fuonlyknew

With Halloween fast approaching, I’ve been amassing some horror books to get in the mood. Honestly, I do it year round. I’m huge into horror.

That said, how I could pass up the chance to read this book. It’s got a creepy, gothic mansion,ghosts, and ghost trappers. All huge draws for me.

So let’s get to it. There’s lots to see. Check out the cover and blurb. Read the guest post to find out if your being haunted.

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway. You could win your own copy!

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Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper is the first book in a new series by J. L. Bryan, the author of the Jenny Pox series and other novels. He lives in the very hot state of Georgia with his family and no ghosts, as far as he knows.

Sign up for J.L. Bryan’s newsletter to receive a free ebook of short stories and hear about future releases in the Ellie Jordan series and other new books.

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Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper

by J.L. Bryan

Publication Date: September 19, 2014

Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal

My Review

The first thing I noticed about this book was the story takes place in Georgia. It’s supposed to be one of the most haunted cities in the south, steeped in dark stories. It’s the perfect setting.

You’ve read the blurb so you know this is about a haunted house. So I’m going to introduce you to the ghost trappers from Eckhart Investigations instead of telling you what you already know.

Retired Homicide Detective Calvin Eckhart is the owner and boss man. He needed something to do with all of those empty days and  it was an easy decision to start investigating hauntings as he had a keen interest in the supernatural.

Since he’s confined to a wheelchair and not getting any younger, he hires Ellie James to do the work for him. To determine if there is, in fact, a haunting, and then take care of that pesky ghost.

Ellie Jordan, head ghost trapper. Her job is to determine if a house is haunted, and either to get the ghost to vacate, or trap it and dispose of it in a safe place.

She’s my favorite character. Smart, determined, and gutsy, she goes places I’d never dream of entering.

But even she is terrified as the ghost turns out to be many ghosts, and the danger escalates into the physical realm.

Stacey is the newbie. Eckhart didn’t like Ellie going into a haunting investigation alone. It could be very dangerous. Stacey always had an interest in ghosts, and really wants to meet one up close. She helps set up the video equipment and monitored the cameras from outside in a van. She’s in contact with Ellie, and helps to pinpoint where a ghost might be lingering. Her enthusiasm is fun and addictive. I doubt she’ll be so eager to see a ghost after this job.

Jacob Weiss is thrust upon Ellie by the boss. Eckhart insists a psychic could be beneficial. Jacob is one of only a few survivors of a horrible plane crash and now can contact ghosts. He comes into the story closer to the end so I didn’t get to know him very well, but as this is a series, I hope to see more of him. He did come in handy though, so Eckhart was wise to use him.

Finally, the hauntees, the Treadwell family, consisting of Dale, Anna, and their young daughter Lexa. They bought a rundown mansion in an out of the way place. The only other structures on the street are some derelict warehouses and factories. They have big plans to renovate the house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Dale came up with a great idea. They could add a sports lounge for the men, complete with a huge flat screen TV to watch the games, and plenty of beer. That would make it appealing to the husbands while the quiet holiday appealed to the wives. It’s really a good idea.

There’s just one little hitch. The house came with a ghost, a very expressive ghost. It wants just one thing…for them to vacate the premises, now!

I’d tell you about the ghosts but that would be telling you the story. I can tell you this. I don’t think I’ve experienced such an intense, nail-biting, scene as the one when these characters enter the house for the final event. If it was a movie, I’d have been peeking through my fingers.  Horror doesn’t always come with a happy outcome, so all of them were fair game to die a grisly death. That kept me reading, eyes zipping from word to word, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. I was breathless afterwards and my shoulders ached from the tension.

The author nailed it with his characters. Each almost immediately became familiar.

His ghosts were terrifying.

The plot was fun and scary and your quickly immersed in it.

And this is book one in the series, so read it now. That way you’ll be ready for the next one.

5 Stars

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There’s no way I wasn’t going to mention Ghostbusters. While this book isn’t all fun and games, some things made me think of the movie.

Here’s a little treat for ya.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn7-JZq0Yxs]

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And one more thing. I’m sure you’ve wondered, like I have, why ghost hunters do most of their work at night, in the dark. The logical explanation could be because that’s when the ghosts come out to play. And that’s right, for the most part.

The author gave me a new explanation. A really good one, and I’ll keep it in mind if I ever go ghost hunting.

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Book description:

Ellie’s job is to catch and remove unwanted ghosts. Part detective, part paranormal exterminator, Ellie operates out of Savannah, Georgia, one of the oldest and most haunted cities in North America.

When a family contacts her to deal with a disturbing presence in the old mansion they’ve recently purchased, Ellie first believes it to be a typical, by-the-book specter, a residual haunting by a restless spirit. Instead, she finds herself confronting an evil older and more powerful than she’d ever expected, rooted in the house’s long and sordid history of luxury, sin, and murder. The dangerous entity seems particularly interested in her clients’ ten-year-old daughter.

Soon her own life is in danger, and Ellie must find a way to exorcise the darkness of the house before it can kill her, her clients, or their frightened young child.

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 Enjoy this fun guest post. Is your house haunted?

Five Signs Your House May Be Haunted

Things go bump in the night. You feel like someone is always watching you. You think you have a ghost, but maybe it’s a just a creepy squirrel scrambling around your attic at night and staring at you through the windows. How can you tell for sure?

The editors of Ladies’ Haunted Home Journal are back with an easy guide to determining whether a paranormal presence infests your house! Before calling the ghost trappers, consider whether you have any of the following signs:

Cold Spots: One or more areas in your house might seem much colder the space around it. This may be a corner, closet, or other out-of-the-way spot. You may be excited to learn that when you feel the cold spot, you’re not just in the presence of a restless dead spirit, you’re also touching it! You’re almost inside the ghost, and it’s kind of inside you. Pretty neat. Important note: A cold spot inside your refrigerator or freezer may be caused by the appliance itself.

Strange Sounds: You may hear moaning, groaning, thumping or crashing late at night. Make sure it isn’t an elderly neighbor or relative bumbling around your house. If you hear voices threatening you with death or dismemberment, you might consider the benefits of spending the night at a Motel 6.

Mysterious Motion: Plates slide off the counter. Doors open or close by themselves. The chandelier leaped down from the ceiling, flew across the room, and tried to kill you last week. You’re beginning to think something may be amiss. First, make sure there aren’t any logical causes for these problems, such as keeping your counter too greasy, or a broken hinge in the door, or that idiot who installed your chandelier. If you can’t find an explanation, odds are you’ve got a ghost (or a poltergeist, but let’s not split hairs).

Absurd Disappearances: Your keys disappear from your end table, only to be found in the fish tank. Your good silver vanishes, piece by piece, and you discover all of down in a mysterious back corner of the basement. It’s either a family member with bizarre hoarding tendencies or a mischievous ghost. Either way, you’ve got an annoying problem on your hands.

Full Apparitions: If you have seen a ghost appear and disappear, you probably have a ghost. We don’t really have an alternate explanation for this one. Call your local paranormal exterminator today!

We hope these tips will help you sort out whether your house is haunted or your family just weird! If you have further questions, please read our pamphlet: My House is Haunted – What Now? Good luck with that ghost!

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Author J l Bryan

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, his son, and some dogs and cats.

To hear about future books by J.L. Bryan, sign up for his new release newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mizJH

J.L. Bryan’s links:

My Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

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I have one eBook copy to give away (International)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Which paranormal or supernatural being scares you the most?”

Giveaway ends October 2nd.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!