Ghostwalk

By: Rebecca Stott

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

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 17th 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 17th century slowly seeps into the 21st, 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 17th century, and figures from the past with the love-torn 21st 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.

©2007 Rebecca Stott (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"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." (Publishers Weekly)

“Mesmerizing...Ghostwalk has an all-too-rare scholarly authority and imaginative sparkle...Rebecca Stott has accomplished something distinctively fresh with what she calls ‘a grubby little set of murders in Cambridge.’ Along the way, she manages to invoke both the non-causal entanglements of quantum physics and the paranoid conspiracies of Pynchon and DeLillo. Her home terrain, however is the river-riven landscape of the human heart.” (New York Times Book Review)

“Fiercely intelligent...You won’t have time to reflect on Stott’s metaphysics, at least not on the first read - you’ll be too eager to solve the murders. Ghostwalk works beautifully on both levels, leaving a lingering impression of a world richer, and more precarious, than we imagine.” (Janice P. Nimura, Los Angeles Times)

don't waste your time.

could not finish so ridiculous! What a waste of money. the only thing I liked about it is The narrator's Voice.

Overall too long and dull as dishwater.

What disappointed you about Ghostwalk?

Never new where she was leading. Her love interest was an ass and she should have know that. Stupid ending.

What was most disappointing about Rebecca Stott’s story?

Too much dull talking and teasing that lead to nothing.

How could the performance have been better?

The performance could have been better if she had other parts to read.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Ghostwalk?

All of them.

Any additional comments?

Don't bother with this one.

Terrific

This skillful historical novel vividly portrays 17th century Cambridge: Stourbridge fair, Venetian glass, drafty university life, the plague, alchemy, and the young Isaac Newton. The 20th century love and detective story that frames the earlier history also works well. The characters from both periods are engrossing. Even the spooky goings on in the contemporary story are plausible enough in the novel's context. A pleasure to listen to.

Have Insomnia? This will cure you!

I thought I was going to enjoy this book. The only time I didn't doze off while listening to this book was when I was driving. This book starts out very slow and then it drags on and on and on. It is so excessively descriptive that I got lost and couldn't really "picture" the basic characters, town, houses, rooms, etc. That's important to me when I'm reading or listening to a book. I finally gave up on it - something I've never done before! That's how bad it was.

Take a nap instead

It started out sappy and wistful, then continued in a downward spiral through to the anti climatic end. It wasn't just the long drawn out descriptions, that sometimes stated "It was as though..." then finished the thought with "...but it really wasn't so". The narration was perfectly awful. I finished the listen only to see if there were any redeeming qualities, "but alas it wasn't so". So I'm warning anyone; if you have a choice between this book and a nap...take the nap. It'll be much more refreshing.

Not really spooky, but definitely mysterious

Where does Ghostwalk rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is probably in the top five books that I've listened to. At first I thought I wasn't going to like the story because it seemed as though it was going to be more about relationships than ghosts, but that lasted for about five minutes before I got sucked into the story. I think the narrator does a great job and I really felt like she was the author speaking, not just someone doing an interpretation.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was well told and not predictable.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't remember, but I really enjoyed the scenes at the cottage and how the light played across the ceiling as though thrown by an invisible prism. The description was eerie and beautiful and mysterious

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, only because I can't sit still that long! I listen to books while commuting, but there were a couple of times I sat in my car a few minutes after getting home to finish up a scene

Any additional comments?

I'm a student of history so this appealed to me on several levels -- not the least because I was also writing a research paper on Newton at the same time. I enjoyed the fictional aspects of the story, but I listened closely for historical details, too ... and they're there. Check out the author's website if you are interested in Newton's history.

Quality Read.

Reading this book was like being led on a tour of fine literature, or sipping the finest wines, or exploring the halls of the colleges at Cambridge. Rich with imagery and history and poetry and literature, it was a peaceful experience. I would say, it is one to focus on, as every sentence carries value. The unveiling of the plot elements can seem to drag, with too few bits being brought forth at times, but I found this worth it as the story winds to its climax - these slower parts hypnotized me and pulled me further into the world(s) the plot is centered in, so that I was fully prepared to accept the story in the shape it revealed itself. NOT an action story!
Beautifully read by the narrator, great historical information!
I'll carry this one with me for a while.

Possibly the best story of the " unseen world" eve

The author is a superb writer: no worries here about poor editing, glaring grammatical errors , (which lower the stock of any modern book.)

The complexity of our poorly understood physical world is echoed in the Newtonian theories presented here. Stott brings the Cambridge of centuries ago alive - the malevolence of Newton runs like a prismatic gleam through the narration. I could feel the Cambridge of long ago - it's ambience - through her words - the themes of light,
glass, water, refraction, alchemy, the unseen world , all brilliantly intermingled. And it did what a fabulous ghost story should- scared the stuffing out of me!

Only complaint- the two conspiracies which mirror each other dragged a bit, but I'm not much of a conspiracy fan.

Rebecca Stott should be celebrated!

Not really spooky, but definitely mysterious

Where does Ghostwalk rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

This is probably in the top five books that I've listened to. At first I thought I wasn't going to like the story because it seemed as though it was going to be more about relationships than ghosts, but that lasted for about five minutes before I got sucked into the story. I think the narrator does a great job and I really felt like she was the author speaking, not just someone doing an interpretation.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was well told and not predictable.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't remember, but I really enjoyed the scenes at the cottage and how the light played across the ceiling as though thrown by an invisible prism. The description was eerie and beautiful and mysterious

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, only because I can't sit still that long! I listen to books while commuting, but there were a couple of times I sat in my car a few minutes after getting home to finish up a scene

Any additional comments?

I'm a student of history so this appealed to me on several levels -- not the least because I was also writing a research paper on Newton at the same time. I enjoyed the fictional aspects of the story, but I listened closely for historical details, too ... and they're there. Check out the author's website if you are interested in Newton's history.

Disappointed

Based on the description and subject matter, I had high hopes for this book. Is it historical mystery, modern romance, or supernatural thriller? It suggests all, but never satisfies any of these genres. Unfortunately, by using the past tense throughout, the author fails to build and maintain any suspense for the romance, the mystery, or the thriller. The "historical" context of the story is given short shrift and is presented fairly academically. Much of the story focuses on the relationship between the narrator and her former lover, but it is hard to care what happens to them because we always know the relationship is not going anywhere. All of the important facts necessary to solve the "mystery" tumble out in the last few chapters. So, skip the middle. Aw heck, skip the whole thing.