for spiritualism and seances in an attempt to contact loved ones.

William Crawford is an engineer who becomes embroiled in a local family's seances after his brother-in-law and son die, and his wife is desperate to speak to them.

Aided by investors, William sets up experiments to prove Kathleen, the spirit guide, and her family are frauds. Instead, William starts to believe souls do come back and that's where the danger lies.

I loved this book. It's full of ghosts, twists, secrets, chills, and surprises. No one and nothing is as it seems.

Beautifully written and the progression of William's character and how being the spirit engineer affects him is brilliant.

A novel I won't forget in a hurry.

The perfect book to read leading up to Halloween. Published 7th October.

Ten gazillion sparkling stars for the creepiest, most galvanizing and mind-blowing story I have ever read!
I am so dumbstruck after this, I cannot even form a logical sentence to express my feelings about this.
WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS?
Death is a beginning and this stunning novel has been the death of me. I was idly looking for a cozy book to read in the spooky season under autumn leaves but it turned out to be a strangely unforgettable gem. It hooked me from the first page and did not loosen its grip until the end and do not let me start on that jaw-dropping ending!
Ok, now that I vented off, I have to say I’m irrevocably in love with the author A.J.West and I solemnly swear that I will read anything and everything he writes, period. The story of The Spirit Engineer takes place in 1914 and it takes you to amazing places with significant real-life events of the period including Titanic and World War I. You even get a glimpse of two key figures in the story, which was such a pleasant surprise that I still couldn’t recover from the events of that chapter. The style and narration is so witty and charming that I do not remember when was the last time I laughed and felt chills at the same time. The unexpected twists and turns was too much for me, I stopped guessing the end after a while and just went with the flow.
Our protagonist William Jackson Crawford is a down-to-earth academician and scientist, who is struggling to keep her family afloat. His life takes a strange turn when he discovers his beloved wife is seeing a spiritual guide, who can conjure spirits and William makes it his life’s mission to prove the deceit but he starts to question his own scientific beliefs as unexplainable events take over his life. It’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen next with this unfathomable and brain-blowing novel and I recommend it to everyone, who loves bone-chilling spooky stories. JUST READ THIS BOOK ALREADY!