Ghost College

The Ghost Files #1

by J.R. Rain

Ghost College (Supernatural Selection #1)
a novella by Scott Nicholson and J.R. Rain

First in a new series featuring paranormal investigators Ellen and Monty Drew. Ellen claims to possess a sixth sense but Monty, a former P.I., only believes what he can see. She views their work as a sacred mission while Monty just wants a happy wife and a paycheck.

Then the Drews are summoned to a Southern California bible college after workers report hearing mysterious voices at night. When they encounter the unhappy ghost of a young girl, Monty's skepticism is shaken, but he resolves to help his wife free the trapped spirit. Their search uncovers the Latin phrase "Non omnis moriar"-not all of me shall die-and they learn more about the site's history as a Catholic school destroyed by an earthquake. But a mysterious presence has plans of its own for the young ghost, and Monty and Ellen must go head to head with a Dark Master that's had more than a century of practice in demonic deeds.

Now Monty must leave his body to do battle with the Dark Master, and he's not sure Ellen will be able to bring him back in one piece. He's not even sure what's happening is real. All he knows is that all hell is breaking loose and he's taking a crash course where an "F" means eternal damnation.

From bestselling authors J.R. Rain (Moon Dance, Jim Knighthorse series) and Scott Nicholson (The Red Church, Disintegration). Includes bonus chapters of The Body Departed, Elvis Has Not Left the Building, Transparent Lovers, Speed Dating with the Dead, and Cursed!

Please Note: Ghost College (Supernatural Selection #1) is approximately 124 manuscript pages, or 31,000 words.

Genres: Paranormal, Horror, Ghosts, Supernatural, Fiction, Short Stories, Mystery

91 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2011

About the author

J.R. Rain is the author of 110 novels and counting. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where he's hard at work on his next novel... and fighting off sparkly vampires.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann]

Ghost College (The Ghost Files #1) by Scott Nicholson and JR Rain is a good start for a ghost story. It was interesting and I enjoyed it. Worth the read but I think it should have been...fuller.

[Cheryl (Super Slump)]

This is a 4.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 5 🌟.

Even though this edition is listed as a paperback, the above cover is the one I had for my Kindle edition.

[Shelly♥]

I'm not a huge paranormal fiction fan, but this one is right up my alley. Modeled after the TV ghost chasing shows, Ellen and Monty are a husband and wife investigation team. He a former PI, and she a sensitive - or psychic. In this book, they investigate a small university where voices are being heard.

The book was very short, but an enjoyable fun read. The series looks like it will go on with other authors writing it (at least the next one). Love the characters, but would like to see more depth on the investigations - and more investigators.

But overall, a great read for a Saturday afternoon!

[Alicia]

Freebie on Kindle today.

I was skeptical because I don't like the cover that appears on Amazon. I do like the covers of the other editions, however. Yes, I do judge books by their covers. Shame on me; I know. Anyway, the first few paragraphs were a smooth read in the Kindle sample, despite my cover issues, so I snatched it up.

[William]

Entertaining haunting listening 🎶🔰

Another will written fantasy world 🌎 haunting horror ghost 👻 demon adventure thriller novel by Scott Nickolson (The Ghost Files book 1). Ellen and Monty her husband are hired to investigate strange sounds and happenings at a college. It turns out that the college is build over a Spanish school that was destroyed by an earthquake. A little girl 👧 and musician are trapped inside as ghost 👻. And the fun begins. I would recommend this novel, series and various authors to readers of the supernatural. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening to Alexa read books 📚. 2022 😮👒😈

[Abi]

Actual rating - 3.5

[Mystereity Reviews]

4.5 stars
This was a nifty little short story about a PI and his psychic wife who are hired to investigate paranormal happenings at a biblical college. At only 81 pages, it took me less than an hour to read and yet it packed a great, suspenseful plot into into such a short story.

I deducted half a star because the MC's sarcasm was a little obnoxious after a few pages, but once I got into the thick of it, I barely noticed it.

[Karen]

True rating: 3.6 stars

I've enjoyed J.R. Rain's series before and was curious about his other works, though I hadn't read anything by his co-author. This collaboration was a departure from what I've previously experienced, but I found it enjoyable. While reading a joint effort, I often attempted to discern the individual contributions, but this time it was quite seamless. Initially, the characters seemed somewhat rigid but were still likable. The main characters reminded me of a gentler, less intimidating version of Ed and Lorraine Warren, or perhaps that's just my perception.

In "Ghost College," the Drews are called to a Southern California bible college where workers have reported hearing enigmatic voices at night.

Upon encountering the distressed ghost of a young girl, Monty's skepticism is challenged, yet he is determined to assist his wife in liberating the spirit.

Their investigation reveals the Latin phrase "non omnis moriar"—not all of me shall die—and they delve into the history of the location, once a Catholic school demolished by an earthquake.

However, a sinister force has its own agenda for the young ghost, and Monty and Ellen find themselves confronting a dark entity seasoned in malevolent acts.

Monty is compelled to astral project to combat the demon, uncertain if Ellen can retrieve him intact. He doubts the reality of the events unfolding before him.

One thing is clear: chaos has erupted, and the Drews are hastily learning about the supernatural, where failure could mean eternal doom.

The narrator, John M. Perry, breathes life into a narrative that starts off slowly and struggles to captivate.

I am hopeful that the inclusion of new authors will steer the upcoming tales towards uncharted territories.

[Lucy]

I've had this book for a while and I was glad to get around to it. Paranormal investigators are called to find out whether the college is really haunted by a ghost or there is some other explanation.

I liked this well enough. This was more of a novella than a novel so I got through it fairly quickly (I think it took me about an hour to finish). The plot was interesting and I liked the little ghostly mystery, as well as Monty and Ellen working together as a team in order to find out what was going on and how they could put an end to it.

There really wasn't much depth to this book, in the world or the plot or the characters, though to be fair that is to be expected from a book this short. I do wish Monty would use Ellen's name a little more and stop calling her 'my wife' what felt like at least once a page. But this was fun enough and I'll check out the rest of the series I own.

3 stars!

[Michael Reilly]

They Thought There was a Ghost at the College, But They Were Wrong

Join Monty and Ellen who are ghost hunters hired to get rid of a ghost at the college.Ellen is the believer while Monty just likes the money, and Ellen, his wife. As soon as Ellen enters the college she feels there is a spirit that has been trying to reach out to the headmaster but he wanted nothing to do with ghosts, Ellen saw this ghost was just a small girl of about 11 years old and decided they had to help her move on. That was fine with Monty except for the fact that he found that things weren’t going to go so smoothly, you see there was something very evil there that didn’t want anyone to leave. Guess what my friends, I think I want to leave things there for now, so if you want to know what is really going on I recommend you get this book and read this story for yourself, after all you don’t want to miss a good ghost story do you? I thought not;)

[Jenn4Gators]

This is the first book in a series where each book is written by different authors. It is an interesting premise- Ellen and Monty Drew are paranormal investigators. Ellen has the psychic skills. Monty is a previous private investigator who regularly mentions that he doesn't really believe in his wife's abilities. The story is short at 138 pages so there isn't a lot of background provided which makes the characters a bit flat. Monty constantly mentions wanting to have sex with his wife and makes inappropriate comments about everything. This could be a fun story but there are some issues with the execution.

[Danielle]

This was a solid start to a series that mixed suspense, mystery, and ghosts all rolled into one. I have wanted to read a ghost story for quite a bit even though it wasn’t the Halloween season. This particular one featured paranormal investigators Monty and Ellen, husband and wife. They were investigating a haunting on a college campus. It was spooky yet funny as they dealt with a couple of ghosts. It was an interesting ride, but I enjoyed it.

[Julia David]

The Drews are a good couple and will protect each other no matter what. Even against vengeful ghosts. As they battle a very mean ghost in a college, they have to get creative. Monty isn't even sure he believes in ghost, that is until he comes across one playing the piano. Now he has to work with Ellen to release a little girl ghost from the clutches of another ghost.

[Jeannie Lawrence]

Interesting

This is the first time I've read anything by this author, but won't be my last. I really enjoyed this book & would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the paranormal stories, it kept me guessing & on the edge of my seat.

[Sharon Y. Johnson]

Fairly humorous

Husband sounds like a mindless puppy following his in wife hoping for a tiny bit of intimacy. Some cute references to current events. Like paranormal but do they always have to be so evil

[Tamara]

This was the third book of a series of books I read by this author. It was a quick read and I found it very interesting. A couple are paranormal investigators and they get called to a school to check out voices that are being heard, especially at night. I would give it 4 1/2 stars overall.

[Debbie]

Light hearted, fun to read.

[Terri Spencer]

Very Short! But a good story

[Jan]

A quick and interesting brief escape with enough suspense and dry humor to keep you reading.
John M Perry was fine as narrator.

[Crystal]

Wow. This was awful. I was only able to read a few pages before my brain starting hurting and I gave up. My high school freshmen can write better than this.

[Sharon]

Ok

It started a little slow but ended up good and strong. .
The characters were almost believable.

Hope you enjoy it too.

[Jeanine]

Didn't capture my attention, dialogue was off.

[Kath]

Fun read for the weekend.

[Robbie]

This one left me a little disappointed. I rate it 3 stars.

[Debra Chiaro]

Wow!

I love ghost stories! So glad it's a series and there's more because these stories are short. Can't wait for the next one so a big Thanks to the authors.

[Lynda Lippin]

Fun, fast paced, cute ghost story

This is a quick read (2-3 hours, tops) and a lot of fun! There are ghosts, demons, and dark masters along with possession and witty banter. Ellen and Monty Drew are paranormal investigators, aka ghost hunters. At the start of this story, Monty is skeptical even though Ellen is psychic. Let's just say that things change for Monty by the end.

[Kat Lebo]

Ghost College (Ghost Files Book #1)
by Scott Nicholson and J.R. Rain

Okay, this was a very quick read. I'd like to be able to say it was because it was such a great story that I couldn't put it down. And it was a great story. But that's not the reason it was a quick read. It read so quickly because it was so short. It may meet the word requirement to be considered a novel, but I've read books that the authors called novellas that were longer.

There were really only 6 characters with any real purpose in the story, the two main characters, Ellen and Monty Drew, the little girl ghost, Sophie, the Dark Master/piano teacher, Mr. Sigmund, the principal and the night janitor. Those characters are well developed, but then, with only a couple of other characters making even the slightest of appearances, they should be well developed. The only reason I knew Ellen and Monty's last name, Drew, prior to location 540 (Chapter 8) on my Kindle is because I saw it in the description on Amazon. 7 chapters with no mention of the main characters' last name. Yes, I'm shaking my head.

The editing and proofreading was excellent, with only one sentence catching my eye and pulling me out of the story to read and reread in hopes of deciding whether it was a mistake or just confusing. At 765: "Ellen's eyes were intense and earnest, and if i didn't already love her, I would have fallen for them now." Them? He wouldn't have fallen for her, just for her eyes? So, maybe not a grammar error, but an interesting (no, I'm being kind, it wasn't) way to word that sentence.

Ellen and Monty are paranormal investigators. She has psychic abilities, he doesn't think he does. The are called to small Christian College, Faith College, to investigate the reports of voices and sounds heard by students and staff. The locate the ghost of a small girl, and of her piano teacher, who evidently dabbled in the Black Arts. The story is built around not only the story of how the little girl became a ghost and why she is still in residence, so to speak, over 100 years after death The story also serves as a vehicle to introduce the two main characters of The Ghost Files series, and to show Monty's growth in recognizing that the paranormal world is a real thing, and in recognizing his own strengths in the field.

This was a good story. The pacing was good. The characters were in danger. The plot, though predictable, was well developed. Loose ends (most of them) were tied up in the end. It was stand-alone, certainly leaving the door wide open for a sequel, but sufficient for a single read, too. But somehow, it left me feeling "meh." Compared to other of J.R Rain's characters (I'm not familiar with other work of Scott Nicholson, so can't comment on that) such as Samantha Moon and Jim Knighthorse, these characters were not as interesting. So, I probably won't pick up another of the books in the series unless they show up on my free Kindle e-books lists. Your experience may vary.

[Rebecca Graf]

A haunted religious university is not something I generally love to read. In fact, I avoid horror at all costs, but having been familiar with these authors, I decided to give it a try. And boy I’m glad I did.

This is the story of a husband and wife paranormal investigation team. But they aren’t your usual ones. The wife claims to be a psychic while her doubting husband wants to explain it all according to science. Many times he can, but there are some times he just can put his finger on what happened but his wife seems to. Now he might find the evidence he has demanded all along but is it worth it?

First off, this is not a long read at all. I easily read it in one sitting but the fact that I was hooked to the plot also helped me do that. This was very interesting as the story kept pulling me along. I have to say the main reason was the humor introduced through the ever doubting husband.

Now I wouldn’t call this a comedy as there were some intense, on the edge of your seat moments, but I laughed so much as I read it. In fact, several times I had to read it aloud to my husband who also got a good chuckle. The husband in the book has these great one liners that get your tickle bone and make you wonder how that woman puts up with him. It added so much to a story that could have been just plain terrifying which for me would have been a turn off. I’m not a horror a person but the humor had me enjoying it. And it was realistic humor because I know people who would talk like that.

A great story that has me wanting more from these characters. If you like suspense with the paranormal and enjoy a good laugh or two, you really have to check this book out. I have to say this one will be marked as one of my must-reads for the year.

Note: This book was downloaded on a free offer day with no expectation of a positive review.

[Eric Townsend]

Have you ever heard of Ghost Hunters? It's a tv show, and Ghost College plays out just like an episode of it, at least at first. The book even references the show, so clearly some inspiration was taken from there. However, while things start like a typical paranormal investigation, things get out of control very quickly.

Without spoiling anything, there are all of your typical warning signs of ghostly presence. Temperature drops? Check. Equipment malfunctions? Check. Creepy ghostly aura vibes? You bet that's a check. However, things get crazy once the ghosts are actually encountered. From ghostly possession, to demonic battles, and even a bit of old-fashioned fisticuffs, Ghost College ramps up the intensity with every page turn.

However, while much of the book is focused on ghostly activity, and rightly so, it is the style of humor of the MC which often holds the reader's attention. Sometimes this is done well, breaking up the scarier/more intense moments with a solid joke. Other times, not so much. I never thought there would be an overabundance of chocolate chip pancake references in a book, but this one pulled it off, and it wasn't the only example of repetitive jokes/dialogue. Monty, the MC, thinks himself quite the comedian, but he might be better suited lowering the amount of one-liners, and concentrating on his ghostly duties.

Ghost College is book one in The Ghost Files series, and it reads like a part one, with the ending leaving the reader on a tantalizing cliffhanger. I feel like the paranormal side of things will take more of a focus in the next book, and that will be for the betterment of the series. I enjoyed Ghost College, even though was a bit too cheesy at times, and I'm looking forward to book two.

[Shirley]

Ghost College was a great haunted mystery. It had the quick witted humor and inner monologue that I’ve come to expect from J.R. Rain’s lead characters and gave me even more reason to check out more of Scott Nicholson’s books.

Monty is an interesting ghost hunter, mainly because he isn’t a believer. He is, however, totally devoted to his wife and will do whatever he can to support her. It’s her that he believes in and that’s enough to keep him searching for ghosts. That all changes when they visit the Bible college in Southern California. Monty finds himself up close and personal with a entity that gives him a whole new perspective.

Ghost College is the first book in The Ghost Files Series and the remainder of the books should prove to be interesting. Each of the three current books in the series adds a different contributing author. I don’t think I’ve ever read a series that is centered around the same characters but written by different authors. I might just have to check out Ghost Soldier (Book #2) with Evelyn Klebert and Ghost Fire (Book #3) with Eva Paludan if for no other reason but to see how the story continues to flow.