Desperate Spirits

by Lee Allen Howard

In this duo of supernatural thrillers, Calvin Bricker deals with desperate spirits right in his own neighborhood.

In "The Vacant Lot," a supernatural presence beckons from an empty neighborhood property. Calvin’s curiosity leads him to an aged portrait painter with a terrible secret about a dead undertaker and his missing wife, who seeks eternal release.

In "How I Was Cured of Naïveté," a seemingly innocent spirit appears in the foyer of Calvin’s home. When he discovers her fate, he sets her free—only to find that little girls aren’t always made of sugar and spice. Snick, snick!

If you like crime and mystery with a supernatural bent, succumb to the call of Desperate Spirits!

Genres: Paranormal, Horror

55 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2012

About the author

Lee Allen Howard, MA, MFA, writes horror, LGBTQ horror, supernatural crime, dark mystery, and psychological thrillers.

His pubs include THE COVENANT SACRIFICE, DEATH PERCEPTION, THE SIXTH SEED, THE ADAMSON FAMILY, PERPETUAL NIGHTMARES, THE BEDWETTER, MAMA SAID, DESPERATE SPIRITS, NIGHT MONSTERS, and SEVERED RELATIONS.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book welcomes you with two episodes featuring the character Calvin Bricker and Jerry, the Dachshund. In the first story 'The Vacant Lot' that is quite eerie, Calvin finds out what happened to the missing wife of an undertaker. The story is arranged around some old portraits and their painter. The denouement is extremely well done. A great detective story with a good shot of horror. Also the main character is well introduced and very plausible. In the second story, 'How I was cured of Naiveté'we meet the characters from the first story again and you'll learn that children can be really wicked (in case you didn't already know). The ghost of a little girl appears to the narrator. Who is she and why does she appear to him? How can a King James Bible Calvin finds in the cellar help to solve the mystery? Well, the second story is much more violent than the first and you'll come across some really nasty going-ons. Two excellent stories in here I can highly recommend to read. You won't regret it!

[Rose Vanden Eynden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary stories are not usually my thing, but Lee Allan Howard's wonderful writing style drew me right into this duo of suspenseful tales. The main character is the same in both stories, and I found myself reading at a fast rate, trying to see what would happen next, in both stories. Both tales gave me chills and left me a little apprehensive about being alone--but that's what a good, scary story should do, right? :-) I recommend Lee's DESPERATE SPIRITS, and I hope to read more from him--when I get my courage back up!

[Kerry]

Told in the first person by an unassuming and forgiving narrator, this duo of short, horrific ghost stories is set in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA. The lead is a likable, psychically-sensitive 40-year-old whose best friend is a sensible dashund named Jerry, and the stories reveal some nasty, unsavory aspects of human nature.