Finalist for the NBA Irish Book Awards Crime Fiction Book of the Year
"I don’t say this lightly: A House of Ghosts is one of the best books I’ve read this year. . . . A House of Ghosts is a throwback in the best of ways. Ryan uses tropes and framework made classic by the likes of Christie and Sayers to crafta cunning, many-tiered story that, paradoxically, feels both fresh and familiar. This is a ghostly big house mystery that’s cozy and invigorating."—Criminal Element
"This unconventional historical mystery combines spies, ghosts, and wartime in a riveting Agatha Christie–type story that tells of the tragedy of a lost generation. . . . Seems designed for fans of Charles Todd’s 'Ian Rutledge' books."—Library Journal, starred review
"A ripping yarn . . . Agatha Christie fans will have fun."—Publishers Weekly
"Ryan pulls out all the stops. . . . There'll be séances, unmaskings, things that go bump in the night, voices from beyond the grave, and revelations of several different characters' unsuspectedly dark connections to the Great War. Throughout the alarums and excursions, the low-maintenance heroine maintains a composure that should serve her well in the promised series."—Kirkus Reviews
"A promising mix of supernatural and historical thriller."—Booklist
“A genre-blending fusion of old-school ‘big house’ mystery, romantic suspense, and spine-tingler. There’s plenty of conventionally spooky fun to be had—secret passages, apparitions and the like—but what gives this book real atmosphere isn’t so much the jump scares as the well-rendered pathos of a country struggling to come to terms with the loss of a generation.”—Guardian
“A delightfully old-school Agatha Christie-style mystery with a supernatural element . . . Wonderfully written and a jolly good read.”—Sunday Independent
“An enjoyable ghostly whodunnit.”—The Times
“An intelligent, absorbing, exquisitely spooky mystery.”—Irish Times
“An atmospheric, hugely entertaining mystery that offers all the pleasures of a classic ghost story - with an appealing dash of romance. William Ryan is a wonderful storyteller and A House of Ghosts will keep you up reading (and shivering) deep into the night.”—Antonia Hodgson, winner of the CWA Historical Dagger Award
“A thoroughly enjoyable novel that seemed to combine all my favourite things—history, crime, entertainingly spiky romance and an eerily evocative setting. An absolute treat.”—Elly Griffiths, winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award
“A splendid tale of wartime skulduggery, featuring both kinds of spooks—perfect fireside reading.” —Mick Herron, winner of the CWA Gold Dagger Award
“If you are feeling brave, A House of Ghosts is one to read by candlelight with a large gin and tonic on standby. Almost unbearably creepy and beautifully written, the claustrophobic atmosphere will have you running into open fields as soon as dawn breaks. Bravo!”—Liz Nugent, author of Lying in Wait
“W. C. Ryan makes the familiar World War I country-house setting feel immediate, with a tough but principled hero and a rogue's gallery of villains of all classes and kinds. Hugely enjoyable, A House of Ghosts has the bones of a taut thriller wrapped up in the gorgeous romance of its ghostly island setting.”—Jane Casey, winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award
“A truly creepy and ingenious ghost story and murder mystery with an irresistible setting. From the first page you know you are in the hands of an excellent writer.”—Ragnar Jonasson, author of the Dark Iceland Series
“Taut and poetic pose, engaging protagonists, a page-turning plot and an evocative setting—making for another atmospheric and thrilling read . . . A spooky romantic read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, crime, ghost and spy novels alike.”—The Lady
“Spooks, spies, seances, things that go bump in the night - A House of Ghosts has it all. A tremendously enjoyable, ingeniously-plotted take on the haunted house mystery. Best read before dark!”— Tammy Cohen, author of Dying for Christmas
“Shiver inducing beautifully written and immersive story—think Agatha Christie meets M. R. James but done in Mr. Ryan's own indomitable style.”—Liz Loves Books
“An elegantly constructed take on a historical spy novel, one that has just the right touch of the gothic.”—Shots Mag
“A new twist to an old tale ... I hope that we will get to see what happens in their next adventure—the ending left some room for a sequel, which I would very happily read!”—A Storm of Pages
“A stunning novel, a thoroughly absorbing read that combines a chilling ghost story . . . As the evenings draw in, A House of Ghosts is the perfect read. It's so easy to lose yourself in it. It's beautifully written . . . impossible to put down.”—For Winter Nights
“A captivating read . . . classic crime that lovers of Christie will lap up.”—My Weekly
“A multi-layered, gothic masterpiece . . . entertaining, thought-provoking and utterly captivating.”—Lancashire Evening Post
“A classic murder mystery set in a haunted house—this stylish tale will be a perfect read for this winter.”—Sunday People
“Beautifully written and ingenious period piece combines history, crime and an entertainingly spiky romance, all in an eerily evocative setting. Spooks, spies, seances, things that go bump in the night—Ryan has it all in this tremendously enjoyable take on the haunted house mystery.”—Crime Review
“A gripping mystery with a classic feel.”—Crime Readers' Association
08/05/2019
During the winter of 1917, at the height of WWI, various people with hidden agendas travel at the invitation of munitions tycoon Lord Highmount to Blackwater, an island off the English coast, in this lively traditional mystery from Irish author Ryan (The Holy Thief). At Blackwater Abbey, Lady Highmount hosts a séance that she hopes will allow her to speak with her two soldier sons who perished on the western front. The Highmounts’ guests include a man who calls himself Capt. Robert Donovan, spunky socialite Kate Cartwright, Kate’s parents, Kate’s slimy ex-fiancé, Count Orlov (a medium), Madam Feda (another medium), and a shell-shocked soldier, whose doctor insists that he hovers on the border of the spirit world. Also present are the spirits of the dead that Kate, a natural though unwilling medium, sees swarming throughout the house. Heightening the suspense is a mysterious stranger, who lurks in the secret passages that honeycomb the house. After a storm isolates the place and violence breaks out, a ripping yarn ensues. The tale exudes a whiff of fusty melodrama in places, but this is a quibble. Agatha Christie fans will have fun. (Oct.)
2019-07-15
Ryan, best known as William Ryan for his three historical novels about Moscow police captain Alexei Korolev (The Twelfth Department, 2013, etc.), goes back even further in time for some homefront intrigue in 1917 England.
The ostensible reason the Secret Intelligence Service sends Capt. Robert Donovan (not his real name) down to Blackwater Island, off the Devon coast, is to protect Lord Francis Highmount and his Austrian-born wife, Lady Elizabeth Highmount, during what looks like a fraught weekend party. The SIS doesn't bother to give a reason why Donovan should be joined by Naval Intelligence codebreaker Kate Cartwright. The guests providing cover for Kate, who'd already turned down an invitation to the gathering, include her titled parents and Capt. Rolleston Miller-White, a plausible scoundrel to whom she was once engaged. The most important skill Kate brings to the party is one she's kept secret: She can see spirits. That makes her an ideal person to test the claims of Madame Feda and Count Orlov, a pair of mediums taken up by Lady Elizabeth, who hopes to get into contact with the sons who haven't returned from the war. Algernon Highmount is missing, presumed dead; there's no doubt at all that his brother Reginald, Kate's late fiance, was killed. Once the island is duly isolated from the mainland by bad weather and deliberate sabotage, Ryan pulls out all the stops. Blackwater Abbey, "built on a graveyard," features bloodstained staircases, secret passages, and all the nooks and crannies needed to keep the dozen guests and residents from providing solid alibis to each other when one of them is murdered. There'll be séances, unmaskings, things that go bump in the night, voices from beyond the grave, and revelations of several different characters' unsuspectedly dark connections to the Great War.
Throughout the alarums and excursions, the low-maintenance heroine maintains a composure that should serve her well in the promised series.
