Skeleton Crew

PsyCop #14

by Jordan Castillo Price

Although Victor Bayne is a valued asset of the FPMP, he still vividly recalls his PsyCop days: the eye rolls, the nasty looks, and the occasional utterance of the words “Spook Squad” whenever he showed up on a scene. So he really should empathize with Howard Jibben, the weekend lab manager known as Heebie Jeebie.

But does the guy really need to be so darn annoying?

Thanks to the researcher’s OCD tendencies, when a mysterious shipment arrives, what should be a routine ghost-check turns into an excruciating ordeal…made even worse by a freak incident that leaves them stranded in the FPMP’s basement.

Jacob may be the ranking agent on site, but even he can’t control the weather. Yet given the pressure he puts on himself to master his newfound ability, it’s as if he thinks the burden to free everyone is his alone.

Vic has never put much stock in luck, but the sheer number of disasters raining down on them can’t possibly be pure chance—and things are only getting worse. Is it a curse? Telekinesis? Sabotage?

Or is there something more sinister lurking in the shadows?

PsyCop is an ongoing series filled with supernatural action and delightfully awkward humor–with a steady undercurrent of gay romance. It’s best read in order, so if you’re new to the series, start with PsyCop #1, Among the Living…and prepare for a hauntingly good read.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Mystery, Romance, LGBT, Ghosts, Audiobook

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2024

About the author

Author and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal sci-fi thrillers colored by her time in the Midwest, from inner city Chicago, to various cities across southern Wisconsin. She’s settled in a 1910 Cape Cod near Lake Michigan with tons of character and a plethora of bizarre spiders. Any disembodied noises, she’s decided, will be blamed on the ice maker.

Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.

Reviews

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

🙁

I gotta be honest. For the last handful of books, I've been wondering if JCP still had any kind of game plan for the larger, overarching plot she set up for FPMP, because while I've enjoyed them a lot, they keep coming up with stalling tactics to explain away why Vic and Jacob are getting no closer to any answers or exposing the darker sides of FPMP. I wasn't really chomping at the bit when this one came out as a result, and sadly, this is mostly filler and not even entertaining filler. And it started so well with the dog. *sigh*

We get introduced to a few one-off characters who for most of the story add nothing but annoyance and frustration. As the story goes on, we do get to see other sides of them and they became less annoying and more sympathetic, but I can't say I ever grew attached to them, unlike other one-off characters we've gotten in prior books.

We've also got Clayton, who they're supposed to be babysitting but who is kept off-page for the majority of the story. Now, I don't like Clayton, but I was prepared to be convinced he had some good qualities. Hard to do that when there's almost no interaction with him. He was added just for Jacob and Vic to be irrationally worried about him over nothing. Maybe because I'm from a generation who was often left home alone, but I just couldn't get worked up over Vic and Jacob worrying about how he was going to survive for two whole hours by himself while Vic ran to the office to do a sweep. The obvious answer was tell Barbara to stuff it and not dump her kid on them with no warning. But since they're too nice for that, the next obvious answer was he's 13 and can survive two hours alone just fine. Calm down, y'all. Even with the storm that came out of nowhere, Vic keeps mentioning over and over again about how blasé they are about such storms in Wisconsin and yet they're both still panicking over the kid being unable to reach them if needed. But on the plus side, Pugh's voice for him is hilarious.

As for the plot, I kept waiting for the title to prove itself to have a double meaning, especially with that cover, but nope. No skeletons ever showed up. I'm gravely disappointed. Animated skeletons make zero sense but they're a cheesy sf/f classic and they've been missing from this series. I was ready to see how it was handled. That title is a tease. It really is just about a plain old human skeleton crew in the traditional sense and nothing else. 😫 The plot we do get could have been interesting if the set-up for it had been more authentic instead of it being the result of people not acting professionally and being annoying. Also, there appears to be a retcon about service weapons not being allowed in the lab and having to go through extra security to get into it. Vic and Jacob have been in and out of the lab, often in extreme circumstances, and I've never seen them having to wait around for security to waive them through, much less hand over their sidearms. None of the others in my BR group could remember this being an issue before either, which means it was introduced here solely to keep Vic and Jacob in the building for the storm. It was unnecessary. It's not the first time she's retconned things in this series (Crash's book, hello) and she hasn't learned how to sell it.

A lot of the antics that go on felt that they were just there to pad out the extremely thin "mystery" that took way too long to make itself apparent. I'm also getting quite peeved of Vic so often being wrong about his own ability. He insists over and over again it's not a haunting because he sees no ghost. Did he forget he doesn't always see the ghosts? He also insists that ghosts can't physically effect things around them, but that's a ghost standard, so I don't know why he's so dismissive of it. (I'm trying to think if that's been the case in this series before without possessing anyone. Surely the fire ghost from an earlier book was physically impacting things around her. Cold spots seem to count too, at least to me, but apparently not to Vic.) He's then trying to get rid of a repeater, something he's never had problems with before. He can just salt those things and they're gone in prior books, but now they're suddenly harder to get rid off and he needs a whole exorcism ritual for them. And then Jacob can just zap it away with his telekinetic powers? Is Vic even going to be necessary as the series goes on? I want to say Jacob's TK powers are a retcon too, because how can he be both an NP and a psyche at the same time? It doesn't make sense. But I think it was maybe hinted at in the previous book, but I didn't do a reread this time around, so I can't say for sure. But thankfully, he didn't go ahead and blab about his abilities like he wanted to do at the end. Poor Jibben. He didn't deserve to be disappeared like that.

Anyway, I still love Vic and Jacob, but I need for something to get moving on the overarching plot and know this is all going somewhere soon. I don't like having carrots dangled in front of me, and I'm at the digging my heels in stage. If I hadn't been listening to this one, I don't know if I'd been motivated enough to even finish it. Although, the ending was better than pretty much anything else that came before.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacob and Vic together are amazing as always, but their moments were the only highlights in this book, the rest was just a bunch of new random characters thrown together and little-to-none progress on the overarching series arc.
I’m glad this book put a firm end to the possibility that Vic and Jacob might want to have kids, the contrary would’ve felt out-of-character, although I don’t think all the drama with Clayton being dumped on them for the weekend and then left alone at home for most of it due to the storm was necessary to achieve that.
Just like I’m glad Jacob’s idiotic idea to out himself as a psych to the FPMP people was swiftly and lethally dealt with. Really, what was he thinking, knowing what he knows?

[PaperMoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that is my satisfying 'shot' of Victor and Jacob for this year! Trapped in the bowels of the FPMP building during a titanic electrical storm/tornado, nothing spooky seemed to be happening ... but then, sneaky little signs became more alarming incidents that turned into one hellava showdown in the end; great build-up!

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook October 2024: I enjoyed this one more than the first. I think my dislike of it in general is the annoying side character and the fact that they are stuck in on place for 95% of the book.

Original ebook review: May 2025

The one with TK.

I liked it. Didn’t love it. It’s a bit more likeable than Murder House was.

If you’re a fan of Vic & Jacob, you’ll read this. If you haven’t yet started the Psycop journey, pick up the first novel—you won’t be disappointed.

The paranormal aspect didn’t really come into play until later in the novel & I missed it. But when it came, it came on hard and fast.

As soon as the audiobook comes out, I’ll listen to that, too & im sure I’ll like it a bit more thanks to Gomez Pugh’s amazing narration.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

Skeleton Crew is book 14 (!) in Jordan Castillo Price’s fabulous PsyCops series. I have been reviewing this series for more than ten years now and reading it even longer than that. Vic and Jacob are one of my all time favorite couples and I still enjoy every opportunity to reconnect with them as the series grows. Castillo Price has done a great job in having these characters and their circumstances grow and evolve in order to keep the series exciting and fresh. The last two books, in particular, have shifted the set up away from the law enforcement procedural style of the early books, which I think has added some interesting twists. In this case, I really found the plot so engaging. It is not quite a “trapped for the night in a haunted house” situation, but it is leaning in that direction, as the group is stuck in this basement with no power, limited resources, no idea when they are going to get rescued, and some very creepy goings on.

This story really drew me in and I loved the whole set up here watching this group navigate the danger and the mystery of this dark and creepy lab basement. Getting to visit with Vic and Jacob again is always a thrill and I found this a particularly great installment.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books stopped being all that great several books ago but I guess if I and everyone else keeps buying them she'll keep writing them. I think I keep hoping the magic of the first few books will be recaptured and they'll suddenly be gripping again but I've been burned 4 times in a row. I guess JCP and I both need to learn when to call it quits.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that annoys me. I've been annoyed by most of it, but I love to be in Vic's head too much to let it bothered me truly. The problem for me was that the plot revolves around some plot devices I don't care much about... First, annoying characters (though, as annoying as he was, I'm very sorry for Jibben's fate. I wish they could grab him back from National's clutches some day). And second, everything that could go wrong, will go wrong, which sometimes bordered on cartoonish. That premise annoys me to no end, even more when some situations could have been avoided only if someone could be bothered to use their head. As a heavily allergic people myself, I found the situation Alisha found herself into with her allergic reaction hard to believe. That took me out of the story for a moment... If you're allergic to some foods, trust me, if you're having processed food, you check and recheck all the ingredients before putting them into your mouth. Even more if it's something you haven't tried before, because, even then, there's no warranty. Cross contamination is almost as dangerous, I've learnt that the hard way. And if you can't read them, you don't eat them, even if you're starving (which wasn't the case here) because the alternative is worse.
I liked to see Jacob's vulnerability about his powers and what those mean to him now and what could have meant for him when he was growing up. But, I wanted to slap him repeteadly too. He's too cocky and someday that's going to come and bit him in the ass... I get he wanted to try his powers, but doing that in front of a researcher was risky and unnecesary... Also, for me, his reaction to Clayton being alone at the cannery was out of proportion. He is a teen, not a toddler, he can take care of himself in an emergency... And I think it was funny Clayton is warming up to Vic... Who could have suspected it. I also loved that finally Vic and Jacob feel like equals when it comes to their powers, and that Jacob got to experience his powers in a way that's meaningful for him.
That said, I need to start getting some answers. We got a whole book, but we didn't learn almost anything new about the questions that were opened some time ago, because there's almost no development "big plot" wise appart for getting rid of Jennifer Chance's body. And I'm looking forward to discuss this one with my fellow BReaders.

[Ronie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for cranking out these chapters. When you could have left it withe the book if short stories. I was sad but satisfied. But this one here, was the ending to a future beginning. Cause there us still that breeding program to contend with. Besides the Men in Black antics of the original training program.

Job well done

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a bit of a digression. Like when the X-Files did a standalone instead of a mythology episode. Mysterious and spooky, sure, but we don’t learn anything new about Vic. Or Jacob’s talent either (tho I’m not so interested in that). But maybe I missed something. Was there a new thread that’ll be picked up in the next book? Either way, it’s always great to spend time with these guys and this was enjoyable as usual.

[Bizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I read book 13 (Subtle Bodies), I felt like its role in the overarching PsyCop story was mostly wheel-spinning, because not much progress was made and no long-term antagonist was involved. I think if I’d read Skeleton Crew a year ago, I’d have felt the same way: that it was enjoyable but didn’t really go anywhere. However, I’m reading a lot less romance (or fiction of any kind) lately, which has made me more appreciative of the few books that really capture my imagination. This book is one of those, because even if I wish I had a better sense of where this series was going, I really enjoy Vic and Jacob’s adventures, Vic’s POV, and Price’s creativity and wit. The PsyCop world is endlessly fascinating to me, in a way that only a few series have ever been.

I actually read this book twice in quick succession: once on the day it came out, and then again after I’d completed a full-series re-read because I realized I wanted a better sense of how this book fit into the larger story. I think it says a lot about how good Price’s writing is that I enjoyed it just as much the second time, even though I normally need a lot of time between re-reads to enjoy them and not just skip to the parts I like best. It was fun looking for clues once I knew how the mystery was resolved, and it also let me slow down and enjoy Vic’s observations of Jacob and the other characters.

One of the things I love most about this series is that although Vic thinks Jacob is amazing, he’s also annoyed by him sometimes, disagrees with him fairly often, and is aware of Jacob’s flaws. And Jacob is the same about Vic, at least in terms of what we can see in Jacob’s dialogue, since we don’t get his POV. They feel like a couple that’s been together a long time, has a real life together, and are choosing to stay together because they value what they have, and not just because of physical attraction or early-relationship butterflies. Those elements are missing from a lot of romances – mostly for understandable reasons, because most romance books end quite early in the relationship – and I think it’s a big reason why romance hasn’t really been working for me lately, on the whole.

I also love that Price creates such interesting and memorable side characters. This book had two more that I already know I’ll miss in future books. And Price did a great job letting both of those characters contribute to the resolution of the story in a way that felt true to their personalities and wasn’t always obvious to the reader.

The resolution to the mystery was satisfying and sad, and I liked the way it tied into Vic and Jacob’s stories. I do wish it was clearer how all this relates to the larger story, or if Price is even trying to tell a larger story at this point. I’d be happy to keep reading about Vic and Jacob’s adventures even if they’re all one-offs from now on, but it would be nice to know if that’s what’s happening, or if the storyline about Jacob’s abilities is going somewhere bigger.

[Raithiain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely my most anticipated book of 2024!!!

[Iz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was freaking great, as usual.
"Skeleton Crew" was yet another amazingly gripping and fun installment in this masterpiece series from Jordan Castillo Price.
I think I was missing Victor's more unhinged moments (he's decidedly in his Responsible Era™, whereas Jacob is decidedly NOT lol), so not a full five star review, but this installment was a joy to read nonetheless.
I loved seeing both Jacob and Victor being so secure and in love with each other, and I loved the plot and I loved the side characters too: they're as wacky as any JCP character.

Victor Bayne's been my favourite since the very first time I laid my eyes on his addicted, disastrous, socially awkward ass. He's always going to be my favourite, even though he's very much put together (or acting like it at least lol) nowadays. His internal commentary is ALWAYS hilarious though, and I loved being in his head once again.
I hope JCP never stops writing this series. It's one of my favourites, and SUCH a joy to read.

TWs/CWs: death, injury, addiction (past), PTSD, confinement (past).

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still like listening to the audio (even though the voice for Jacob is annoyingly hushed and I have to keep adjusting the volume) and I love those two together. But. I'm still missing the old days, where Jacob was in awe of Vic and totally fascinated by his abilities and him being a 'stiff' but totally grounding Vic. I feel like him having his own super powers takes something away from Vic?!
How many books are left? Maybe I should quit while I still (mostly) enjoy those books?

[Ay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as another episode in their lives. I didn't enjoy the episode itself though. I'm a bit claustrophobic.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait! One of my favorites of the series. It's different than a lot of the others, won't provide spoilers, but I loved the characters Jibbens and Alisha added in. I hope the next book covers at least one of the characters continuing somehow. The stuff with Clayton, family values, high humor - again have to adore Vic

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh Vic and Jacob are in it this time. A storm has them trapped in the basement of the FPMP in the lair of the scientists with one persnickety scientist and a delivery woman. Of course nothing can be simple for these two. When things start flying around it gets dangerous and a little scary quick.

I liked Vic and Jacob dealing with something new in this one. Neither had experienced anything like the circumstances they found themselves in and it just opened up a new avenue of questions about Jacob's abilities. Nothing is ever easy and figuring out the pieces of just what all is going on will take all of their skills.

I love this series and can't wait for more with Jacob and Vic. Every new piece of information they figure out just offers up more questions.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 🌟

[Susan Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I like most about Jordan Castillo Price’s Psycop series is watching the relationship between Vic and Jacob evolve. For some series a wedding is the end of the narrative arc. That is not the case in this series as Skeleton Crew proves. Even Vic notes the changes wrought in their life by the case they just solved in this book. It was in essence a locked room story. When Vic has eliminated all four of the people locked in the sub basement, including himself, he entertains some interesting alternatives. Without giving anything away, I did not see the cause of the “accidents” that kept on plaguing them. The two people locked in with Vic and Jacob are entertaining characters, Jibben because of his tics and the other person who is a fan of the paranormal. And there is an evil character who makes a reappearance, much to Vic’s dismay. This is one of those series where I became emotionally connected to the main characters and don’t know how the author will end the series without some of us disappointed. I received a free copy of the book and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Jemiu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull, slow, no progress in character or story. I don't undstand why this installment even exists. Skippable, entirely.

It's almost like a bottle episode since the characters are all stuck in a basement for the duration, but it fails to do what bottle episodes are supposed to do. It's a narrative device intended to give characters time to pause & ruminate on who they are/what they're dealing with, and we're supposed to learn something about them or deepen our connection to them. Instead, Jacob and Vic stay who they are and don't explore anything new or any more deeply than previous books.

The "ghost of the week" isn't even interesting.

[Edga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Loved this. Jordan Castillo Price is so talented. I don't know how she keeps this series so fresh. Lots of twists and turns, also a reveal re Jacob. I love how Vic and Jacob have grown together, they're so madly in love, the tenderness between them is awesome. I nearly swooned. I can't wait to see how this new reveal works out. Great series.

[Fritz42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, a great addition to the series. Any time I can spend with Victor and Jacob makes me happy, even if it took me to the reveal at the end to find out what was causing all the troubles. I loved how we are getting more information on Jacob's abilities. But what I love the most, is how these two guys' love for each other keeps growing and growing.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved this series up until this book. It took me a year to finish it. Seriously! July 18, 2024 to July 17, 2025. And I had to download a text to speech app so I could listen to it while doing other things. Maybe the author wanted the reader to understand what the characters were going through by making them endure a long, drawn out, utterly dull torture. Oh, yes, I did finish it. That is because I have hope that there will be another book in the series and that book will be good and I didn’t want to miss anything important. So, I’m not giving up on the series, but this story just didn’t do it for me.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I did enjoy this book. There was some of the paranormal in it but not as much as normal. Have to admit sometimes the psy stuff does get me confused. Vic and Jacob are locked in the sub basement with 2 other people during a storm in Chicago whilst they have left Jacob's nephew in the Cannery.
Although the situation was quite restricting, I didn't think things kept repeating.

[Cleo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Not a particularly great addition to the series. The pacing was really off in this one - I kept getting bored and skipping chapters or skimming ahead. The actual supernatural mystery and resolution ended up being pretty good but it took forever to get to it.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

It's fun to spend time with Vic and Jacob again. This is a story about trying to account for all the variables! It's a locked "room" mystery with a lot going on both outside and inside. I enjoyed all the characters--Price has a knack for deepening character that I admire.

[Punk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vic's trapped in the FPMP's sub-sub-basement with some colleagues, his husband, two random deliverypeople, and at least one ghost. I didn't enjoy this book as much as others in the series. I love a bottle episode, but the balance of spooky shit, investigation, and personal growth felt off to me. There's also a lot of Jacob, and—here's the problem with Jacob—his personality is 100% tell. Vic knows him so well he'll tell us what Jacob's like and then Jacob will back it up by being exactly like that. He continues to be a not very interesting mystery.

Speaking of mysteries, Vic's too distracted by being stuck in a basement to notice the actual mystery at first, which means the reader is all on their own with that for quite a while. I think JCP did a clever job of keeping them trapped, raising the stakes, and doling out the plot coupons, and this does, eventually, add to the PsyCop mythology, but if you're going to have such a small pool of characters to draw from, then all of them need to be pulling their weight, and Jacob's not up to the challenge. He couldn't be replaced with a sexy lamp because he actually does stuff, but maaaaybe a sexy roomba.

Contains: explicit m/m sex; anxiety over being trapped in a dark basement during a storm; ableism regarding an unspecifically twitchy character; cops.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written and suspenseful

Rating: 4.5🌈

It’s been a while since I’d read any novels in this series but this author is one I automatically read so it seems like a good time to get back into the universe.

It’s recommended that you be familiar with the characters, their unique histories and backgrounds as well as the series as a foundation for the knowledge required here.

This is a complicated story that involves a layered plot, hidden secrets, beautifully developed mysteries, and an agonizing twist that puts all the cast in all types of imminent danger.

This along with the storyline of a escalating anxiety from main characters, Vic and Jacob, about Jacob’s nephew home alone during a violent storm while the couple who were his caregivers for the weekend find themselves in a increasingly dangerous situation. Without access to WiFi and phones.

Price does a realistic portrayal of the fears and distress both men are experiencing, for the boy and themselves because of the newness of the situation. Then there’s the horrific reality they currently face, of the dark basement and its own extreme dangers.

The scenes in the basement are some of the best in the book. Descriptively, the author is able to bring us down into that scary environment, continuing to elevate the horror and obstacles every one faces and then finally turning it into one poignant but terrifying scenario.

So well written.

And if that ending leaves you with a few chills, it should. That’s the playground for Psycop. Check out the full series to date below.

Psycop:
#1 Among the Living
#2 Criss Cross
#3 Body & Soul
#4 Secrets
#5 Camp Hell
#6 GhosTV
#7 Spook Squad
#8 Skin After Skin
#9 Agent Bayne
#10 Murder House
#11 Bitter Pill
#12 Other Half
#13 Subtle Bodies
#14 Skeleton Crew

[Marsha L Respess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another wonderful story about Vic and Jacob and it did not turn out like I thought. I was concerned at first because I don't care for locked room stories and knowing that they were trapped in the basement was even more concerning. I laughed when Jacob's nephew, Clayton was dumped on them by his sister Barbara just as he was leaving for trip that sounded and Vic was going to work to do his weekly sweeps. He was shocked when Jacob showed up saying he didn't like how the sky looked and I was glad he was there. I forgot that Clayton mostly ignored Vic and wondered how he would cope for a few hours alone. Then Vic and Jacob go to work and get trapped and the security guard gets electrocuted by lightning(I remember being scared in Florida years before during an electrical storm and told not to touch anything because my uncle was struck by lightning while talking on the phone)and Alisha felt bad because she had given him a bad time. Dr Jibben, who was called Heebie Creepie was such an annoying and exacting man so concerned about security and keeping files secret and got in the way and ended up getting hurt. Things kept on getting worse and worse and Jibben kept on getting hurt and then the one wet footprint completely freaked me out. The solution to the mystery was so sad and enraging and then Vic realized how much Jacob meant to him and how he was as strong in a different way and made them become even closer.
I loved this story so much and wonder if there will be more stories.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a full series reread before this book, so I was ready for more time with Vic and Jacob. The vast majority of the book takes place in one day, which makes it more action focused than most of the series. Stuck in the FPMP basement with two new characters, Vic and Jacob have to navigate a series of bizarre incidents during a crazy storm. There was a bit of mystery, a lot of drama, and kept me up late reading.
I feel like in every review, I mention how the characters continue to grow, and Skeleton Crew is no different, though it was more plot-focused than character-focused. Jacob is still trying to understand his ability and wants to be able to do all the things immediately while Vic is more settled in his work, relationship, and powers. We learn more about Jacob's ability but also learn more about just how psychic ability works in general.
Overall, it was a really fun ride with two of my favorite characters that still worked to grow the characters and the overall story.

[Viki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful addition to the series! Adding one of those stuck in a place because of s storm tropes really helped with what felt like a bit directionless plot of Other Half (though coming here after finishing Subtle Bodies, I was surprised nothing came out of it, or from the cool new medium).

There's still a bit of busywork all around, since they are basically killing time while waiting to be rescued

What really struck me in this one is the realization just on how small a scale this "universe" operates on. Everyone adss a different amount of "paranormal" to their contemporary soup when cooking but this system feel very modest in comparison to any I know. I keep thinking of Rogan (IA reference, yes, again) and how him being an exceptional TK was him being able to tear a building in half but also using small change as projectiles - which is just so much different from the scale of the best TK here being able to... move a penny? A few inches?

It gets showy once in a while, mostly, let's be honest, with GhostTV, but it's definitely an interesting step to have such a small-scale system. Climax scenes excluded.

The only part where it feels silly is the... FPMP National? I am already a bit confused about why someone would be so impressed/scared by Vic, since his ability only gives results when there's a ghost who is willing to talk (as in who is he going to endanger with that) and to see the reaction to... well, I don't want to spoiler anything so let's just say getting he escaped couple would be a major win but why would anyone want... sigh.

It definitely adds to the scare factor. I made the mistake of reading this before bed and oh boy, I am not a ghost story person, I don't want horror movies and I felt quite spooked by this one!

The cast was much smaller so we got to know the two side characters much better.

Overall, I really hope to see more of Vic and Jacob in the future. Recommend this one, of course.