The Ghost Club

A Penguin Audiobook Original

By: Kate Winkler Dawson

Narrated by: Kate Winkler Dawson

This audio original from the acclaimed author of American Sherlock, and the host of multiple true-crime podcasts, including Wicked Words, tells the fascinating story of the supernatural, and the club that united some of the world's most illustrious thinkers.

For more than a century, some of the world’s most important thinkers and leaders—men like Arthur Conan Doyle and William Butler Yeats—gathered once a month and discussed the supernatural at The Ghost Club in London. In the early 1900s the club's chairman was Harry Price, the world’s most well-known ghost hunter. He and other members, like Harry Houdini, sought to debunk the charlatans who preyed on vulnerable people with fake seances, tarot readings, and spiritual encounters.

Price went to war with other researchers, as well as fake mediums, like the “witch” Helen Duncan. Price’s dramatic confrontation with Duncan during one of her seances ended with her arrest—she would be the last person in Europe ever tried under the Witch Act.

But Price’s best-known case, and largest experiment, was the year he spent living in the Borley Rectory in southeast England. Price was determined to prove (or disprove) the existence of poltergeists in the famed rectory using gadgets that many looked at with mistrust. Price’s conclusions would solidify both his reputation as the world’s greatest ghost hunter, as well as the Borley Rectory’s designation as the most haunted house in England.

The legends of The Ghost Club and the Borley Rectory still endure one hundred years later, ripe for fresh investigation.

©2023 Kate Winkler Dawson (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Fascinating subject and such a delight!

This was such a delightful book to listen to. I love how you don’t have to a believer of the supernatural (even though I am) to enjoy this audio. Kates open mind and phenomenal research makes this such a great listen that even if you are skeptical, it makes for great conversation starter on the subject. Love love love it!

I kept feeling like there was something more

The author read the book which sometimes works. I didn’t feel like it worked that well in this case.

I learned a few things that’s why I gave it three stars. But I kept thinking that the full and complete story here could be much more interesting. The author goes about as deep as a magazine, article or a blog post. I be forewarned that there’s very little information about the first iteration of the ghost club. I thought there would be more about the Dickens era ghost club, but they either never kept or destroyed the earliest records.

Just a serialized podcast

Disappointingly thin and shallow. Not what I would call a "book" but rather a serialized podcast. The author as narrator merely reinforced this instead of enhancing the material.

Historical story of spiritualists and their stories

I will start by saying I am a fan of Kate Winkler Dawson’s podcasts, 10fold and Buried Bones. Well written and spoken and, more importantly (for me) well researched.
Skeptics and believers. Charlatans and actual mediums. Stories that can’t be believed and those that can.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Ghost Club

I love listening to Kate Winkler-Dawson tell a story. Since I am a spiritualist I found this story to be very interesting.

Thank you for the great story!

What a great telling of the highlights and story of Price and spiritualism. Oh to have lived during this time period!

Enjoyable story

I’m admittedly a fan of Kate Winkler Dawson, but this was a nice, short listen. If you enjoy history and the supernatural, this is for you.

Awesome!

Great Story! Kept me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommend! Kate is amazing!

Fantastic as always!

Kate Winkler Dawson does it again with a lovingly researched and beautifully told story of from history.

Wonderful storytelling!

Kate Winkler Dawson is an expert storyteller and researcher. This is a delightful read and I can’t wait to read more of her writing!