In Kate Summerscale's new book about a1938 haunting in London, events take an unsettling turn and the ghost hunter, Nandor Fodor, has questions to answer about his own role in the quest to understand the nature of Alma's supernatural phenomena. Emma Fielding reads.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding is the latest book from the prize winning author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale. It tells the story of a young and vivacious housewife whose home and family are assailed by a lively and frightening poltergeist in 1938. Reports in the papers pique Nandor Fodor's interest, and the chief ghost hunter of the International Institute for Psychical Research sets out to establish the authenticity of Alma's experiences. Against these events, war looms large over Great Britain, with popular culture and a deepening interest in spiritualism reflecting the anxieties of the day.

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard Show less