Promotional Information

Set in Australia - a debut novel that explores a family's secrets and mysteries.

About the Author

John Harwood grew up in Hobart and studied literature and philosophy at the universities of Tasmania and Cambridge. He has published biography, political journalism, satire and poetry. He is also the author of The Seance.

Reviews

Atmospheric debut novel
*The Independent*

A compelling, atmospheric and well-crafted story
*Guardian*

An elegant homage to the Victorian ghost story tradition... Makes your flesh creep
*The Times*

Irresistible... Structured like a haunted mansion
*Observer*

Harwood is enviable skilled, handling pacing, delivery and plot with assurance and sly humour... The Ghost Writer has powerful moments and...a delicacy and tenderness that make it wonderfully readable
*Times Literary Supplement*

Harwood's compelling first novel speaks of love, family, and obsession. Since age 14, Australian Gerard Freeman has been corresponding with pen pal Alice Jessel and dreams of one day visiting her in England, in spite of his mother's disapproval. Alice, confined to a wheelchair, refuses to meet or even talk on the phone with Gerard until she can walk again. While snooping in his mother's dresser one day, Gerard finds a ghost story written by his grandmother Viola. Over time, he finds more stories, all eerily reminiscent of his family history but written years before the events actually happened. What is going on? Will he ever find his beloved Alice, or will family tragedies somehow stand in their way? 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. Strongly recommended for all but the smallest public libraries.-Laurel Bliss, Princeton Univ. Lib., NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Atmospheric debut novel -- Emma Hagestadt * The Independent *
A compelling, atmospheric and well-crafted story * Guardian *
An elegant homage to the Victorian ghost story tradition... Makes your flesh creep * The Times *
Irresistible... Structured like a haunted mansion * Observer *
Harwood is enviable skilled, handling pacing, delivery and plot with assurance and sly humour... The Ghost Writer has powerful moments and...a delicacy and tenderness that make it wonderfully readable * Times Literary Supplement *