annieb123's Review of The Ghost Manuscript

by Kris Frieswick

Rare book authenticator Carys Jones wanted nothing more than to be left alone to pursue her obsession with ancient manuscripts. But when her biggest client is committed to an asylum, he gives Carys an offer she cannot refuse. In exchange for his entire library of priceless, Dark Age manuscripts, Carys must track the clues hidden in a previously unknown journal, clues that lead to a tomb that could rewrite the history of Western civilization.

But there are people who would do anything to stop Carys from finding what she seeks—for reasons both noble and evil. The hunt takes Carys to places she never thought she’d go, physically and emotionally; first to Wales, her estranged father’s homeland, then to bed with Dafydd, a mysterious Welshman who agrees to help her with the search, and finally, deep inside her own psyche, when the monk who wrote the journal 1,500 years ago appears and assists her in her search.

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Ghost Manuscript is a new thriller/mystery adventure with a somewhat mystical element by Kris Frieswick. Released 2nd April 2019 by Post Hill press, it's 432 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I am a big time bibliophile. I will read pretty much anything that features books or librarians (cats optional). I also love mysteries. This book ticked all the boxes for me, but I still found something lacking. Possibly the addition of an Arthurian legend to the mix was a little too far toward the 'National Treasure'/'Indiana Jones'/'Da Vinci Code'. For readers looking for rollicking yarns along those lines, this could potentially be a winner.

The book is fairly well written, but there were several times I found myself yanked out of the story by 'gotcha' moments that were so over the top unbelievable (and telegraphed beforehand) that it was a while before I re-engaged with the story. For readers who dislike strong language, this book has a fair bit. There are also some mentions of sex.

The ending implies a follow up book. It does have a resolution, but the epilogue clearly indicates that it's not a full stop.

Three and a half stars. Rounded up because there are millions of people who are Dan Brown fans, and this book read (to me) very much in the same vein.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Ghost Manuscript

by Kris Frieswick

Reviewed by annieb123 on Apr 22, 2019

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