A House of Ghosts, by W.C. Ryan
Reading this novel was a kind of enchantment. I found myself so absorbed I could hardly put the book down to accomplish my daily chores, and when I did, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. The characters and their environment grew vividly real to me, which is surprising, given that the novel takes place during World War I in England—a time and place totally foreign to me.
Wartime spies, ghosts, seances and murder all combine to create an intoxicating reading experience. The story is told via several different points of view, but primarily those of Kate and Donovan, who are sent to an island off the Devon coast on a mysterious mission by “C,” a British intelligence big shot. A winter storm complicates everything and isolates the characters in a creepy old mansion long enough for foul play to occur. As the plot unfolds, you find yourself (along with the characters) questioning the reality of the supernatural events that transpire. Not everything has a rational explanation, and that is part of the novel’s charm.
Kate can see ghosts and has no fear of them; and thus, neither does the reader. Besides that, snippets of the future appear to her in a magic mirror. However, these strange capabilities are described in such a matter-of-fact way, they lose their mystery, which for some readers, like me, can feel like a letdown. This novel is as much spy thriller as ghost story, so if you’re wanting the latter, you may be disappointed.
The hint of romance between Kate and Donovan adds to the reading pleasure. I loved it when, near the end of the novel, Kate asks, “Do you think, Mr. Donovan, that the time has come for first names between us?” And Donovan responds, “As you wish, Miss Cartwright.” Ah, the sweet innocence of that bygone age!