The Ghost Club

Dawson (journalism, Univ. of Texas, Austin; American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI), the host of multiple true-crime podcasts, including Wicked Words, narrates this audio original, a fascinating glimpse into ghost hunting, seances, and the paranormal in Victorian London. The early 1900s saw a massive boom in popularity for mediums and tarot card readers, prompted by grieving family members who hoped to connect with lost loved ones. The boom ultimately exposed this vulnerable segment of society to a host of charlatans eager to prey on any unsuspecting mark who was desperate enough to pay. Harry Price, a renowned investigator of the occult, chaired the famous Ghost Club, which sought to investigate mysticism with scientific tools and methods. The club, where men such as Charles Dickens and William Butler Yeats gathered to discuss the paranormal in an attempt to debunk fraudulent mediums, turned into a phenomenon. Dawson brings the history of the Ghost Club alive, interweaving facts and stories into an engaging whole. Her passion for the material and excitement about unexplained mysteries brings anticipation and suspense to the audiobook.