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Ghostly Encounters: True Stories of America's Haunted Inns and Hotels
Packed with chilling stories, GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS is filled with practical information for anyone who dares to spend a night in a haunted house.
Frances Kermeen bought the Myrtles Plantation of St. Francisville, LA, with the dream of turning the historic site into a cozy inn. But she was shocked to discover that the property was haunted. Instead of losing customers, however, business exploded. Since then, Kermeen has traveled to over 150 haunted inns and hotels throughout the U.S. and collected some of the creepiest ghost stories ever told-and they're all true. Readers will enter the Oatman Hotel, where the distinct outline of a man, once murdered in the room, remains imprinted on the sheets-no matter how many times the maids change them. And in the garden of the Myrtles Plantation, two little girls, who were poisoned there in 1824, are often seen playing.
Frances Kermeen bought the Myrtles Plantation of St. Francisville, LA, with the dream of turning the historic site into a cozy inn. But she was shocked to discover that the property was haunted. Instead of losing customers, however, business exploded. Since then, Kermeen has traveled to over 150 haunted inns and hotels throughout the U.S. and collected some of the creepiest ghost stories ever told-and they're all true. Readers will enter the Oatman Hotel, where the distinct outline of a man, once murdered in the room, remains imprinted on the sheets-no matter how many times the maids change them. And in the garden of the Myrtles Plantation, two little girls, who were poisoned there in 1824, are often seen playing.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 5, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. It's a subject matter I've always been interested in. It's not for everyone but for those interested in the paranormal it's definitely worth checking out.
June 1, 2010
Don't read this while you're traveling, like I did....Every hotel we stayed at I swore was haunted! :/ It is an amazing book. Well written, and full of great ghosty goodness!
December 21, 2017
This is a book that I've been reading for the past 18 months or so. The short chapters, each featuring a haunted hotel or inn from across the US, make it ideal for dipping in & out of....& if I'm brutally honest, it also stopped me getting bored with it as some of it is quite repetitive - though I guess there's a limited number of things that will ghosts do!
I did find the writing style a bit messy, & once or twice, even a little incoherent. The chapters were comprised roughly of the history of the building, followed by "sightings" & concluding with factual info on the hotel/inn's accommodation amenities etc. With regard to the history & sightings parts, it often seemed like it had been written down word for word as it had been related to the author. While I guess this did lend some authenticity to the tale, it also meant sometimes things ended abruptly or concluded unsatisfactorily, just tailing off like conversations often do.....
A bit more information at times wouldn't have gone amiss & might have stopped some of the recollections seeming almost interchangeable.
To be fair the copy I read was an ARC, so things may have been tidied up before general publication. Personally I would have liked the properties to be grouped by state, with a map showing the relevant location.
However it was an interesting read but one that I'd recommend reading in short bursts between other books.
I did find the writing style a bit messy, & once or twice, even a little incoherent. The chapters were comprised roughly of the history of the building, followed by "sightings" & concluding with factual info on the hotel/inn's accommodation amenities etc. With regard to the history & sightings parts, it often seemed like it had been written down word for word as it had been related to the author. While I guess this did lend some authenticity to the tale, it also meant sometimes things ended abruptly or concluded unsatisfactorily, just tailing off like conversations often do.....
A bit more information at times wouldn't have gone amiss & might have stopped some of the recollections seeming almost interchangeable.
To be fair the copy I read was an ARC, so things may have been tidied up before general publication. Personally I would have liked the properties to be grouped by state, with a map showing the relevant location.
However it was an interesting read but one that I'd recommend reading in short bursts between other books.
July 29, 2012
I really enjoyed this book!! It made me want to take a road trip across the US touring all the haunted inns/hotels!!
August 16, 2015
Lots of places I would love to visit if I ever win the lottery.
February 2, 2025
This book was ok. I gave it 4 stars.
October 24, 2022
A few of the stories about inns in this volume were interesting and entertaining, but overall, there was such a melodramatic sameness to every chapter--even the epilogue, which was totally over the top, drama-wise--that I found myself rolling my eyes like I was watching a horror movie with really bad special effects. Frances was obviously into horror movies, she mentioned titles often. I suspect that's where she got the ideas for her descriptions in some of the stories. I'll get back to that after I tell you about the truly offensive passages.
She describes a sexual relationship between master and slave as an "affair." No, Frances, slave women never had a choice in the matter. It was rape every time. Give those women the respect due and call it that. Also, every Confederate soldier ghost she mentions was a hero of some sort, but every Yankee she mentions is an evil ghost. The slave ghosts are always scary in some way, never innocent victims. She referred to the Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression. Perhaps she was playing to the sort of guests she wanted in her inn (which she no longer owns). The whole first chapter was an ad for this inn--she says it was the most haunted inn in America, with the most ghosts (if you Google it, no one else says that--in fact the ghost tour at that inn got panned for being fake). Also, she isn't big on doing factual historical research, because it turns out at her inn alone, the slaves she mentioned never existed, and some of her victims of murders really grew up to live long lives. She's just relating, and elaborating on, rumors that she's heard.
Frances claimed that almost all of the people involved with the inns in the book claimed to have actually SEEN ghosts (as opposed to just hearing things like footsteps, so smelling odd aromas, which is more usual, etc). And 80% of her witnesses, including herself, all have the same reaction--they run screaming from the room. Half of the ghosts seem to be able to do things in the real world--things right out of the horror movies Frances mentioned, like starting fires or throwing things. How do these inns keep guests at all? She's also big into photographs of orbs (in my experience, in old houses, that's a camera flash on dust floating in the air).
So, if you love melodrama, or just want a good laugh, maybe read this book. But you could do better.
She describes a sexual relationship between master and slave as an "affair." No, Frances, slave women never had a choice in the matter. It was rape every time. Give those women the respect due and call it that. Also, every Confederate soldier ghost she mentions was a hero of some sort, but every Yankee she mentions is an evil ghost. The slave ghosts are always scary in some way, never innocent victims. She referred to the Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression. Perhaps she was playing to the sort of guests she wanted in her inn (which she no longer owns). The whole first chapter was an ad for this inn--she says it was the most haunted inn in America, with the most ghosts (if you Google it, no one else says that--in fact the ghost tour at that inn got panned for being fake). Also, she isn't big on doing factual historical research, because it turns out at her inn alone, the slaves she mentioned never existed, and some of her victims of murders really grew up to live long lives. She's just relating, and elaborating on, rumors that she's heard.
Frances claimed that almost all of the people involved with the inns in the book claimed to have actually SEEN ghosts (as opposed to just hearing things like footsteps, so smelling odd aromas, which is more usual, etc). And 80% of her witnesses, including herself, all have the same reaction--they run screaming from the room. Half of the ghosts seem to be able to do things in the real world--things right out of the horror movies Frances mentioned, like starting fires or throwing things. How do these inns keep guests at all? She's also big into photographs of orbs (in my experience, in old houses, that's a camera flash on dust floating in the air).
So, if you love melodrama, or just want a good laugh, maybe read this book. But you could do better.
January 20, 2019
I wish I had the option to give 3 1/2 stars. Ghostly Encounters was a decent ghost story collection and contained many stories I've never heard. It also has a good variety of stories, though many lack detail or verifiable specifics. It's actually a compilation of stories from American inns and hotels. In some ways, you could use it as a haunted America travel guide because each location is detailed with descriptions about restaurant entrees, regional landmarks, and other tourist attractions. All that is fun, but doesn't necessarily jive with the haunted theme. I would have loved to learn less about the food options and more about the ghosts!
It's hard to find rhyme or reason in the way this book is organized, but it encompasses hotels from many states. I recognized several places that I live near or have visited. The author frequently mentioned that guests at various hotels left stories in the guest registries; I'd love to see a book about those firsthand accounts.
It's hard to find rhyme or reason in the way this book is organized, but it encompasses hotels from many states. I recognized several places that I live near or have visited. The author frequently mentioned that guests at various hotels left stories in the guest registries; I'd love to see a book about those firsthand accounts.
September 5, 2019
For anyone who likes ghost stories this will be a wonderful addition to your collection. If, like me, you like to visit haunted places, I can't recommend this book too highly. This is a treasury of haunted sites that are open to the public and where the staff will freely discuss the subject. I have been so close to some of the places Kermeen writes about but had no idea they were there. I wish this book had come out years and years ago.
May 5, 2024
I loved this book. It was well written and a nice easy read. The ghostly occurrences at the plantation are written in a way so that I could picture myself alone in a huge plantation, hiding under my bed covers while listening to the heavy footsteps of someone or something coming near. Only the author knows if the stories are true. Good read, nevertheless.
November 7, 2016
Has great recommendations for those who want to stay the night in a "haunted hotel". I liked getting the spooky stories out of it.
November 10, 2017
Wish there was an updated version
October 7, 2018
Poorly written, reads like a paid sales pitch for these hotels, unironically uses the phrase "War of Northern Aggression."
October 26, 2021
While I loved The Myrtles Plantation book, this one just seemed kinda dull. I enjoyed it but I think it wasn't as exciting.
September 27, 2024
Good read
Found this book very interesting, and a good read. Very detailed descriptions of the buildings and background of the areas. Recommend reading.
Found this book very interesting, and a good read. Very detailed descriptions of the buildings and background of the areas. Recommend reading.
March 3, 2015
A really fun read, with nice short chapters perfect for picking up when you have time (I read it mostly on the beach and lunch breaks at work). The cover blurb is a bit misleading. This is a travel guide of haunted inns and hotels with a brief history, stories of hauntings, and recommendations for places to eat and visit while you stay at each location. I would have liked even more detail for each chapter, but that's my only complaint!
April 9, 2012
This was really more of a travelogue than ghost stories. While the inns and hotels that are written about are haunted, I found that there was not enough written about the histories as there was about accomodations offered at each inn. I would have loved to learn about less inns than to read more about the hauntings.
August 1, 2014
I love a good ghost story and this one is full of them. Real life accounts, although it needs a little grammatical corrections-and the hilarious fact that the author refused to visit most of the locations herself-so these are second person accounts-this book is still great. The author is the owner of Myrtle Plantation-and has some interesting tales to tell.
April 6, 2015
In Kermeen’s supernatural book, the reader will visit historic bed-and-breakfasts with stunning antique décor, and luxury from the past. They will also learn about the phantom servants and ghostly voices calling from the other side. This is truly a one-of-a-kind tour of America’s most haunted places to stay.
March 15, 2016
This book was very interesting, it makes me want to visit places I never thought about visiting in the US. I enjoyed the history behind each hotel and haunting, each sighting location, as well as little things to do. Next time I plan a trip within the USA, I will definitely try to stay at one of these places ;).
July 9, 2015
This was a fun book to read. It talks a little about the history of the hotels/inns and people's experiences there. Each chapter is pretty short so it feels like a lot is left out. Still a good read though. Makes me want to book a stay at a haunted hotel!
September 21, 2019
Haunted inns and hotels are some of my favorite places to read about. I think its because of the variety of locales that the hotels are set in, you get to see so many cultures and cities. Also, the people that frequent the hotels, and the events that transpire around them make for intriguing tales.
January 5, 2017
I want to go stay at all of these places! Or, as my husband says, I just *think* I want to, but the second anything paranormal happens, I'll be terrified and want to go home. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It seemed well-researched (whenever possible, as much ghostly lore is based on rumors).
June 19, 2008
Not as good as the Myrtles book; mostly just short little chapters & kinda kitschy
October 9, 2008
Interesting but the entries got kind of repetitive after awhile.
August 30, 2011
It was okay. I didn't like it as much as her book on The Myrtles.
September 25, 2013
kind of repetitive, but fun for a beach read
June 19, 2015
: Great book! It was hard to put down. Very well written and leaves you wanting more. There really are some amazing stories in this book. It also makes you want to book a night in a haunted hotel.
June 29, 2009
A great guide to America's haunted hotels and inns!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews