THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS

Written by Andrew Taylor

Review written by Sue Lord


THE ANATOMY OF GHOSTS
Penguin
RRP: £7.99
Released: 3rd March 2011
PB
Andrew Taylor is far the best crime writer around (Far better than any Booker prize winner that I have ever read.) Why does his publisher not put him forward? In his latest novel, The Anatomy of Ghosts, we are taken back to Cambridge 1786, into Jerusalem College. The research is extensive, but with Mr Taylor there is none of the ‘data dump’ oh so prevalent among so-called historical writers nowadays. 

From Frank Holdsworth, the main protagonist, to Tom Turdman, who empties the night soil man who empties the student’s privies, to Elinor Carbury married to the Master of the College. The characters are drawn with a light touch and they are, for the most part, unpleasant but this makes them all the more human, and as a consequence believable. 

We see hear and smell Cambridge and Jerusalem college in 1786. This is a place where the advantaged treat their servants and the scholars atrociously. The tutors seem to be more interested in the politics of the college, eating and self interest rather than with teaching and will resort to all kinds of dishonest practises to get their own way. Amidst the machinations of the fellows at Jerusalem College there are two deaths and ghosts, real or imagined? There is a secret society called the Holy Ghost Club, which in reality is mostly a drinking club with a vicious initiation ritual, the club is run by the corrupt Mr Whichcote. The ‘ghost’ is that of Sylvia Whichcote who drowned in the college pond. 

This novel is so subtle that I do not want to give any of the plot away. John Holdsworth’s son drowned, his wife turned to a dubious medium. She then drowned herself at the same spot as her son in the Thames. In consequence he wrote a pamphlet entitled The Anatomy of Ghosts, an account of why ghosts are delusions.  He is employed by Lady Anne Oldershaw to bring her son home. Frank is in an asylum after having a breakdown of some kind following a meeting of the Holy Ghost Club and seeing the ghost of Sylvia Whichcote. Holdsworth interviews the residents of the college and those in the town who have connections with the university. Part of the novel is from Holdsworth’s viewpoint, written in third person. Cleverly we are given insights though the other characters and Holdsworth must ‘catch up’ with us.  All this adds up to a real page-turner.
abortion pills ordering abortion pills to be shipped to house abortion pill buy online
online why do wife cheat what to do when husband cheats
website beautiful women cheat women who cheat on husbands
aids picture early symptoms of hiv in men hiv symptoms in men pictures
my husband cheated again cheated on my husband guilt my husband cheats
i want an affair click my wife cheated on me with my father
why do wife cheat on husband site unfaithful husbands
why do men have affairs affair dating sites cheaters
wife adult stories adult porn written stories with animals adult stories choose your own adventure
walgreens photo deals best free pharmacy discount card coupon code for walgreens photo
cheat read infidelity signs
propranolol 40mg diprolene tube diflucan 200mg
the unfaithful husband reasons why married men cheat married men that cheat
walgreens photo deals walgreens coupon prints walgreens photo codes
free drug coupons tracyawheeler.com rx discounts
internet drug coupons drug prescription card coupons for viagra
free discount prescription card viagra coupon drug coupons
wifes who cheat storyofcheating.com looking for affair
coupons for prescription medications click pfizer viagra coupon
sumatriptan migraine headache sumatriptan migraine headache sumatriptan migraine headache
coupons prescriptions discount drug coupon free printable cialis coupons
losartan jubilant losartan jubilant losartankalium bivirkninger
pill for abortion abortion pills costs of abortion
aborted babies allianceproductions.com elective abortion
abortion pill stories the abortion pill anti abortion facts
prescription discount coupons printable coupons for cialis prescriptions coupons
manual vacuum abortion pregnancy termination at 20 weeks diagnostic dilation and curettage
stemetil im stemetil im dose stemetil side effects restlessness
amoxicillin antibiyotik fiyat albayraq-uae.com amoxicillin antibiyotik fiyat
abortion price abortions cost abortion pill price
addiyan chuk chuk thebaileynews.com addyi menopause
coupon prescription free cialis samples coupon discount prescription coupons
electric vacuum aspiration dilation and curettage video where can i have an abortion
how does abortion pill work price of an abortion pill how much is an abortion pill
viagra torta viagra pret viagra helyett
amoxicillin 1000 mg amoxicillin amoxicillin antibiyotik fiyat
prescription drug cards cialis discount coupons online free prescription cards discount
what is an abortion clinic rftrack.net where to do abortion
whats ldn centaurico.com low dose ldn
withdrawal from naltrexone click naltrexone pharmacy
low dose naltrexone allergies charamin.jp naltrexone 50 mg tablet


Home
Book Reviews
Features
Interviews
News
Columns
Authors
Blog
About Us
Contact Us

Privacy Policy | Contact Shots Editor

THIS WEBSITE IS © SHOTS COLLECTIVE. NOT TO BE REPRODUCED ELECTRONICALLY EITHER WHOLLY OR IN PART WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE EDITOR.