My mother and aunt did give me some information about the Goligher circle but I don’t think she carried on sittings much after her children were born. In the beginning, the narrative reflects a dry humor which is exacerbated by William’s curmudgeonly attitude. The only thing that West actually makes clear about our protagonist is that he is a selfish and incredibly misogynistic man who does not care about anyone in his life.

The author has created a masterpiece and one which I think will be talked about for a long time to come. Not only was this a great atmospheric read for Halloween, but a fascinating insight into the life of William Jackson Crawford. Terrible agony awaits her, for - as we all know - the punishment for witches, is to be burned alive. William Crawford Jackson’s wife, Elizabeth, is one of those from high society who has a particular interest in this, hoping to get back into contact with her brother who was lost on the Titanic two years before.AJ West has gone and taken one of my favourite subjects, actually two things to read about, and woven a fascinating and gloriously gothic tale. To those in the mainstream, they were shysters and con merchants trading in the misery of the bereaved. This is a question that people have asked me numerous times over the years and so i thought i would think more about the question and ask some local galleries about their experience of what art sells the best. She married and had her own children, her husband setting up a seemingly successful herbalist business before running a cinema in Holywood (Northern Ireland).

I would ask her what really went on between the years 1914-1920, when she was being investigated by William Jackson Crawford, because there’s no doubting that his experiments were the magic ingredient that elevated the Goligher Circle from a local peculiarity to a world-famous phenomenon. William is a sceptic but one night with everyone sat around the circle something happens that places doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Indeed, she didn’t speak at all about her former notoriety, nor her connection to such world-famous names as Houdini and Conan Doyle. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog.Kathleen Goligher continued to hold seances following William Jackson Crawford’s death, though the scepticism around the Goligher Circle was growing, with pamphlets and articles in print, casting derisory doubt around Crawford’s methods, conclusions and motives. I previously sold pieces that were mostly vibrant colourful abstracts and semi-abstract floral themed pieces, these sold well as large scale pieces but less so as small scale pieces. It is easy to imagine why an intelligent, creative young woman might swap endless hours chopping linen into identical shapes for a chance to hold court with her enraptured adult superiors. I didn’t expect William to be so witty, but within the first couple of chapters, I had laughed out loud at some of the one-liners.

Obsession builds until the stunning climax of the final shocking seance and its awful repercussions. The Spirit Engineer is a historical novel based on the true story of engineer William Jackson Crawford and medium Kathleen Goligher. William starts off being a full skeptic of the young medium Kathleen Goligher and her seances and goes to extreme lengths to prove that she is a fraud. I love that this is based on real events and people, especially as I’d not heard of William Jackson Crawford nor of Kathleen Goligher.

Their now-deceased children had very vague memories of some strange goings on upstairs while they were expected to keep a distance. I recommend this book to those who like a historical thriller/mystery with paranormal themes and a chilling atmosphere.