The Ghost Manuscript
Written by Kris Frieswick
Narrated by Carrington MacDuffie
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
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, she 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 her from finding what she seeks — for reasons both noble and evil. The hunt takes her 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.
Kris Frieswick
Kris Frieswick is an experienced journalist, humorist, teacher, and author whose works have appeared in national magazines, newspapers, and books for the past twenty years. An avid cyclist, cook, and traveler, she enjoys spending time with her husband between their two homes in Massachusetts and the United States Virgin Islands.
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Reviews for The Ghost Manuscript
26 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Ghost Manuscript by Kris FrieswickSource: NetGalley and Post Hill PressRating: 2½/5 stars**MINI-REVIEW**The Bottom Line: By the time I finished this book, a book I truly wanted to LOVE, I found myself somewhat angry and feeling as if I just read a book I have already read many times over by other authors. Make no mistake, I am not suggesting plagiarism or any nefarious issue, just a rehashing of a story line and theme that has already been done. At its core, this is the story of the hunt for King Arthur via clues, hints, history, and sleuthing. There is the requisite bad guy pulling all the strings in the background, the sexy intelligent hunter (Carys), the ultra-rich benefactor, the sexy male companion, and the expected pitfalls and dangers that come along with such searches. As if to reinforce my own feelings about the book, several characters throughout the read openly scoff and note how cliché the search for the legendary King Arthur is at this stage in history. While I was in no way impressed with the plot line, I didn’t dislike everything about this book. In fact, I liked Carys and her best friend, Annie quite a lot and would love to see those two feisty women in a very different story and/or setting. Additionally, there is nothing to complain about in terms of the technical aspects of this read. The author is clearly a competent and capable writer, she just needs a more original story to allow her skills to shine through and not dull her abilities and craft.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Ghost Manuscript by Kris Frieswick is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It had good action, suspense, mystery but then it went side ways. The author decided to kill off not one main character but all of the main characters except the lead. I expected her to go at any time! Quite upsetting last half. Everything the the book lead up to was knocked down! Too bad, it started out so good!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5greed, suspense, supernatural, Wales, murder, family-dynamics, friendship A rare sixth century codex, an American obsessive collector who seems to have gone round the bend, a gifted scholar masquerading as a housekeeper, a true villain and his despicable henchman who call England home. That's pretty much the ancillary cast, because the main characters are the rare book authenticator and the visible presence of the writer of the book; a monk who followed and was at the death of the man who was to be known later as King Arthur. Lots of stress and suspense, bloody murder, incognito travel from Boston to Wales, and a bit of romance are tightly woven into a plot that educates even as it entertains. A riveting read! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Post Hill Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Carys Jones is an expert on medieval manuscripts. She works for an auction house authenticating texts. When the son of one of her biggest clients tells her that his father has been committed to a psychiatric hospital and that he is planning to liquidate the collection, Carys is called in to authenticate the texts and check the catalog. Carys meets the housekeeper who tells her that there is one manuscript not in the catalog. It's a journal of a monk who wrote of his employer who was a battle chief fighting the Anglo-Saxon invasion. That's when Carys learns that her employer is just another Arthur chaser and she loses respect for him. That is, she does until she does until she reads the diary herself and starts having hallucinations where the author Lestinus gives her clues that may lead to the grave of Riothamus Arcturus who would become the legendary King Arthur.But Carys isn't the only one on the track of Arthur and the massive fortune including Excalibur that was buried with him. Her boss George Plourde has his own scam going - blackmailing clients to part with items that will yield him massive commissions. He is also working with an antiquities dealer named Martin Gyles who has his own scam going but has gotten himself in trouble with jihadists and needs the tomb to get himself out of it. Carys is an interesting person who considers herself broken. She has major abandonment issues. Her father left her family when she was seven. Her mother committed suicide when she was fifteen and her father left her with family friends rather than taking her into his new family. Her relationships hit the wall at about three months because of her inability to share anything of herself but her body. The only constants in her life are the manuscripts that are part of her work. As Carys travels to follow the clues Lestinus left, she travels to Wales where she meets a new guy and where she meets her father again. Both are instrumental in finding the tomb which has been emptied but for another journal, some seeds, and a small amount of ancient jewels. And the search continues with bad guys trailing behind. The action was fast and furious. The villains were truly dastardly. The treasure hunt was intriguing. And the book ends on a cliffhanger...
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Many thanks to NetGalley, Post Hill Press and Kris Frieswick for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.An ancient manuscript that hold the secrets to King Arthur’s tomb? A ghost of the monk who fought by King Arthur’s side and laid him to rest, leading you to a secret location? A monk who appears because you are sniffing the ancient manuscript and it contains spores that bring on hallucinations? How about a handsome, sexy man to help you on your quest. Get ready for an rousing read that takes you on the adventure to find the tomb of King Arthur. This story reminded me of a mash-up between The DaVinci Code and an Indiana Jones type story. You have clues from an ancient manuscript, the promise of ancient artifacts, the race to get there while being chased by bad guys while you decipher the clues to find the treasure. There’s lots of globe hopping, suspense and drama with a little romance in the mix. It is highly entertaining with characters who come to life off the page.Carys works for an esteemed auction house and is tasked with cataloguing a client’s library. Many of the items in the library were ones she had sourced out herself. But when the old man himself tells her of this secret manuscript that leads to the tomb of King Arthur, Carys can’t help but get caught up in the solving the mystery. She isn’t the only one on the hunt, someone is trying to kill her. The clues lead her to her home country, Wales, where she enlists the help of a handsome local, Dafyyd. Oh, and get this, she loves to sniff the old manuscript, which gives her a sort of high and she begins to see a dead monk, who speaks to her in old Latin and helps lead her from clue to clue. The journey is exciting, the action drives the story at a fast pace but it is the relationships between the characters that give the story depth and keeps you invested in what happens.I really enjoyed this read. There were so many different elements that could have been overwhelming or too scattered but somehow Frieswick managed to keep it cohesive and make it all work. The characters were well drawn and had interesting back stories that had me rooting for them. The romance fit very well within the storyline and spiced things up just enough. I loved reading about Wales and found the land very captivating. The whodunit part had a nice twist at the end. My only uncomfortable part was when it went back to the States and dealt with Native Americans. You’ll understand what I mean when you get to that part. Overall a good solid read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Man oh man, I was so dubious going into this. I am a History buff and love anything to do with King Arthur and the legend surrounding him. I do love the paranormal but in the right context. I did read some reviews and DNF's so was prepared for the worst...I was blown away by this book and I ended up trying to read slower to make it last longer. Any book lover will know what I mean.Carys Jones is an expert rare book/manuscript authenticator who is reluctantly (at first) drawn into her firms biggest clients obsessive search for the real King Arthur's tomb and the treasure it holds. She is just one step ahead of others who would not hesitate to kill to take what she is searching for. As I said, I was prepared for the worst when I started reading this and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book.I like accurate details and I took a break from time to time to research some things in the book from types of clothing and mold spores to types of flowers. Needless to say, I was impressed by the author's dedication and preparation. Some might be disconcerted by a possible paranormal theme in the book but rest assured that there might just be a logical explanation so don't let that dissuade you from picking up the book. Also, I understand it might be possible for some to be offended as to where the novel leads but at the same time, it is no different than Roanoke theories and the author did not mention a specific tribe. I don't usually give spoilers but I felt it was important here. I was not keen on Carys but then again at the end of the novel, I got a distinct impression that there might be a book two someday (please say there is). Her character was opening up and it seemed like there was a bit of a cliff hanger. I think this is going to be one of those books you either love or hate. I loved it because of the subject matter and the matter of fact details. I am really hoping this is a series that will continue in a book two...
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was an interesting read, and for that reason I stuck with it. I wish the main character had more redeeming qualities, was more likeable. Just a couple of "nits" to pick that should have been caught by an editor: (1) a Ph.D. in computer science does not qualify you as a hacker, or having skills that a hacker would have, and (2) 1,500 years does not equate to "hundreds" of generations.