Ghostwalk

Starred review from February 26, 2007
British historian Stott makes a stunning debut with this hypnotic and intelligent thriller, the first fiction release of a new Random House imprint. The mysterious drowning death of Elizabeth Vogelsang, a Cambridge University scholar who was almost finished writing a controversial biography of Isaac Newton, leads her son, Cameron Brown, to recruit Lydia Brooke, his former lover, to complete the book. That request plunges Brooke into probing two ostensibly separate series of murders: one in the 17th century claimed the lives of several who stood between Newton and the fellowship he needed to continue his studies at Cambridge; the other in the present day appears to target those who have offended a radical animal rights group. Brooke's work may be haunted by a ghost from Newton's time who guides her to a radical reinterpretation of the role of alchemy and the supernatural in Newton's life. Much more than a clever whodunit, this taut, atmospheric novel with its twisty interconnections between past and present will leave readers hoping Stott has many more stories in her future.

April 1, 2007
Isaac Newton joins Dracula and Leonardo da Vinci as the latest historical figure to show up in an academic thriller, but will it approach the popularity of Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" or Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code"? In this debut novel from British historian Stott ("Darwin and the Barnacle"), screenwriter Lydia Brooke is hired by her ex-lover, Cameron Brown, to ghostwrite his recently murdered mother's biography of Isaac Newton. Lydia then becomes entangled in a mystery whose threads connect present-day animal-rights activists and the ghosts of 17th-century alchemists. Lydia herself is something of a cipher, but the minor characters are quirky and engaging. Stott clearly did a lot of research on subjects as far-ranging as optics, neuroscience, glassblowing, sleepwalking, mediums, animal testing, and the workings of outdoor markets both today and 300 years ago. Unfortunately, all this information, plus loving descriptions of everything from mushrooms to text-messaging, tends to obscure the plot until it's unclear who did what to whom and why. Still, the subject matter and excellent cover art will attract readers. Recommended for libraries where this genre is popular. [This is one of the first titles to be published by Random House's new Spiegel & Grau division.Ed.]Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.

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