A librarian seeks to unravel the mysteries behind his pen pal and a story that hints at a sinister secret in his family's past. But the closer he comes to solving these mysteries, the closer he may be coming to an untimely death.
Critic Reviews
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Outstanding
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Kirkus Reviews
A wonderful debut, evoking a century's worth of family history, by a multitalented and artistically ambidextrous newcomer.
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Favorable
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Library Journal Laurel Bliss
Harwood's well-drawn characters and Gothic plot propel the reader toward the novel's denouement. Including the text of Viola's stories adds to the surreal drama, as they serve as untrustworthy flashbacks and help blur the line between fantasy and reality. [July 2004, p. 70]
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Favorable
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Publishers Weekly
The novel links textual investigation and sublimated passion, building to a satisfying, unexpected ending.
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Favorable
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Booklist Misha Stone
The ghost stories at the heart of this book are lyrical, labyrinthine tales that feel simultaneously fresh and familiar, making this an atmospheric paranormal thriller with many surprises.
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Favorable
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Boston Globe Hallie Ephron
Present, past, and ghost story fuse into a single terrifying truth in this richly evocative, satisfying novel.
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Favorable
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Entertainment Weekly Jennifer Reese
With The Ghost Writer, his intricate and engrossing first novel, John Harwood raises the ghost of the Victorian ghost story, goosing the action with a modern spin.
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Favorable
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Village Voice Phyllis Fong
Harwood's debut novel, a ghost story in the Victorian tradition, has more words than you want before its payoff--a mark of the species, and good news if you're keen on the Jamesian mode of suppression.
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Mixed
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The Onion A.V. Club Noel Murray
The Ghost Writer can be called, in all seriousness, a haunted book.
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Unfavorable
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Chicago Tribune Nathaniel Bellows
By the dramatic, implausible finale... Gerard's attempts to understand his mother's history and to finally meet Alice are successful, even if, like the ghosts in the stories, the results don't feel fully formed. [8 August 2004, C7]
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