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The Ghost in the Coal Cellar: True Case Files from a Lone Investigator
A young family's rocking chair moves by itself, swaying back and forth under the force of a ghostly presence. An abandoned schoolhouse, the site of a major fire, teems with restless spirits. Deep in a national forest, phantom lights chase the terrified occupants of a car. These chilling tales and more await you within these pages. The Ghost in the Coal Cellar presents the spooky details of Andrea Mesich's most intense investigations―from start to finish―at four legendary haunted locations in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Explore the history of each ghostly tale, what to expect from an investigation, what equipment is used, and much more. Discover how Andrea first became an investigator and everything she's learned about the world's paranormal mysteries. Begin your own ghost-hunting journey with this book as your guide...if you dare.
- GenresGhostsParanormal
240 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 27, 2016
Read my full review: http://bit.ly/1oxxtAT
My opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I must admit that I appreciated the fact that she came in from a scientific perspective and studied optional causes for "haunted" occurrences. The research appeared thorough. I tend to roll my eyes frequently at the books that are more "psychic" based and do tend to make fun of them. That simply was not present in this book. It was clear that this was a well developed book.
This was probably one of the more intelligent reads that I have read on this subject. The stories are broken down into episodes: History, Investigation and Findings. Think of reading the television show Ghosthunters. Furthermore, I though it was well thought out and concise in presentation.
One of the things that I enjoyed most was that the author gives follow-up readings for "further learning". I have done this frequently and really appreciate when authors take that extra step. In most non-fiction, I will take the next step in the learning process, I will often look to these. The author did an excellent job of complying her list.
I enjoyed this book so much that I have recommended it to numerous people and libraries. Overall, this was just a fun, but informative read that in my opinion is appropriate for audiences middle school and above.
I read on my Kindle touch. I would either recommend a Kindle Fire or print copy. I found the pictures difficult to interpret as they were in black/white and smaller than what would have been in a larger screen and/or print offering a clearer picture.
Some of these books are really weak, but this is definitely one I could see becoming a series and doing well.
My opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I must admit that I appreciated the fact that she came in from a scientific perspective and studied optional causes for "haunted" occurrences. The research appeared thorough. I tend to roll my eyes frequently at the books that are more "psychic" based and do tend to make fun of them. That simply was not present in this book. It was clear that this was a well developed book.
This was probably one of the more intelligent reads that I have read on this subject. The stories are broken down into episodes: History, Investigation and Findings. Think of reading the television show Ghosthunters. Furthermore, I though it was well thought out and concise in presentation.
One of the things that I enjoyed most was that the author gives follow-up readings for "further learning". I have done this frequently and really appreciate when authors take that extra step. In most non-fiction, I will take the next step in the learning process, I will often look to these. The author did an excellent job of complying her list.
I enjoyed this book so much that I have recommended it to numerous people and libraries. Overall, this was just a fun, but informative read that in my opinion is appropriate for audiences middle school and above.
I read on my Kindle touch. I would either recommend a Kindle Fire or print copy. I found the pictures difficult to interpret as they were in black/white and smaller than what would have been in a larger screen and/or print offering a clearer picture.
Some of these books are really weak, but this is definitely one I could see becoming a series and doing well.
August 20, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
The Ghost in the Coal Cellar takes a scientific approach to hauntings. Andrea Mesich starts out by offering the history of a supposedly-haunted location. Then she describes the location or object, the entities supposedly haunting it, and she shares eyewitness accounts. This build up makes sure that there’s something for everyone. For the history buffs, there’s the historical background, which additionally gives insight into the haunting. The eyewitness accounts are kind of like urban legends, and entertaining to read. But the most intriguing part are the paranormal investigations themselves.
Tons of places Andrea mentions in her book, she’s visited herself, and conducted a paranormal investigation in them. This offers an intriguing insight, and a nice end to each chapter. I liked the mix of science, history, and the author’s own experiences: it’s a mix that works every time. The author is also very thorough in her investigation, and visit some locations several times to get a clear idea of what’s going on there. She also tried scientific approaches first, and looked for logical explanations.
The writing is great, and a lot of thought obviously went into how each chapter was created. The book overall reads like a very logical explanation of what’s going on. There’s also suggested further reading for those interested in the topic.
One of the best true haunting books I’ve read all year. A solid recommendation.
The Ghost in the Coal Cellar takes a scientific approach to hauntings. Andrea Mesich starts out by offering the history of a supposedly-haunted location. Then she describes the location or object, the entities supposedly haunting it, and she shares eyewitness accounts. This build up makes sure that there’s something for everyone. For the history buffs, there’s the historical background, which additionally gives insight into the haunting. The eyewitness accounts are kind of like urban legends, and entertaining to read. But the most intriguing part are the paranormal investigations themselves.
Tons of places Andrea mentions in her book, she’s visited herself, and conducted a paranormal investigation in them. This offers an intriguing insight, and a nice end to each chapter. I liked the mix of science, history, and the author’s own experiences: it’s a mix that works every time. The author is also very thorough in her investigation, and visit some locations several times to get a clear idea of what’s going on there. She also tried scientific approaches first, and looked for logical explanations.
The writing is great, and a lot of thought obviously went into how each chapter was created. The book overall reads like a very logical explanation of what’s going on. There’s also suggested further reading for those interested in the topic.
One of the best true haunting books I’ve read all year. A solid recommendation.
September 26, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book because ghost stories are so interesting to me. I'm not saying I necessary believe the stories but still they're fascinating to read and wonder the 'what ifs' was a good quick read
August 9, 2016
*I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
*This review and more at Tangled Bookmarks
If you knew me, you’d know that I was a total sucker for true ghost stories. And I also get very easily spooked by them. My husband says I’m a scaredy-cat. I prefer to call it “having a very vivid imagination”. :D
I try to ensure that I don’t read true ghost books or look at true paranormal sites on the web before bed. Because I know I will end up keeping the light on. I can’t help myself – they spook me silly, but I still love to read them.
Andrea Mesich grew up enjoying ghost tales but never believing until she had an eerie experience in 2004. That experience sparked off her drive and desire to discover as much as she could about the supernatural world. She doesn’t investigate in a large group – she goes it alone (helluva brave woman!). Occasionally her mother (who was with her when she had her first experience) and one of her brothers sometimes joins her. She wants to know why paranormal events happen, and she wants to know what we can learn from them.
I have to admit, I admire Andrea. When detailing how she investigates and her methods, I felt really drawn to what she does. There was something about this woman that stood out amongst all the well-known large groups of ghost hunters, to me. She was very thorough in her investigation of the Paulding Lights of Michigan. Detailing times, directions, using a telescope, etc – in fact, she was so detailed, I think my eyes glazed over in parts. But I’m not saying that as a criticism actually – it was more because I wasn’t there so I couldn’t picture myself doing the same thing. But I was impressed with her thoroughness. She doesn’t come across as the sort of person who thinks “omg i can’t explain this, so it MUST be a ghost!”. :D She keeps her wits about her, looking for the natural explanation first.
I also enjoyed her descriptions of how she conducts EVPs. Now, I’ve read about plenty of EVP’s – all ghost hunters seem to do them and they really don’t describe much about the method. But Andrea makes a point of saying that when conducting them, if she – or someone near her – is about to make a sound, whether it’s a cough, a sniff, walking, whatever – she always says on the tape that she is doing it. That was interesting to read – I don’t think I’ve ever read any other ghost investigation book where the investigator mentions that. I always assumed they would, but it impressed me. Andrea is extremely thorough, detailing almost every step of her investigations; what she does, how she does it, equipment etc.
I would like to have seen more photos of her investigations in the book – however having said that, I don’t know if there are any, plus this was an eARC so it’s possible they weren’t included in this version.
It’s a rather shortish book, and it left me wanting more actually. :D I dearly would love to read more about her investigations and what she discovers. The author’s personality and methodology of investigations shone through the pages, and I really get the feeling that she would be a fun and interesting person to sit down and have a natter over coffee with. If Andrea Mesich writes more books, I’m pretty sure I’ll be standing in line waiting to read them.
*This review and more at Tangled Bookmarks
If you knew me, you’d know that I was a total sucker for true ghost stories. And I also get very easily spooked by them. My husband says I’m a scaredy-cat. I prefer to call it “having a very vivid imagination”. :D
I try to ensure that I don’t read true ghost books or look at true paranormal sites on the web before bed. Because I know I will end up keeping the light on. I can’t help myself – they spook me silly, but I still love to read them.
Andrea Mesich grew up enjoying ghost tales but never believing until she had an eerie experience in 2004. That experience sparked off her drive and desire to discover as much as she could about the supernatural world. She doesn’t investigate in a large group – she goes it alone (helluva brave woman!). Occasionally her mother (who was with her when she had her first experience) and one of her brothers sometimes joins her. She wants to know why paranormal events happen, and she wants to know what we can learn from them.
I have to admit, I admire Andrea. When detailing how she investigates and her methods, I felt really drawn to what she does. There was something about this woman that stood out amongst all the well-known large groups of ghost hunters, to me. She was very thorough in her investigation of the Paulding Lights of Michigan. Detailing times, directions, using a telescope, etc – in fact, she was so detailed, I think my eyes glazed over in parts. But I’m not saying that as a criticism actually – it was more because I wasn’t there so I couldn’t picture myself doing the same thing. But I was impressed with her thoroughness. She doesn’t come across as the sort of person who thinks “omg i can’t explain this, so it MUST be a ghost!”. :D She keeps her wits about her, looking for the natural explanation first.
I also enjoyed her descriptions of how she conducts EVPs. Now, I’ve read about plenty of EVP’s – all ghost hunters seem to do them and they really don’t describe much about the method. But Andrea makes a point of saying that when conducting them, if she – or someone near her – is about to make a sound, whether it’s a cough, a sniff, walking, whatever – she always says on the tape that she is doing it. That was interesting to read – I don’t think I’ve ever read any other ghost investigation book where the investigator mentions that. I always assumed they would, but it impressed me. Andrea is extremely thorough, detailing almost every step of her investigations; what she does, how she does it, equipment etc.
I would like to have seen more photos of her investigations in the book – however having said that, I don’t know if there are any, plus this was an eARC so it’s possible they weren’t included in this version.
It’s a rather shortish book, and it left me wanting more actually. :D I dearly would love to read more about her investigations and what she discovers. The author’s personality and methodology of investigations shone through the pages, and I really get the feeling that she would be a fun and interesting person to sit down and have a natter over coffee with. If Andrea Mesich writes more books, I’m pretty sure I’ll be standing in line waiting to read them.
November 9, 2019
I really wanted to like this book. I love stories of hauntings and have been on a "true" ghost stories kick lately, so I was eager to pick this one up. However, it fell below the bar for me.
The main reason for my two star rating is in the editing. This book could have been about half the length it is without sacrificing any pertinent information. The author repeats herself several times per chapter, making the same arguments in circles. While I appreciate her desire to point out every reasonable explanation, I didn't need those explanations rehashed in the exact same way every other paragraph.
I agree with other reviewers that the Paulding Lights chapter was tedious and far too long. The story itself is interesting, but could have been covered much faster.
All in all, the book kind of reads like a diary that hasn't been edited down. Investigations are prefaced with lengthy descriptions of what the author was doing the day before and who she bought jewelry or got psychic readings from. I would have enjoyed it much more if she had simply gotten to the point.
(Also, did I miss the ghost in the coal cellar? Because I don't remember a cellar playing prominently in any of the investigations at all.)
The main reason for my two star rating is in the editing. This book could have been about half the length it is without sacrificing any pertinent information. The author repeats herself several times per chapter, making the same arguments in circles. While I appreciate her desire to point out every reasonable explanation, I didn't need those explanations rehashed in the exact same way every other paragraph.
I agree with other reviewers that the Paulding Lights chapter was tedious and far too long. The story itself is interesting, but could have been covered much faster.
All in all, the book kind of reads like a diary that hasn't been edited down. Investigations are prefaced with lengthy descriptions of what the author was doing the day before and who she bought jewelry or got psychic readings from. I would have enjoyed it much more if she had simply gotten to the point.
(Also, did I miss the ghost in the coal cellar? Because I don't remember a cellar playing prominently in any of the investigations at all.)
June 28, 2014
I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Llewellyn Worldwide, and to Andrea Mesich.
3.5 Stars
This book is just what the title suggests - an account of the case files of Andrea Mesich. This book had it's ups and downs for me. The beginning was a bit lackluster. The author told a little bit too much about her daily activities prior to her investigations (her mother coming along, where she kept her pets, etc). I was completely uninterested in the Paudling Lights. I felt this account was too drawn out with eye witness accounts and history. However, following the section on the Paudling Lights, the book was fantastic. I loved the story about the family with the possessed rocking chair. The accounts of the visit to the school house (with the coal cellar mentioned in the title) were fantastic. I honestly feel like the writer's style changed (or evolved) throughout the story because it seems odd that I was so detached from the first half and so invested in the second half.
I do recommend this book to fans of the paranormal. It was an interesting read and the last half was truly worth the wait. It was fun reading about an author who was on the amateur side of paranormal experiences and who was not a psychic, a medium, or someone with some other special ability. She is a normal person who is learning from each experience. This made the story that much more worthwhile.
3.5 Stars
This book is just what the title suggests - an account of the case files of Andrea Mesich. This book had it's ups and downs for me. The beginning was a bit lackluster. The author told a little bit too much about her daily activities prior to her investigations (her mother coming along, where she kept her pets, etc). I was completely uninterested in the Paudling Lights. I felt this account was too drawn out with eye witness accounts and history. However, following the section on the Paudling Lights, the book was fantastic. I loved the story about the family with the possessed rocking chair. The accounts of the visit to the school house (with the coal cellar mentioned in the title) were fantastic. I honestly feel like the writer's style changed (or evolved) throughout the story because it seems odd that I was so detached from the first half and so invested in the second half.
I do recommend this book to fans of the paranormal. It was an interesting read and the last half was truly worth the wait. It was fun reading about an author who was on the amateur side of paranormal experiences and who was not a psychic, a medium, or someone with some other special ability. She is a normal person who is learning from each experience. This made the story that much more worthwhile.
September 2, 2016
Quick but excellent read. As a former paranormal investigator, reading her stories brought back a lot of memories. Her descriptions of investigations were detailed enough that readers with no experience with the paranormal can still get a feel for what investigating is like. I really enjoyed reading this.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews