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The Paranormal Investigator #1
Pipeline
Tracy Kimball is awakened one night by a voice emanating from the television static. She recognizes the voice--her fiance, David, who was killed in car accident, an accident of which she survived. Plagued by a series of paranormal occurrences, Tracy enlists the aid of a local paranormal investigative team, who discovers that Tracy is not being haunted, she's being warned. A race to save her ensues, leading to the final climactic ending.
- GenresParanormalMystery
120 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2012
4 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Carrolli
9 books46 followersChristopher Carrolli is a full-time writer, who lives in Western Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and holds a BA in English Writing, and an AA in English. He has also won the Ida B. Wells Prize in Journalism.
Chris will be releasing Book 9 of the "Paranormal Investigator" Series, entitled "Rude Awakenings" in 2021.
Chris will be releasing Book 9 of the "Paranormal Investigator" Series, entitled "Rude Awakenings" in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 16, 2012
LOVED IT!! A compelling and interesting story that kept me reading and guessing until the end. I cant wait for more stories in the series.
September 13, 2012
This was one of those books that you pick up and you can't put down. It was a real page-turner, and you couldn't wait to see what was happening next. It held my interest throughout the whole story. Looking forward to book two!
July 12, 2012
I really loved this book. I could not put it down. It was very intense and a surprising ending. I am looking forward to the second installment on November 28.
February 13, 2013
Pipeline by Christopher Carolli is a tense paranormal thriller, the first in a series. A pipeline is when the dead attempt to communicate with the living through technology such as television, phone or computer. This is what happens to Tracy, whose fiancé David died in a car crash six months ago. She suffers from survivor’s guilt since she was in the car too but survived. And suddenly she hears David’s voice on the television, hears his favourite song on the radio which tunes itself and gets silent phone calls from an unknown number. She needs help, but not from a psychiatrist. Her friend Marcia points her towards a group of paranormal investigators. They attempt to solve the mystery of what David is trying to tell Tracy but time may be running out.
This is an extremely exciting and well written book. You’re on the edge of your seat all the way through. Carolli has created some intriguing, complex characters for us to discover. Not just Tracy but everyone we meet has an interesting background and a persuasive reason for being involved in this paranormal investigation. It’s far from being another ghost story. This is a gritty, gripping, modern novel with an ending that is far from predictable. It’s a brilliant and thought provoking start to what looks like being an excellent series.
This is an extremely exciting and well written book. You’re on the edge of your seat all the way through. Carolli has created some intriguing, complex characters for us to discover. Not just Tracy but everyone we meet has an interesting background and a persuasive reason for being involved in this paranormal investigation. It’s far from being another ghost story. This is a gritty, gripping, modern novel with an ending that is far from predictable. It’s a brilliant and thought provoking start to what looks like being an excellent series.
May 10, 2013
I originally decided that I wanted to read Christopher Carrolli’s books when I entered the giveaway on good reads for the second book The Listener. When I won the giveaway I was truly excited about it. Then the thought hit me that I have yet to read the first novel Pipeline. Receiving a copy of Pipeline also, I started on it as soon as I could. What truly made me decide that these novels are what I really want to read is the fact that I do believe in paranormal activity. Even though these are fiction novels it makes it a lot easier for me to get into it because it is something I believe in.
A lot of the time when reading the novel I felt like I was in the characters place. When something happened or was going to happen I got that funny feeling in my stomach. Heck when Tracy even relived the accident I felt really sad for her and broken hearted. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes that was a tough one. I loved the way the book ended (without saying anything to give it away). It was something that I least expected.
I give Pipeline 2 thumbs up and would highly recommend it to anyone that is truly interested in paranormal activity. I started it in the afternoon and had it finished by bedtime so if anyone wants a good read I say get a copy of pipeline and enjoy just as I have done.
A lot of the time when reading the novel I felt like I was in the characters place. When something happened or was going to happen I got that funny feeling in my stomach. Heck when Tracy even relived the accident I felt really sad for her and broken hearted. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes that was a tough one. I loved the way the book ended (without saying anything to give it away). It was something that I least expected.
I give Pipeline 2 thumbs up and would highly recommend it to anyone that is truly interested in paranormal activity. I started it in the afternoon and had it finished by bedtime so if anyone wants a good read I say get a copy of pipeline and enjoy just as I have done.
April 14, 2013
Pipeline was very intriguing. The main character, Tracy, loses her fiance in a horrible car accident that could have been avoided if the couple had gone through with the evening's original plans. Since that night, Tracy has blamed herself and has had to go through some counciling to learn to cope with her servivor's gilt. Some months later she is contacted by some paranormal force through various technologies. She seeks the help of a group that specializes in paranormal activity to help her figure out if she is really being contacted from the beyond or if she is losing her mind. The book was so easy to keep up with and even though there was a lot of paranormal "jargon" used, almost all of it was explained. That kept it from being intimidating. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, and I am so very thankful that I was able to win this book on Goodreads. Thank you very much for such a wonderful experience Chris!
May 19, 2013
Tracy Kimball is struggling to get through her grief and guilt after her fiancé was killed in a road accident. She should have been the one driving, but she got drunk and let David drive.
She has refused counselling and six months later she is still haunted by David's death. Then events take a sinister turn. David begins to haunt her literally. She hears him speaking to her from the television, from the phone, even from the mouth of a dying patient in the hospital where she works. Is she losing her mind? Or is David trying to tell her something?
I really enjoyed this story. I love ghost stories and this is a goodie. The plot is unusual and the the characters well-drawn.
Watch out for the surprise ending!
She has refused counselling and six months later she is still haunted by David's death. Then events take a sinister turn. David begins to haunt her literally. She hears him speaking to her from the television, from the phone, even from the mouth of a dying patient in the hospital where she works. Is she losing her mind? Or is David trying to tell her something?
I really enjoyed this story. I love ghost stories and this is a goodie. The plot is unusual and the the characters well-drawn.
Watch out for the surprise ending!
February 13, 2016
I started with the third book in this series, then read the beginning to get the back story. "Pipeline" is a fast paced thriller that I couldn't put down. In this book, we are introduced to the main character, a young frantic woman who has been hearing the voice of her dead finacee. This is the book that introduces us to the investigators, and Carrolli wields all sides of this story with a magic hand. He keeps us on our toes throughout the story, wondering what will happen next. Then, he leaves spellbound with a surprising and unexpected ending that leads into the second book. If you reading of all things paranormal, I would begin reading this series.
November 23, 2012
Firstly, thanks for the autographed Giveaway! 'Pipeline' ...even the word gives me shudders now. One of the best horror novels I have read. The sad, sinister, un-putdownable tragic story of Tracy Kimball and her lover David will haunt my mind for a long time. Will be looking forward to the upcoming books of the series. Kudos to Christopher Carrolli to have produced such great material for his first novel!
October 4, 2018
Enjoyed this book even though it seriously gave me the creeps.
April 2, 2013
Reminiscent of “White Noise”
This book is very short. I’d received a print version, and it was ultra-thin (115 pages). I make note of this as some readers are bound to get to the last page and wonder where the rest of the story is. So go into this with the idea that you’re reading a long novella. This is also book one of a series, so expect that at the end, you’re going to have more questions than answers.
From the write up, the story seemed to be something akin to the movie “White Noise”—a movie I enjoyed even as it scared me—which is why I agreed to review. But I am not gung ho for paranormal investigations, either fiction movies like “Paranormal Activity” or reality shows such as “Ghost Hunters.”
Good Points: I was already teary by page 5, as it was easy to identify with the heroine Tracy, especially as my husband also calls me his “Princess.” Her pursuit of the truth—is David contacting her, of if so, out of love or warning?—kept me eager to see where the story was going. I enjoyed Tracy’s battle with alcohol as all this ghostly drama is unfolding, which was sympathetic and well done. If I’d been dealing with all of this, I might have reached for a glass of wine, too. Here is a short passage as an example:
The reddish aura that surrounded the specter began to change, becoming brighter and stronger in luminescence, then pulsating to the rhythm of the humming noise that grew louder. Leah watched the aura morph into a golden hue and form a glowing ring around the specter, than it flared another hot-white flash of light. Gasps escaped those assembled as the ghostly intruder became visible to all.
The paranormal investigators were very well done. Everything to do with them from their tools to procedures seemed authentic and well researched. I particularly liked this short passage about souls:
“You have to understand,” he said. “We are not bodies with souls, Tracy. We are souls with bodies.”
Of where the real end of life is and what happens after is a major point of this book. For being as short as the book was, it made me think a lot about the subject.
Faults: In parts, this book was overwritten. While I liked the metaphors, after a while they detracted a bit from the story and slowed the action. Here is an example:
Her world had become a bittersweet nightmare in a matter of only three days, and her crying eyes pleaded in distress to the four faces that tried to comfort her. The most disturbing thoughts invaded her mind like an angry army crashing the walls of a fortress.
Every member of the team seems professional to a “T”…as if they all came from the same background. When they speak, it’s a little unrealistic (except when they are being funny purposely teasing one another, where it’s a little over the top). I had trouble connecting with them at first. As the story unfolds, that ceased to be a problem.
There was some slight editing issues, but not enough to detract from the story. But several times my curiosity was aroused by “teasers,” only for that lead-in to be shelved for pages, then revealed at a later date. Here is an example:
Pg. 26 “Her life had changed forever the day that her parents had moved into the house on Cedar Dr.….that had captured her mother’s heart, destroyed her father’s mind, and held Leah in a world haunted by ghosts….
Pg. 35-37, Leah finally tells us everything that happened with the above reference.
10 pages wasn’t that long to wait, really. But I confess I skimmed ahead at that point to find out my answer to what happened to Leah, then went back and began again at page 26 to read, because I had to know.
The end was a bit of a surprise, but one I highly approved of.
Overall opinion: An interesting beginning to a paranormal investigations series!
Parents:
Language: some swearing
Adult Content: alcohol abuse of a light nature, drunken driving
Violence: car crashes and the threat of violence from a malevolent spirit
This book is very short. I’d received a print version, and it was ultra-thin (115 pages). I make note of this as some readers are bound to get to the last page and wonder where the rest of the story is. So go into this with the idea that you’re reading a long novella. This is also book one of a series, so expect that at the end, you’re going to have more questions than answers.
From the write up, the story seemed to be something akin to the movie “White Noise”—a movie I enjoyed even as it scared me—which is why I agreed to review. But I am not gung ho for paranormal investigations, either fiction movies like “Paranormal Activity” or reality shows such as “Ghost Hunters.”
Good Points: I was already teary by page 5, as it was easy to identify with the heroine Tracy, especially as my husband also calls me his “Princess.” Her pursuit of the truth—is David contacting her, of if so, out of love or warning?—kept me eager to see where the story was going. I enjoyed Tracy’s battle with alcohol as all this ghostly drama is unfolding, which was sympathetic and well done. If I’d been dealing with all of this, I might have reached for a glass of wine, too. Here is a short passage as an example:
The reddish aura that surrounded the specter began to change, becoming brighter and stronger in luminescence, then pulsating to the rhythm of the humming noise that grew louder. Leah watched the aura morph into a golden hue and form a glowing ring around the specter, than it flared another hot-white flash of light. Gasps escaped those assembled as the ghostly intruder became visible to all.
The paranormal investigators were very well done. Everything to do with them from their tools to procedures seemed authentic and well researched. I particularly liked this short passage about souls:
“You have to understand,” he said. “We are not bodies with souls, Tracy. We are souls with bodies.”
Of where the real end of life is and what happens after is a major point of this book. For being as short as the book was, it made me think a lot about the subject.
Faults: In parts, this book was overwritten. While I liked the metaphors, after a while they detracted a bit from the story and slowed the action. Here is an example:
Her world had become a bittersweet nightmare in a matter of only three days, and her crying eyes pleaded in distress to the four faces that tried to comfort her. The most disturbing thoughts invaded her mind like an angry army crashing the walls of a fortress.
Every member of the team seems professional to a “T”…as if they all came from the same background. When they speak, it’s a little unrealistic (except when they are being funny purposely teasing one another, where it’s a little over the top). I had trouble connecting with them at first. As the story unfolds, that ceased to be a problem.
There was some slight editing issues, but not enough to detract from the story. But several times my curiosity was aroused by “teasers,” only for that lead-in to be shelved for pages, then revealed at a later date. Here is an example:
Pg. 26 “Her life had changed forever the day that her parents had moved into the house on Cedar Dr.….that had captured her mother’s heart, destroyed her father’s mind, and held Leah in a world haunted by ghosts….
Pg. 35-37, Leah finally tells us everything that happened with the above reference.
10 pages wasn’t that long to wait, really. But I confess I skimmed ahead at that point to find out my answer to what happened to Leah, then went back and began again at page 26 to read, because I had to know.
The end was a bit of a surprise, but one I highly approved of.
Overall opinion: An interesting beginning to a paranormal investigations series!
Parents:
Language: some swearing
Adult Content: alcohol abuse of a light nature, drunken driving
Violence: car crashes and the threat of violence from a malevolent spirit
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2013
This book captured me right from the beginning! I was so involved with the characters, and on the edge of my seat to see what happens next. An unexpected ending and now I must get the second installment ASAP. It is a book that anyone can enjoy. The author has a wonderful imagination and conveys his thoughts to story in a manner that keeps the pages turning!
October 14, 2012
It's a terrific concept, and the writer has a clear, detailed vision that kept me intrigued. My main concern is with the editing -- one more round was needed, I think. Otherwise, a good read for a rainy afternoon.
June 1, 2013
Compelling. I want to read more. I'll never think (or hear) static in the same way again.
August 4, 2013
This book was awesome! It kept me turning the page continuously. Carrolli's charaters are well drawn, alive and likeable. Can't wait to read the second book.
March 24, 2016
I need to confess. This book is not exactly my cup of tea. It looked like a very short book, with promising rating, so I decided to give it a try. The beginning was very promising, but sure enough, it didn’t take very long and the ghost thing started to emerge. The more the story advanced, the more it was moving away from me.
I still think that to the ghost genre lover, it may be a very good book. Personally I think that I am not allowed to rate it. Same as someone that hates spy stories reading a good novel of that kind. So for those of you that love this genre don’t let my critic discourage you.
Why I am writing a critic at all? Well. Any book I read I am doing it + a short summery in my private sector. Hope you will do the same to any book you read.
I still think that to the ghost genre lover, it may be a very good book. Personally I think that I am not allowed to rate it. Same as someone that hates spy stories reading a good novel of that kind. So for those of you that love this genre don’t let my critic discourage you.
Why I am writing a critic at all? Well. Any book I read I am doing it + a short summery in my private sector. Hope you will do the same to any book you read.
June 1, 2016
I like a book where I can picture the places and characters in my mind because they are so vividly described. I enjoyed this book a lot, unlike some paranormal books I have read. The story was told well and I really enjoyed it. Now to begin book #2, "THE LISTENER" to see where it goes! Looking forward to it!
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April 30, 2017not bad but hated the ending. not worth the money I paid though.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews