By Your Side: A Paranormal Mystery

by Phil Giunta

"You're all alone here. Alone among the dead."

While haunted by visions of her brother's suicide, psychic-medium Miranda Lorensen is called to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to investigate a series of bizarre deaths—some of which are also suicides. Miranda and her team of paranormal investigators soon find themselves confronted by a vengeful spirit awakened thirty-three years after a bloody family tragedy. Miranda realizes that only she can stop the entity before it claims its final victims, but will her obsession for saving lives redeem her for the brother she failed?



"By Your Side is a riveting trip through paranormal mayhem... Giunta's endearing, determined characters encounter spirits both benign and fierce... "Page-turner" may be a book-review cliché, but it fits By Your Side from start to finish." —Howard Weinstein, NYT Bestselling Author and longtime Star Trek writer



"Phil Giunta's paranormal novel, By Your Side, is a superb introduction to his work. Think "Ghost Hunters" ... but more realistic. The characters are thoroughly believable, the plot is expertly constructed, and the twists and turns keep you flipping pages. If you enjoy reading ghost stories, you'll enjoy this novel. Highly recommended!" —Weldon Burge, Author of Harvester of Sorrow

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller Suspense, Paranormal

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2013

About the author

Phil Giunta’s novels include the paranormal mysteries Testing the Prisoner, By Your Side, and Like Mother, Like Daughters. His short stories appear in two dozen anthologies of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and more.

He is a multiple award-winning author and member of the Horror Writers Association, the National Federation of Press Women, and the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group.

Phil is currently working on his fourth paranormal mystery novel while plotting his triumphant escape from the pressures of corporate America where he has been imprisoned for thirty years. Visit Phil’s website at www.philgiunta.com.

Find him on Facebook: @writerphilgiunta, Instagram: @phil_giunta71, and BlueSky: pgiunta.bsky.social

Reviews

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall View:
I am writing this review under the influence. . .
NyQuil, lots of fluids, lack of sleep, and body aches.

But it was such a effin phenomenal book, I could not wait any longer to post the review, Bubonic plague or no plague.

So what I am trying to say is: READ THIS BOOK!! It is one of best paranormal, psychic, ghost related supernatural books written. It surpasses books produced by a couple of the more "well known" ghost hunters out there. I cannot say enough about this book. Well written, well woven, spooky and haunting.

Everything about this book is wonderful. The writing style and the fact that it is so well thought out. You will love this book!

So buy it, now! It will be money well spent. I for one am happy I have a paperback for my shelves to show people.

My Review / Thoughts:
I think I have found my new favorite book. This has to be the best book I have read so far since the beginning of 2013. You know it's a friggen wonderful book when you're so into it you read it through being sick with the flu, dosed up on NyQuil and STILL trying to finish it. That's exactly where I was this week.

Sick and Addicted to Phil Giunta's, "By Your Side." There are so many reasons to love this book, but this sentence is what sealed the deal for me:

"It's generally easier to save someone from being victimized by others than it is to save them from themselves."

Why I love this book:
Psychic Medium:
Miranda, the main character, is a psychic medium. The first chapter clenched my soul in a way no other book has so far. The author wrote her psychic experiences in so much depth, I could have sworn he was writing about me. I am a psychic medium. I related so much to the main character with here drive to help the spirits and help others, all the way to the manner in which she had her visions. When I can 'step into' the role of the characters in a book I am reading, FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER, I KNOW it's going to be a book I thoroughly enjoy.

Paranormal Team:
This team was so well written, I swear the author watched my previous team's conduct and interpersonal relationships prior to writing. He has the mannerisms, quick jabs, humor and "game face" really well orchestrated, I could see it all play out with memories of my own team. If I didn't know better, I would swear Mr. Giunta was apart of a paranormal team.

The Hauntings and Plot Line
The experiences, the hauntings, the tales were so well woven together, there were no questions left behind. Well Done Phil, well done! The tale takes us back to the 40s, to the 70s and to current day and times. He was able to marry and intermingle so many aspects of the victims and suspects, I was constantly trying to figure out who it was that was the ring leader.

[Weldon Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phil Giunta's paranormal novel, By Your Side, is a superb introduction to his work. Think "Ghost Hunters" ... but more realistic. The characters are thoroughly believable, the plot is expertly constructed, and the twists and turns keep you flipping pages. If you enjoy reading ghost stories, you'll enjoy this novel. Highly recommended!

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phil Giunta's narrative keeps a steady pace from cover to cover, following a psychic medium, Miranda Lorensen, who heads a paranormal investigative team. Miranda is called to the normally quiet farmlands of Pennsylvania Dutch Lancaster County, where a terminally ill child appears to have an inexplicable tie to a series of deaths in the area.

Miranda and her team soon discover violent forces from beyond the grave are involved, and the race begins to prevent more deaths. Will they be successful in stopping the violence, or will they, too, fall victim?

A well-rounded paranormal thriller, I found "By Your Side" to be a very satisfying story, with credible characters facing incredible situations. These aren't your run-of-the-mill ghost hunters.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of gothic and psychological horror, I am always interested in searching out new ghost story novels. More often than not I am disappointed in what I have read. I grew up on early Stephen King and ghost story TV series such as "Night Stalker" and "Circle of Fear". By Your Side harkens back to those things for me. It is suspenseful and character driven. Without giving away spoilers, I found Miranda's team of investigators to be interesting, well rounded figures who kept my attention. Elias Gray, with his back story and motivations is a perfect fuse for the action, which leads us to the true protagonists and a very frightening climax. This book kept me guessing.

[Maryann Lesniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for an unusual read, one that stays with you after you've read it, then I recommend By Your Side by Phil Giunta. The Supernatural genre is not my typical read so I was pleasantly surprised that it was a mix of mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, and supernatural.....and I was hooked. One of Mr. Giunta's many talents is that he gives his characters complex personality traits that all mix well with each other and within the story. Understanding the characters and what motivates them is intriguing. I also loved having the story take place in Lancaster, PA. Highly recommend.

[Cathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't start a book with the depressing thought of of a description of someones suicide hanging on me throughout the book. Just not my kind of read. But the author does a great job of describing the emotions of the characters so you feel the sadness. Te ending was not what I had expected. I give it 4 stars because the Author really knows how to write , but the story line was not for me.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable ghost story, a feel good read. I have to admit I'm not too happy about the 'uplifting' messages, but it's a hard subject to handle well. Would give this one 3 1/2 stars if Goodreads let me.

Trigger warning - the book is, essentially, about suicide, and the choices it entails. If you're up to handling that in a thriller context, then you'll enjoy this book.

[DT Krippene · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Your Side is a story for those who love Dean Koontz and Stephen King. A psychic-medium thriller that happens in Pennsylvania's Amish country, you can't help falling in step with a team of investigators trying to solve a rash of murders. Great pacing, good read.

[Hhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paranormal investigators investigate the deaths of residents in a small community and how these deaths correlate to a family tragedy years before. The author knows how to tell a good ghost story!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story an characters. I loved this book... :)

[Kea4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this ghost/mystery. This story does have a lot of tragedy but it kept me reading.
The dreams of her brother ad a nice touch to the story with a good ending. Add the art dealer and some violent and vengeful ghosts in town it’s up to psychic medium, Miranda Lorensen to put a stop to it.
Sure some of the ghost encounters might be over the top.
It all ties into a young boy. It is a shame the plane went down but again then we would not have a story.

I enjoyed the mystery and the build-up. Perfect for Halloween
m

I enjoyed the mystery and the build-up. Perfect for Halloween
mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, and supernatural vengeful ghosts. Buckle up.

https://theworldisabookandiamitsreade...

[Indy Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has chills, thrills, suspense and even light hearted humour. Will keep you engaged from start to finish, a very well written novel, I applaud the author Phil Giunta as the story is intriguing with characters that are portrayed with so vividly you are caught up in their nightmares.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the book, the ghost hunting, some of the back story. I could do without some of the love story. I liked the connections with some of the characters.

[Vaishali Muzumdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book with different philosophy when we read it more we start to understand it more

[Carson Buckingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book all about unfinished business wrapped in a complex ghost story.

It begins by introducing a team of ghost hunters. Oh, don’t roll your eyes and mutter, “Oh, God, not another ghost hunter story.” It is so much more than that! You really need to read this one. The team leader, Miranda, is a real deal psychic, not one of these “Did you feel that?” “Did you hear that?” on camera, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing types. Her visions are germane and move the story along, scary as they are.

Then there’s Matt, a young boy dying of a brain tumor, who is able to predict suicides, but most of the time, too late for anyone to intervene. But before each suicide, there is a natural-seeming death, and these events are connected in a horrifying way. The answer is in a haunted house—a new build over a previously demolished one that has activated a horror almost nearly beyond control. The ending is absolutely perfect and satisfying.

There is more than one genre represented in By Your Side, and it has been my experience that when an author attempts to meld multiple genres, as this book does, that it can easily come across as somewhat forced, causing the reader to wonder exactly what type of book the author meant to write, as the waters are so muddied. But with By Your Side, the genre mix is clearly defined, and like a Maestro, Mr. Giunta has blended the mystery, thriller, horror, and paranormal genres, with a soupçon of heartbreak and humor, into a symphony of perfect pitch and harmony. Toscanini could do no better.

This book is so brilliantly written that it seems believable and real, and you will identify with and root for the whole team. With the way Mr. Giunta portrays his characters, you will probably be able to say that you know someone exactly like every one of them—no mean feat. What was interesting was that I cared about every single character—the good, the bad, and the ugly. That’s never happened to me before and probably happened this time because the author took the time to develop the characters so well that the reader comes away with a deep understanding of each one and why they are the way they are.

Realistic dialogue is an area where many authors fall down, but not so here. It is deftly written, and the author has clearly studied the way people really speak, making it easy to read.

Overall, you can’t ask for a better story. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy…and save it for a stormy night.

6 out of 5 stars.

[Saleyha Arshad]

amazing piece of work

[Lakenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

great read. was pretty against it at first but as I got further into it, I became very interested in it! Great book!