I always enjoy reading a Barbara Erskine novel. This focuses on one of the authors ancestors but the majority of the story is fictional and she includes an afterword to clarify fact and fiction. 4 stars ( )

My review in a nutshell: FAR TOO LONG. Even with the real life history of the author's great (x5) grandfather within a tedious author-insert framing narrative set in the present, the plot doesn't really get anywhere and there was no need for the novel to run to nearly 600 pages.

Ruth Dunbar, a descendent of Thomas Erskine, Lord High Chancellor during the Regency era, returns to her late father's house in Edinburgh to find a creepy lodger laying claim to the property. While her solicitor disputes the lodger's fake will, Ruth discovers an archive of family papers and journals belonging to her mother and sets about researching the life of her illustrious ancestor. After a drunken seance with a friend, Ruth discovers that she has inherited the family 'gift' of talking to the dead and hears from Thomas himself about his childhood, marriages, children and famous career as a lawyer, politician and orator. But Thomas isn't the only spirit interested in Ruth, and between the ghosts of the past and the very real threat of her father's lodger in the present, her life is in suddenly in danger.

I get that Ruth is the author in fictional form, with her head buried in family history research, but her damsel in distress routine is both tedious and depressing. She spends the whole novel running from men or hiding behind them (in their luxurious houses, of course). Timothy Bradford, the conman lodger from hell, spooks her out of her father's town house and into the converted mill of an old friend of her ex-husband's. When Finlay leaves town and Timothy tracks Ruth down to the riverside bolthole, she moves in with a famous historian turned spiritualist who has taken an interest in her case. When Max the writer, who has fallen in love with Ruth, also has to leave town, she moves in with his agent! And if it's not Timothy stalking Ruth in real time, it's the malevolent spirit of Thomas' nemesis, Andrew Farquhar (I had to Google the pronunciation of his name, although my Yorkshire version is probably closer to the mark!), and sometimes both at the same time. I could not understand why so many men, living and dead, were so captivated with such a wet dishrag of a woman!

I wanted to read the story for the supernatural element, but even the spooks are ridiculous - Farquhar is straight out of Dickens, a bully who develops a grudge against Thomas from a young age and blames his own misfortunes on the other's successful life. When the evil ghoul started possessing people in both Thomas and Ruth's timelines, suggesting that none of the weaker characters were really responsible for their choices, I was already tired of the sad little Bill Sikes wannabe.

Buried beneath Ruth's snivelling and Faquhar's grudgematch is the actually quite interesting history of Thomas Erskine, which I would have preferred to read as a straight biography, especially written by his great (x5) granddaughter! Sadly, the author must have thought that Thomas' life was not gripping enough and had to throw in ghosts, spiritualists, conmen, rapists and even a romance for the flattest Mary Sue in fiction (alternate title: Everybody Loves Ruth!) ( )

A wonderful story, very well written. I have given it full marks and will be searching out more books by this author. I could not put it down being very interested in family history and she certainly had a good story to tell. Recommended! ( )

I Have to admit though I usually love this author's work this really wasn't my favourite of her books.
I did finish The Ghost Tree though it took me much longer than a book from this author usually does to complete.
I still think this was a somewhat solid read just not quite up to what I've come to expect.
This is definitely in her usual style but in this story, Erskine has delved into her own family tree for her inspiration and maybe there lies some of the problem.
I just wasn't as invested in the overall story unfolding here as I usually am maybe because it failed initially to grab and retain my attention.
I also found this overly long and I did find my attention wavering throughout.
Skipping back and forth this tale is told cleverly managing to weave a story steeped in history, suspense and ghosts that feel they have an axe to grind from past through to present.
There were two distinct narratives being told here and I think I was slightly more in tune with what had gone against what was to come.
But all strands do eventually convene at a single point in time.
I became more invested here the further I read but I also felt this ended rather abruptly and things were not explained fully to my complete satisfaction.
So this was very much up and down for me some things appealed to me more than others.
I failed to establish a good connection here and that did affect my overall experience
I will still be reading this author's next book as she is one that has become an auto-buy for me over the years: But this one just wasn't really my complete bag and I did struggle slightly.
This was as usual excellently written and that I cannot fault it on.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of The Ghost Tree
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

I Have to admit though I usually love this author's work this really wasn't my favourite of her books.
I did finish The Ghost Tree though it took me much longer than a book from this author usually does to complete.
I still think this was a somewhat solid read just not quite up to what I've come to expect.
This is definitely in her usual style but in this story, Erskine has delved into her own family tree for her inspiration and maybe there lies some of the problem.
I just wasn't as invested in the overall story unfolding here as I usually am maybe because it failed initially to grab and retain my attention.
I also found this overly long and I did find my attention wavering throughout.
Skipping back and forth this tale is told cleverly managing to weave a story steeped in history, suspense and ghosts that feel they have an axe to grind from past through to present.
There were two distinct narratives being told here and I think I was slightly more in tune with what had gone against what was to come.
But all strands do eventually convene at a single point in time.
I became more invested here the further I read but I also felt this ended rather abruptly and things were not explained fully to my complete satisfaction.
So this was very much up and down for me some things appealed to me more than others.
I failed to establish a good connection here and that did affect my overall experience
I will still be reading this author's next book as she is one that has become an auto-buy for me over the years: But this one just wasn't really my complete bag and I did struggle slightly.
This was as usual excellently written and that I cannot fault it on.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of The Ghost Tree
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )