Ghost Stories

by Sherlyn Colgrove

A couple on their way to Tucson for a family reunion approaches a deserted town. Car troubles force them to stop and with no cell service they walk through town in hopes that it isn’t as abandoned as it seems. On their way they meet up with Sam, an elderly gentleman, and quite likely the last living resident. After using his phone to call for a tow the couple, Adam and Renee, find that they are stranded for the night and to pass the time they decide to explore. Sam warns against it and tells them that they should head out of town now…before it’s too late. Adam and Renee don’t heed the warning and it isn’t long before they find out what a grave mistake they’ve made. Death surrounds the town and not everything is as it seems. It will take every ounce of resolve they possess in order to survive until they can be rescued, and fate is not on their side.

Four friends head up a dark and desolate road that cuts a winding path through overgrown woods on their way to a forgotten place that once prompted laughs and good times, but now only commands death and sorrow. When they pull into the weed choked parking lot, Sierra has her doubts about the place, but she along with friends Brandon and Mark, are there to support their friend Kelly. Years ago her sister died brutally at the park and justice wasn’t served. It’s Kelly’s hope to say goodbye to her sister and leave the past behind her. However, something still lives in the park, and the last thing it’s seeking is a good time. The four friends find their belated wake of Kelly’s sister interrupted by strange happenings and echoes from a vengeful spirit who will stop at nothing to achieve its revenge. What starts out as a night of remembrance turns into a night of hell and not everyone will make it out.

When Mia’s uncle, a writer, decides to rent the keeper’s quarters at a purportedly haunted lighthouse a mile off the northeast coast to use as a muse to his writing, he sends her and two of her friends out to take a look. While it’s important that they determine that the structure is sound enough to live in, Mia’s uncle also wants to know that it is genuinely haunted. Ignoring warnings from the captain of the ferry that transported them out to the forsaken islet, Mia, Brian and Lisa disembark to find that the stories didn’t do the house justice. From the start they are tormented by doors that open, close and lock on their own, haunting apparitions, icy chills and a malevolent spirit the likes of which none of them have ever seen before. However, when the entity captures the body of one of the friends, it becomes a battle of survival for all.

Genres: Horror

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2011

Reviews

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review may contain spoilers).

This book was actually better than I'd expected it to be. There were only three stories in the book, but that gave enough room for character development. The characters were interesting and well-written, even though there were a lot of cliches with them - the teenagers who get absolutely wasted at a fairground, for instance; and characters going to investigate the strange sounds in the creepy places.

All but the last story didn't explain enough about what was going on. There were too many questions left unanswered. I like to know the story behind the haunting.

I did think that the ending of the first story was a bit of a cop-out. I rolled my eyes at the ending.

I liked the way the stories were slightly connected to each other, but I would have liked to see more with the other characters from the previous stories.

[robin davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read

Very entertaining story collection as well as an easy read , if you like ghost stories read it for yourself.