AILSA, WITH GHOSTS

When Ailsa meets Alex, ghosts appear, the charms of married life fade and dark thoughts cloud a once bright future.​

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Oxford, 2019. Ailsa's life is good. Husband Peter dotes on her and her career in finance is flourishing. Then she bangs her head and ghosts start appearing. Isambard Kingdom Brunel pops up at Paddington station as she takes the train home, The next day, she sees Robert Catesby in the grounds of Worcester College, then happens to meet Alex, a very alive, handsome and smug historian. That evening, Oscar Wilde joins Ailsa and Peter while they have a romantic dinner.

 

At first, she finds the ghosts more exciting than regular folk. But her mood darkens as episodes from her own past resurface and the ‘visitations’ grow more intense. The ghosts, she realises, want to tell her something. Peter and their friends rally round. Meanwhile romance blossoms with Alex. As friendship becomes more, she meets Alex’s student Zenab and has a vision of Zenab starting a nuclear war in the future that will kill millions.

 

With ghosts crowding in on her, should Ailsa choose love or do a terrible thing that will help all humankind?

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​Shortlisted, Retreat West First Chapter Competition

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“Cookson's plot is daring and shows tremendous potential”

Judge comment, The BookLife Prize