Synopses & Reviews
"Mr. Taylor is a sophisticated writer . . . with a high degree of literary expertise."
--New York Times Book Review
1786, Jerusalem College, Cambridge
Desperate to salvage the reputation of her son, Frank, who has been locked away after seeing the ghost of a deceased woman at Jerusalem College, Lady Anne Oldershaw employs John Holdsworth to investigate. When Holdsworth, the author of a stinging argument on why ghosts are mere delusions, finds himself haunted, he becomes more determined than ever to find the deceased woman's murderer. No one will leave Jerusalem unchanged.
"Taylor's latest delivers an original historical mystery that uses the language and attitude of the period in a fresh way . . . a successful piece of compelling suspense literature and sophisticated historical crime fiction."
--Library Journal
"Those made of sterner stuff will relish Taylor's dark and gripping tale."
--Washington Post
"With Taylor you are in the hands of a consummate storyteller: He's a recipient of a Cartier Diamond Dagger award for good reason."
--LATimes.com
Synopsis
1786, Jerusalem College, Cambridge
The ghost of Sylvia Whichcote is rumored to be haunting Jerusalem ever since student Frank Oldershaw claimed to have seen the dead woman prowling the grounds and was locked up because of his violent reaction to these disturbed visions.
Desperate to salvage her son's reputation, Lady Anne Oldershaw employs John Holdsworth, author of The Anatomy of Ghosts -- a stinging account of why ghosts are mere delusion--to investigate. But his arrival in Cambridge disrupts an uneasy status quo as he glimpses a world of privilege and abuse, where the sinister Holy Ghost Club governs life at Jerusalem more effectively than the Master, Dr. Carbury, ever could.
And when Holdsworth finds himself haunted--not only by the ghost of his dead wife, Maria, but also by Elinor, the very-much-alive Master's wife--his fate is sealed. He must find Sylvia's murderer, or else the hauntings will continue. And not one of this troubled group will leave the claustrophobic confines of Jerusalem unchanged.
CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger winner Andrew Taylor returns with an outstanding historical novel that will simultaneously keep the reader riveted, and enchant with its effortless elegance.
About the Author
Andrew Taylor is the author of many crime and suspense novels. The recipient of the Crime Writers' Association 2009 Cartier Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence in crime writing, Taylor has also won the CWA's John Creasey Award, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, an Audie, and two CWA's Ellis Peters Historical Daggers (a unique achievement). His website is
www.andrew-taylor.co.uk.