A Mystery Scene Magazine 2021 Editor's Pick Trust No One. Especially Your Neighbors. Rachel Drake is on the run from the man who killed her husband. She never leaves her safe haven in an anonymous doorman building, until one night a phone call sends her running. On her way to the garage, she is murdered in the elevator. But her story doesn’t end there. She finds herself in the afterlife, tethered to her death spot, her reach tied to the adjacent apartments. As she rides the elevator up and down, the lives of the residents intertwine. Every one of them has a dark secret. An aging trophy wife whose husband strays. A surgeon guarding a locked room. A TV medium who may be a fraud. An ordinary man with a mysterious hobby. Compelled to spend eternity observing her neighbors, she realizes that any one of them could be her killer.
Old Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, is the third-largest National Preservation District in the United States and the largest Victorian-era neighborhood in the country. Beneath the balconies and terraces of the district's Gothic, Queen Anne, and Beaux Arts mansions, current residents trade riveting stories about their historic homes. Many of these tales defy rational explanation. When David Dominé moved into one of these houses, he dismissed local rumors of a resident poltergeist named Lucy. However, before long, unnerving, disembodied footsteps and mysterious odors caused him to flee his home in the middle of the night. Since that night, David Dominé not only embraced the possibility of supernatural phenomenon but also turned it into a popular tour series and best-selling collection of books, which have brought new attention to this iconic neighborhood. The book that launched the guided tours, Ghosts of Old Louisville, introduced readers to the hauntingly beautiful Lady of the Stairs and the Widow Hoag, who waits eternally near Fountain Court for a lost child who will never return. These tales of things that go bump in the night not only reveal why Old Louisville is considered the "most haunted neighborhood in America," but also help to preserve this historically and architecturally significant community.
“A haunted, haunting examination of mental illness and murder in a more or less ordinary American city…Mature and thoughtful…A Helter Skelter for our time, though without a hint of sensationalism—unsettling in the extreme but written with confidence and deep empathy” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). On March 11, 2003, in Brownsville, Texas—one of America’s poorest cities—John Allen Rubio and Angela Camacho murdered their three young children. The apartment building in which the brutal crimes took place was already run down, and in their aftermath a consensus developed in the community that it should be destroyed. In 2008, journalist Laura Tillman covered the story for The Brownsville Herald. The questions it raised haunted her and set her on a six-year inquiry into the larger significance of such acts, ones so difficult to imagine or explain that their perpetrators are often dismissed as monsters alien to humanity. Tillman spoke with the lawyers who tried the case, the family’s neighbors and relatives and teachers, even one of the murderers: John Allen Rubio himself, whom she corresponded with for years and ultimately met in person. Her investigation is “a dogged attempt to understand what happened, a review of the psychological, sociological and spiritual explanations for the crime…a meditation on the death penalty and on the city of Brownsville” Star Tribune (Minneapolis). The result is a brilliant exploration of some of our age’s most important social issues and a beautiful, profound meditation on the truly human forces that drive them. “This thought-provoking…book exemplifies provocative long-form journalism that does not settle for easy answers” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
It began as an innocent prank. Call someone on the phone, shake them up a little with some sexy whispers and then hang up. But when one of the numbers is on Fear Street, readers can be sure there is more than "innocence" in store!
If we could only get used to the idea that ghosts are perfectly harmless creatures, who are powerless to affect our well-being unless we assist them by giving way to our fears, we should enjoy the supernatural exceedingly, it seems to me. Coleridge, I think it was, was once asked by a lady if he believed in ghosts, and he replied, "No, madame; I have seen too many of them." Which is my case exactly. I have seen so many horrid visitants from other worlds that they hardly affect me at all, so far as the mere inspiration of terror is concerned. On the other hand, they interest me hugely; and while I must admit that I do experience all the purely physical sensations that come from horrific encounters of this nature, I can truly add in my own behalf that mentally I can rise above the physical impulse to run away, and, invariably standing my ground, I have gained much useful information concerning them.
All three novels of the Ghost Protector Trilogy When you work for the King of Ghosts, you don't get a vacation. Contains: Ghost Of A Chance: When Jenny's father is murdered, the mantle of Ghost Protector passes to her. Too bad no one told her.Ghost Of A Smile: Jenny's gotten used to helping the dead but now she needs to help the living. Something is killing teenagers. Can Jenny stop it before it claims another victim?Ghost Of A Memory: Jenny's little brother Tommy's very essence is being drained. It's up to Jenny to use all of her power as Ghost Protector to save him. Can she stop an ancient evil before it consumes him?
In 'The Haunted Hour: An Anthology,' readers are treated to an evocative exploration of themes ranging from the supernatural to the deeply human, woven through a rich tapestry of literary styles. This collection showcases the remarkable diversity and significance of works by a distinguished group of authors, known for their contributions to various literary movements. The anthology presents an array of narratives that embody the essence of the haunting hour, capturing moments of mystery, the ineffable, and the spectral in language that moves and terrifies in equal measure. The calibre of the pieces within highlights the collection's ability to transcend the mere notion of genre, offering standout pieces that enrich the reader's experience with their depth and emotional resonance. The contributing authors and editors, coming from varied backgrounds, bring to 'The Haunted Hour' a wealth of literary, cultural, and personal histories. Figures such as William Butler Yeats, who is synonymous with the Irish Literary Revival, and Rudyard Kipling, a lodestar of British colonial literature, contribute their unique voices to a symphony of storytelling that spans the globe. This anthology aligns with significant literary and cultural movements, from Romanticism to Modernism, and elevates the collective understanding of the theme through the lens of their diverse experiences and stylistic approaches. 'The Haunted Hour: An Anthology' offers readers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a confluence of perspectives, themes, and literary styles, curated from the minds of some of the most influential authors of their times. It beckons the reader to delve into its pages for both its educational value and the sheer breadth of insights into the human condition and the natural world. This collection not only serves as a testament to the enduring appeal of the supernatural in literature but also fosters a dialogue between the works of different authors, encouraging a deeper appreciation of their collective talent and vision. For anyone seeking to explore the myriad ways in which the theme of haunting has been interpreted across time and cultures, this anthology is an indispensable resource.
If you play hide-and-seek with a blizzard, the storm will undoubtedly win. Inside every adult rushing around to make things perfect for Christmas is a child living the perfect holiday. On the last day of school when children are let out for winter break, a young boy plays an unfortunate game of hide and seek. He ignores the signs of the oncoming blizzard and stays in his hiding spot, until it becomes his chilly tomb. Years later, an amateur sleuth Nicole Scott is carrying on her mother’s holiday tradition of baking goodies for family and friends in her curious town of Eubanks. Her paranormal gift of being able to see and hear ghosts means the spirit of her mother, Martha is not very far away to hover over her while she bakes the cookies. Outside her home an antsy frozen ghost reaches out for answers this holiday season. He’s still playin this game of hide and seek, but is ready to be found. Nicole listens to his sad tale and at the spot of his passing, reunites him with the family he thought he lost. Thawed On Christmas, is a behind the Lore short and part of Nikki Henley’s, Curious in Eubanks Paranormal Cozy Mysteries series. Set in a small town of curiously quirky paranormal residents this short story can be read as a standalone. It is written to give you the reader an extended experience of the characters of Eubanks.
The dead do not dream. A week before Christmas, John and Laura Ray storm into Myron's office, desperate to find their missing daughter. Money? They don't have any. Clues? They have few. Plagued by mounting bills and a skull-crushing migraine, Portland's only ghost detective wants nothing more than to show them the door. But defying his conscience always proves tougher to Myron Vale than saying no, and he soon finds himself embroiled in one of the strangest cases of his career. The more he learns about this unique little girl and all of her extraordinary abilities, the more he feels a kinship to her. Who took Olivia Ray? And why? The answers propel him toward a tantalizing solution to all of his problems — and a violent clash with a powerful personality, one who can cause irreparable harm to not just Myron, but everyone he loves.