Grave Memories

Brannon House #5

by Stacy Claflin

The Brannon House stands as a deceptive facade, its past horrors refusing to dissipate into the shadows. Ember Brannon is inexplicably drawn to an old gravestone bearing her own name, its forgotten presence casting an unsettling pall over her family's ancestral home. As she becomes fixated on the stone and the long-forgotten life it represents, Ember's reality begins to unravel. Vivid dreams transport her to a time shrouded in mystery, the tragic demise of her namesake becomes an obsession she won’t release. Obsessions have their price. Ember awakens with muddy feet, evidence of nocturnal wanderings she can't remember. The discovery of a hidden diary, chronicling the life of the other Ember, triggers a relentless spiral into fascination and compulsion. Her loved ones try to stop her, but she pushes everyone away. Within the opulent halls of the Brannon House, Ember hurtles toward an impending breaking point. Is she fated to echo the tragedies that haunt her lineage, becoming another ghost within the estate's dark history? Or will she find the strength to confront the enigma she's become, and the danger that now stalks her every move? In this psychological thriller, the legacy of the Brannon House tightens its grip, pushing Ember to the brink of sanity. As her world teeters on the edge of collapse, she must navigate the thin line between legacy and lunacy.

Genres: Thriller

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2023

About the author

Stacy Claflin writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone trilogy of psychological thrillers, her ongoing Transformed paranormal saga, or her Seaside Hunters sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional heroines shine through.

Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.

When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.

Join Stacy's newsletter to get free books: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this full series of 5 books. This author's writing style really hooks me into the plot. Great characters made these books all 5 stars for me. I read all 5 in 5 days.

[Wendy Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series!

I've read the whole series so far and can't wait for the next story!
Ember is one brave young lady and it's refreshing to hear about someone who is not pregidous in any way.
I can't wait to find out what Kenzi and Graham have for a child and hope the house is finally filled with love without danger.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't read the previous books in this series. The author does a good job of giving you just enough background that you can understand this book, without spoiling the previous books. I am definitely going to read them next. This story keeps your attention. There is action and mystery. There are characters you are rooting for. The author cleverly uses characters in the past as influences on present day characters. I recommend this book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grave Memories is a chilling addition to Stacy Claflin’s Brannon House series. The family ancestral home has been only partially renovated and there are still many secrets that the house has not yet revealed. Just what might be found in the hidden rooms and passageways that have yet to be discovered?

The family descendants who reside there are trying to break away from the past history and live normal lives. But this is difficult when old toys keep appearing in different locations and strange sounds can be heard coming from within the walls.

Be sure to check that all your doors and windows are locked before you snuggle into your favorite reading spot because you will be fighting the urge to get up and go check that everything is secure.

The characters are well developed and there are elements that will send chills up your spine as well as moments where you get a brief respite to catch your breath. If you like psychological thrillers, then this one is sure to keep your attention.

I received an advance copy of Grave Memories directly from the author with no promise made of a positive review. However, I have never been disappointed in her work and this book is no exception. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve missed this series! The storyline in this book is engaging. Told primarily by the two main characters, there are plenty of thrills and tense moments. The characters personalities are multifaceted and the interactions between them are governed by the age old battle between ensuring peace of mind or protecting each other. It’s been a while since an addition to this series but this book was worth the wait!

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

[Brandi Sartin lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets your heart pumping! I needed to know what was going on with Ember and Kenzie. I had to keep turning the page to find out! There is no way I would live in a mansion like them especially with all the crazy things happening. Like why was there scratching? Why was there an old toy horse? And mud and scratches? Can’t wait to find out more about the Brannon family.

[Denise Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great thriller. It is full of mystery, wonderful characters and a "haunted mansion full of ghosts" and plenty of family secrets! Will keep you intrigued right from the start and have you quickly turning the pages! A great series by Stacy Claflin!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

More mysteries and family drama in this book. I love going back to the Brannon House. One suspenseful and often scary book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to hurry up and get to the end but then I didn't want it to end either. Ember is one tough young lady as she is going through some unexplainable things as well as trying to solve a long ago mystery. Love this family and hearing how everyone is doing. Some questions are answered, some are left hanging (need book 6 soon), and some are just beginning.

[Melanie Robertson-King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Brannon House book! Yippee! I love this creepy mansion and its even creepier history.

A gravestone marks the final resting place of the first Ember Brannon. The current Ember, daughter of murdered Claire way back in Book 1, is determined to find out why this person with the same name died at such a young age.

There is a lot more mystery and a few loose ends tied up, but plenty of scope and cliffhangers for a Book 6.

[Patricia Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I loved this.
Another mystery at the Brannon house. Ember is sleepwalking and finds something from the Ember of the past. Ember thinks she wants her story told.
Kenzi is seeing things, is it a ghost, her pregnancy brain or is she going crazy? You can feel her emotions as your reading this.
This was well written and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved all the mystery and ghostly happening. I loved it!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

😲What mind games! What to believe?🙄

4.5🌟 stars
This is edge of the seat suspense and thoroughly hooked me from first chapter to last.

I've been eagerly waiting for another highly suspenseful trip to the weird and warped Brannon House, where the residents never know who or what surprise will pop up next in its creepy corridors and networks of secret hideaways. This book moved pretty quickly even though a lot of the story takes place in the confused mind of Kenzi, youngest of the three Brannon siblings finally brought together and currently residing on the property.

The other main character is Kenzi's teenage niece Ember who has her own set of typical teenage problems like a romantic breakup just before a high school dance and too much homework PLUS a mystery due to her mystical connection with an Ember in the family from a century in the past. And weird sounds emanating from the spooky house, objects mysteriously moving around: a real house of horror!

I liked the way author Stacy Claflin slid in brief details about the events that happened earlier in the series. They weren't intrusive: just helped jog my memory about the family's awful history. And Claflin is especially good at portraying teens and their attitudes and emotions.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I've read all books in this series and gosh, I would never spend a night in this haunted house where the Brannons keep finding new rooms on a regular basis. This story is about Ember and her aunt Kenzie who adopted her after her mother's death. Kenzie is also married to Ember's father and expecting a baby. Both women keep seeing a scary toy doll who moves through the house on it's own. While Ember wakes up in the night with a huge scratch on her leg, leaving her questioning her sanity, Kenzie overcomes a toy horse who drives her almost insane. Strange things are happening in the house and neither Ember nor Kenzie want to end up as their ancestors but they need to find out what's behind all of this.

Thrilling story and super scary but I wish it was longer because I enjoyed it so much. Honest review on this advance ebook copy.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced reading
Love the author details - just the right amount, enough not needing or wanting more, or overkill with too much info. To me this helped keep previous events and such in the series fresh.
I'm not sure if I want to get my granddaughter the doll she wants for Christmas this year - breathe.
The story has mystery, intrigue, struggles, and more emotions to keep you on the edge of your couch, bed or chair. The characters are there to also keep you turning page after page, take Billa for example, even when happy, there's a darkness around. And what's up with Regina now, was the person on the phone real, was their message true, is Regina going to have to leave prison? Ugg, now to wait for poor Kenzi to find out the truth and hopefully have no baby issues with her health.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grave Memories is book #5 in the Brannon House series by Stacy Claflin.

Brannon House is interesting to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there. Even renovating didn’t chase the spirits and memories out of the house. The family is together and determined to break the family curse. Ember has normal teenage issues to deal with along with mysterious happenings, a moving doll, and weird noises. Kenzi is also experiencing things that she wants to chalk up to her pregnancy, but can she? This had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. There is definitely more drama in store for the inhabitants of Brannon House!

I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This spooky thriller continues with the mysteries of the Brannon family’s history, which throws more ‘curve balls’ and has more ‘chinks in their armor’ than I could ever expect to discover. The more I read, the more the horrific happenings turn up. Is there such a thing as spirits beyond the grave? Or are there logical explanations to the occurrences? While some things are settled or resolved in this book, in the end there’s yet another problem that crops up… I’m looking forward to the next Brannon House thriller – if you like spooky mysteries as I do, these books are hard to put down. I enjoy being an ARC for Stacy Claflin and this is my honest opinion.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are back at Brannon house and the thrills and chills commence. Main parts of the house have been renovated but there are plenty of hidden parts and passages that are still being discovered as well as creepy dolls moving around on their own and things going missing and reappearing. Ember is such a great character and her world starts to unravel around her as she starts to suffer sleepwalking amongst others things. Strange noises, bumps in the night, the ghost of Brannon house is back in this thrilling and suspenseful mystery and I was on the edge of my seat the whole read! Loved it!

[Tonya Bryant Gillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. I loved learning more about Ember. She is one tough young lady. The lives of Kenzie and Graham getting so much more evolved. I love reading about each new character.

The Brannon men were some awful people.

The house is something else. That place is scary and so weird with all the hidden rooms and passages. I don’t know if I would want to stay at that kind of house. I love learning more about it though.

This was another great story in this series

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ghost of the Brannon house strikes again.
Ember is having struggles with sleepwalking,
and Kensi is being stalked by a toy horse from close to 100 years in the past.

There are developed characters, some humor, and lots of intrigue.

This was a great story that felt like watching one of the original Twilight Zone shows.
Eerily satisfying.

[Kirstie Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good to be back in Brannon House. This time we have a ghostly presence, a creepy doll that keeps moving around the house and some scratching in the walls. There is so much going on in this story to keep your entertained and to keep you guessing. You will get answers to somethings but there's a little cliffhanger too. A great mystery full of suspense.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I stumbled upon the first book in this series "The Perfect Death" by Stacy Claflin.
I was hooked and ended up reading the four books in the Brannon House Series. I was excited to see there was a 5th book coming out last year, so I preordered it.
Today I just finished it and WOW...... I couldn't put the book down. I hope there will be a book 6?
Thank you Stacy for your great writing.

[Barbara Lack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a thrilling read. It has mystery and suspense. I really liked Ember. She’s not your typical teenager. There was a lot of depth to her. I liked Kenzi a lot too. The conflict Kenzi was experiencing as a pregnant woman added interesting layers to an already fascinating read.

[Veronica Gelderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of mystery and little twists. Also some romance and intrigue. I am going to have to read the rest of this series for sure! Loved the closure in the end as well.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another thriller that will have you wondering what could possibly happen next. Ember has a fascination with learning more about the past. Intriguing with strong characters that keep you part of Ember’s journey. Can’t wait for the next book.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grave Memories - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

Brannon House Book 5 by Stacy Claflin details how echoes of a past tragedy seem impossible for Ember Brannon to resist.
Battling her own past in the house, her pregnant stepmother Kenzi worries about Ember and herself too.
Secrets and lies merge in Grave Memories, the psychological thriller that will grip you firmly by the imagination throughout. Not for the faint-hearted or those of a nervous disposition, but a must for fans of Tanya R Taylor and Steven King.
Get it today - and please don't have nightmares!

[April Flach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspensefully spooky. This series just keeps getting better. Just when you think you know where this is headed, you're taken for another loop. Looking forward to seeing what other twists and turns are in store.

[Marcia Wanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed series

I enjoyed this series. I guess there is another book in his series. I will get it when it comes out.