Tom Ossington's Ghost Review

An intriguing mystery that warrants a once through, although not worth a double take. The original story was published in 1898 by Richard Bernard Heldmann under the name "Richard Marsh." This book is available for free as an e-book from Amazon, which is why I downloaded it.

The first few chapters really spark your interest by introducing several characters in peculiar circumstances. We meet Graham a musical genius that uses the ploy of needing to take piano lessons to gain access to Clover Cottage in London, England. Also enters Lily, known as "The Ghost's Wife," and you cannot tell if she's mad or whether her memories are so vivid that she portrays them in such a way as if they seem to make the house come alive. Heldmann gives exquisite detail of Lily's clothing each time she is brought up throughout the book. It's quite beautiful, although he describes her clothing as gaudy and in serious disrepair.

Madge the protagonist is continually portrayed as a strong female lead. This is surprising for the times, considering women were still playing passive roles in society and were not granted the right to vote until 1920. Madge has a keen sense, is clever at deduction, and extremely witty.

As the book goes on your interest may start to wane, like mine did, with exception for a few scenes, especially as they start looking for the "lost fortune" of Tom Ossington. I can definitely appreciate the riddle that was presented for finding the treasure.

The book rattles on with burglaries, lock outs, and death. The story is pretty predictable and the ending is not surprising. The book of course has turn of the century language and I had to look up the vocabulary on several occasions, which I found fascinating. If you do not have an interest in that sort of thing I would highly recommend you not wasting your time on downloading or attempting to read.

You can purchase a first edition for $450 at L.W. Currey, Inc.

You can read other reviews at Amazon.com.

Here is a list of words that I looked up while reading.  You may find it helpful. All of these words were found by using dictionary.com.

Abnegation-the act of relinquishing or giving up a right, possession, etc.

Actuate-to incite or move to action; impel; motivate

Aperture-an opening, as a hole, slit, crack, gap, etc.

Barrister-a lawyer who is a member of one of the Inns of Court and who has the privilege of pleading in higher courts

Blunderbuss-an insensitive, blundering person

Cabalistic-mystic; occult

Carrion-dead and putrefying flesh

Certitude-freedom from doubt

Cogitate-to think deeply about; ponder

Contrition-sincere penitence or remorse

Corporeal-of the nature of the physical body

Daw-simpleton; fool

Deuce-devil;dickens

Dole-a portion or allotment of money, food, etc.

Edgeways-sideways

Efface-to wipe out; do away with; expunge

Elucidation-to make lucid or clear

Evincing-to show clearly; make evident or manifest; prove

Farrago-a confused mixture; Hodge podge

Finical-finicky

Foolscap-a type of inexpensive writing paper, especially legal-sized, lined, yellow sheets, bound in tablet form

Hermetically-so as to be airtight

Ignominiously-discreditable; humiliating

Ignominy-disgrace; dishonor; public contempt

Imprecation-cursing

Ineffable-incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible

Interpolation-something interpolated, as a passage into a text

Intestate-not having made a will

Inveigle-to entice, lure,or ensnare by flattery or artful talks or inducements

Invidious-offensively or unfairly discriminating; injurious

Isinglass-mica, especially in thin, translucent sheets

Larder-pantry

Mastication-chew

Oracular-suggesting an oracle

Paroxysm-any sudden, violent outburst

Pathos-the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature etc., of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion

Peppercorn-anything small or insignificant
Portentous-ominously significant 

Presaged-a forecast or prediction

Privation-the lack of usual comforts or necessaries of life

Purlieus-a persons haunt or rest

Quittance-discharge from debt or obligation

Recondite-requiring special knowledge to be understood

Retailed-to relate or repeat in detail

Salient-prominent or conspicuous 

Sanguinary-ready or eager to shed blood; bloodthirsty

Shunting-to shift (rolling stock) from one to another; switch

Succour-help; relief; aid; assistance 

Timorous-subject to fear; timid

Vouchsafed-to grant or give, as by favor, graciousness, or condescension 

Wainscot-wood, especially oak and usually in the form of panelling, for lining interior walls

Whilom-former

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