Australian Ghost Stories

by James Phelps

Haunting true crime stories of the supernatural and paranormal
Forget Amityville, Annabelle and even the Connecticut home that inspired The Conjuring - the most haunted home that world-famous ghost hunter Lorraine Warren ever stepped foot in was a three-bedroom brick home in Gladesville, Sydney.

In his award-winning narrative style, James Phelps, author of the bestselling Australia's Hardest Prison series, will re-create the thrilling histories of some of Australia's most haunted places, including Aradale Mental Hospital and its horrifying 126-year history.

Featuring spine-tingling on-the-record accounts from those who have been at the centre of the hauntings, Ghost Stories exposes the secret and ghoulish history of some of Australia's most famous buildings.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Horror, Paranormal, Audiobook

275 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2024

About the author

James Phelps is an award-winning senior reporter for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph in Sydney.

He began as on overnight police rounds reporter before moving into sport, where he became one of Australia's best news-breaking rugby league reporters.

James became News Corp Australia's Chief National Motorsports Writer and travelled the world, chasing F1 stories as well as becoming Australia's number one V8 Supercar reporter. James is also a senior feature writer for the Sunday Telegraph.

Following the bestselling Dick Johnson: The Autobiography of a True-Blue Aussie Sporting Legend, James returned to his roots to delve into the criminal underworld with a series of crime books: Australia's Hardest Prison: Inside the Walls of Long Bay Jail; Australia's Most Murderous Prison; and Australia's Toughest Prisons: Inmates. James is a twice V8 Supercar media award winner and a former News Awards 'Young Journalist of the Year' and 'Sport Reporter of the Year'.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining and interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn’t actually scary… and some of the stories were quite sad. But I loved the way the author pulled it all together. Definitely one for my Aussie mates on GR and anyone that is fascinated with ghost stories. The photos were fantastic as well!

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian Ghost Stories, James Phelps


This book was so interesting! a mixture of true crime and paranormal stories from around Australia. Who knew there were so many ghosts here. From sports stars to rock stars and the average Australian, James Phelps tells us stories of haunted houses, a haunted hotel in the Blue Mountains, and a house that was scarier than the house in Amityville.

There was the local to me story of Pictionary, the ghosts that room the graveyard at nighttime, and the famous photo that captured 2 ghosts one night. There is the story of Australia's first prime minister haunting the halls of the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains.

I was hooked from the start. James Phelps is a journalist, and the way he told these stories just made me laugh and creeped me out at the same time. Interviews with people who had seen these things and a lot of research went into this book. It was perfect for spooky season.

Thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book to read. It is out now and well worth a read, whether you believe in ghosts or not.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 2 October 2024**

I'll preface my comments by saying I read non-fiction rarely, only a couple of times a year maybe, so I tend to not enjoy it as much as others do. The synopsis of this one intrigued me though as I do appreciate true crime, and I thought adding a supernatural touch was interesting. However, I'm just not sure if the marketing is correct on this one as true crime is not quite accurate; they are 100% supernatural experiences described but I really wouldn't use the descriptor of 'true crime' in relation to the majority of the tales unless you consider disruptive ghosts to be the crime... Putting that aside, the stories are suitably creepy and it's an easy read.
Those that appreciate non-fiction stories of the other side may really enjoy this one.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review.
I believe in ghosts and the afterlife, I’ve experienced things and seen them so when we were sent a copy of Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps, I was intrigued to read.
The bestselling author delves into the supernatural, paranormal and haunted eerie true tales from around the country.
There’s much to get creeped out by but for me the two stories that really had me fascinated were of the Hydro Majestic hotel in the Blue Mountains and Aradale Mental Asylum in Ararat.
After reading I’m very keen to stay at the Hydro Majestic and hopefully experience some ghosts for myself.
But with Aradale, I was totally into the chapter of the ghouls that live there.
Phil and I went there a few years ago, it’s creepy and menacing and the stories we heard are macabre and ghoulish.
There’s an atmosphere of sinister and sends chills down your spine.
We did ourselves have a few incidents with the afterlife.
Also when we first moved to the farm we had many encounters with our own resident spirit.
A interesting, riveting and mesmerising read, if you dare!

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Australian Ghost Stories is a non-fiction book by award-winning Australian journalist and true crime author, James Phelps. Starting with a visit the infamous HM Prison Pentridge in February of 2023, his research for this book involved thirteen ghost tours, fifty-two doorknocks and seventy-eight interviews on the record.

As well as scouring official records and newspaper archives, Phelps gets his information from: paranormal tour guides, those with an interest in the paranormal, paranormal investigators, other journalists, former prison guards and inmates, home-owners, residents and neighbours, a real estate agent, and a librarian.

His stories feature: the Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath; a house on Gerard St in Gladesville made famous when Ed and Lorraine Warren of Amityville fame chose it after a call out to viewers of the Don Lane Show; a Gladesville mansion; a Hunters Hill ground floor flat; a Sydney north shore family home; and a luxury Bayview home in which a wicker lounge obtained in a garage sale appears to be haunted.

Also, Ten Tower of Goulburn Corrctional Centre; St Saviour’s Cemetery opposite the Goulburn Correctional Facility; St Mark’s Cemetery in Picton; St Patrick’s Cemetery in Kenmore; HM Prison Beechworth; the pool and spa of a St Kilda unit block; Aradale Lunatic Asylum; a Padstow rental property; a home in Gisbourne NZ where a ghost latches onto a young woman and stays with her; a summer house in Mauritius; a home in Sydney’s Northern Beaches; the Sydney Quarantine Station; a schoolyard séance; the Mt Annan Botanical Gardens; and a Kondut farmhouse in WA.

The text, some of which is rather repetitive and would have benefited from the attentions of a careful editor, is supplemented by eight pages of fairly unconvincing colour photographs. As several of those who provide anecdotes come from what might be seen as unrefined backgrounds, the copious use of expletives will not surprise.

This is a book that will likely appeal to those with an interest in the paranormal, who may just find the stories fascinating. Of the wider public, those who don’t discount the existence of things beyond our knowledge may find some of the stories quite interesting.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Harper Collins Australia.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️s

SpookTober read 2025


I loved this collection of ghost stories, but wow, talk about spooky and creepy but I did have a fa-boo-lous time listening these hair-raising tales.


Perfect tales for spooky season.


Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda/HarperCollins audio
Read by Silas Aiton
Duration: 7 hrs 24 min. 1.25x Speed

[Adeline Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t always read non-fiction, but when I do, it has to be a good one. Books about serial killers and the paranormal are right up my alley. This was a true comfort read for me… because I’m a little insane! 🤣

James does an excellent job of blending factual details with stories from true-blue Aussies. The chapter about the Australian Amityville horror gave me chills—when I told my husband about the blinds, I had actual goosebumps. I also found myself laughing out loud at James’ humour, which lightens the eerie atmosphere and makes it all the more entertaining.

It’s fascinating to read about people’s experiences with the paranormal, whether you’re a believer or not. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I’d love it if James would explore even more locations, like the Sunbury Asylum.

James, if you’re planning more explorations, please visit Sunbury and take me with you! (So I can step one foot inside and then be like, "Nope, I’m out!" 🤣)

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many, many words trying to disguise thin content.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian Ghost Stories - Shocking True Crime Stories of the Haunted, The Supernatural and Paranormal Happenings by James Phelps was an engaging piece of investigative journalism and a riveting read. Promises to include accounts from a rugby league legend, Bathurst winner and an Aussie rock icon were delivered, although my favourite accounts came from regular members of the public. I was hoping to read about the house in Humpty Doo, but given the author's efforts to bring previously unknown cases to light and shy away from the already heavily publicised ones, I understand why Humpty Doo wasn't included.

In addition to several family homes on regular suburban streets, the author included the Aradale Lunatic Asylum in Ararat, Victoria, and the Hydro Majestic in the Blue Mountains, NSW. This was the first time I'd ever heard mention of the Hydro Majestic - the hydropathic sanatorium turned hotel retreat for the rich - but then it cropped up in the very next book I read, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson. I love bookish coincidences like this and I'd love to stay there one day.

Not surprisingly, the author drew from his extensive knowledge of Australian prisons and jails, having researched and written several books about them, two of which I've read: Australia's Most Murderous Prison: Behind the Walls of Goulburn Jail and Green Is The New Black: Inside Australia's Hardest Women's Jails . St Saviour's Cemetery is the oldest of Goulburn's forty graveyards and the accounts from hardened prison officers working at Goulburn jail were super creepy.

The colour photographs were a great inclusion and not all accounts were specifically linked to a true crime; in many cases there was no known reason for the haunting. In presenting his research gathered from interviewing more than a hundred people, James Phelps isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and the narrative often jumped around in time and location.

"(Even authors are allowed to do supernatural things while writing a book about the supernatural). And to confuse things even more, we are going to hit fast forward instead of rewind." Page 136

I wondered why this seemingly erratic writing style was necessary and I can only imagine it was to keep the reader engaged but a lesser committed reader may find it too distracting. Not me though, I was here for ALL of the stories, no matter their method of delivery or how much I longed for a fixed structure.

Enjoying an interview with James Phelps about Australian Ghost Stories on GoodReading recently, I was surprised to read that the author doesn't believe in the supernatural. If Phelps was a sceptic looking for answers, surely he found them after traversing the country recording first hand accounts with people from all walks of life with nothing to gain by sharing their accounts for this book. There are just too many unexplained experiences.

Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps made the hairs on my arms stand up, but if you're a sceptic, I'm not convinced this will make you a believer; but what could? Perhaps a visit to St Saviour's Cemetery would be a good place to start... or if that sounds too confronting, you could always read a free sample of the book... with the light on of course!

* Copy courtesy of Harper Collins *

[Tim Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a truly mixed bag from James Phelps. Visually marketed as a hard-hitting examination of Australian ghosts and their links to previous crimes, it turned out to be less of a genuine investigative book and more of a volume of cheap thrills. This was clearly a passion project for Phelps, one that he had a lot of fun with. That’s admirable and if you let yourself go along for the ride, this is a rollicking good read. However, if you’re looking for well-written, well-edited and even-handed writing, then keep moving

Look, I’ll be honest. I love a ghost story based in real life. Forget Macbeth or Sleepy Hollow, give me a story about the ghost of a particular bushranger haunting a pub or gaol. I’m also a Historian, so I appreciate obvious research and discipline. This is where I feel a little ripped off. Emblazoned on the cover is “Australia’s #1 Crime Writer”. With this, I feel like I’m allowed to expect some quality writing and research. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be.

Let’s look at the examples provided, versus the work that went in. Phelps cites the number of interviews undertaken (around 80+) for his research. Yet the main case studies included a couple of obscure reality TV ‘stars’ and next-door neighbours who never actually encountered anything Supernatural, but confirmed that they’d heard people living in houses in the past complained about their experiences, as well as a couple of crims. Some of the sites examined included testimony from a grand total of one person. Case in point, the book opens and closes with an examination of the Hydro Majestic Hotel in NSW. The only contemporary witness quoted was a former manager. To his credit, Phelps does appear to have perused Trove for five minutes and explains the origins of the resident ghosts. However, attempts to convey the gravity of the situation really fall flat when there’s one person talking about it.

Let’s talk about some of the other sites. Focus on some classic hotspots (coldspots?) reasonably includes Pentridge, Beechworth, and Goulburn Prisons, as well as Aradale Asylum. Again, most of these included testimony from only 1-2 people. Sorry James, that’s interesting, but it’s not good reporting or research. What of some of the other sites? Well, there’s a Gladesville House that is no longer haunted. And an apartment that’s no longer haunted. And other houses that are no longer haunted. Really? That’s some really low hanging fruit. With the number of documented alleged hauntings in Australia, it says something that these are the only cases that Phelps chose to go with.

Speaking of low hanging fruit, the reader gets a glimpse of what they’re in for in the first chapter when Phelps gives credence to the ‘victims’ of the Amityville Horror – a case that has been proven to be a hoax (if you want to argue, George Lutz admitted it under oath in court). Again, a writer claiming this is true obviously doesn’t believe in rigorous research.

Finally, I mentioned poor editing. This was a seriously hard book to keep up with. Although each chapter focussed on a particular site or person, each chapter read like they’d been written under the effects of energy drinks, red frogs and No-Doz. The amount of jumping around between time frames and stories was honestly really frustrating – it made it that much harder to read and understand.

For a bit of fascinating fun, this is worth picking up in the bargain bin. For a serious look at paranormal activity by Australia’s #1 crime writer… well, I feel sorry for the #2 crime writer.

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 4 out of 5]

31/2- 4 stars. Eerie, strange … yet not “over the top”. I would like to hear more from contributor Susan Moylan- Coombs. I liked her gentle, calm approach and reasoning in “The Gold Shimmering Figure”

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd describe this book with one work, and that word is weak. And I admit I'm not the typical paranormal true believer. I approach this type of thing with a high degree of skepticism. But I hoped for at least an entertaining tale or two.

Nearly every story relies on single-witness anecdotes with no supporting evidence, no corroborating statements, and no research to back up the claims. It often reads like someone skimmed Reddit paranormal posts and adapted them into chapters. And reminds me of paranormal podcasts that retell stories from sites like Reddit to present them as unquestionable fact.

Several stories feature celebrities having a haunting experience, which I think instantly lowers credibility. Most tales in this book are built on hearsay. Things like “a neighbour said,” “someone once heard,” or “locals believe". With no hard evidence of documentation, police reports, historical verification, or investigative work, what is in this collection of tales to hold onto?

Possibly the most frustrating part is the promise of a true crime connection stated on the cover. I can't recall any of the hauntings having anything to do with crime, unless you say just because he writes about a few prisons that qualifies. I'd say that's a very loose connection. Many of the ghosts described aren’t even threatening. The repetitive inclusion of mediums and ghost whisperers who burn sage and conveniently fix everything also becomes tiresome and undermines any sense of atmosphere or tension.

Even the genuinely creepy locations, such as prisons, asylums, or historic buildings are not used well. Instead of digging deep into their real histories, which are far scarier than any ghost story, the book sticks to surface-level retellings and very basic historical information.

I get the author wants this book to be easily consumed and has an audience in mind who are paranormal true believers. But this felt not spooky, not researched, and not compelling. I give this two stars because the author seemed interested, but I do wonder how interested he really is, and there are a couple of mildly entertaining moments. But overall this feels rushed, uncritical, and thin.

[Maddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for Good Reads.

This book was so interesting! It got me hooked from the start (but I'll admit, I'm a sucker for a good ghost story).
James Phelps tells these stories of locations mostly in NSW & VIC that are haunted; from the Hydro Majestic to Aradale Lunatic Asylum (which is kind of local to me being from Ballarat), to stories from ordinary people to people known in the sporting or reality world to Angry Anderson from the band Rose Tattoo who have experienced the paranormal.

I highly rate listening to the audiobook along with the physical book; the audiobook felt like you were listening to a podcast & the way that James Phelps tells the stories is very matter-of-fact but very humorous, & at times humorous in a creepy kind of way. The physical book also has photos from some of the locations touched on throughout the book.

If James Phelps was to write a second book to touch on more of Australia's ghost stories; I'd preorder it as soon as it was available to do so. I'm 100% getting his other books (that are more about the awful jails/prisons Australia have had throughout the history of Australia & the criminals that have come from those jails & prisons) but he just has a terrific way of writing that hooks you in from the get go.

[Chelsea Pinkard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars - Subjects? Fascinating. Readability? Decent. Spell-check? Nonexistent. I mean, the name Lorraine Warren is mentioned dozens of times in the first chapter alone and yet still editors managed to miss the “Loraine” misspell. Also, people fleeing in “freight”, not “fright?” All within the first 50 or so pages, and it continued throughout the whole book. I thought the first 2/3 or so of this was done quite well, though I wasn’t expecting the first-person narration of the author’s story experiences at the sites and interviewing the witnesses. But the final third just fell flat for me, not that the ghost stories weren’t interesting but they did suddenly become quite mundane. Not to mention that one of the most haunted places in Australia, Port Arthur, gets nary a mention. But overall I enjoyed it and definitely learned of a few places that are now on my to-visit list (a few more ghost tours calling my name!)

[readingwithmissbec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Harper Collins for the review copy. I flew through this within 12 hours of getting it!

I really enjoyed this, the stories are creepy and keeps you needing more .. to know these were Australian places that were haunted made me super excited to keep reading, when I say every story got better and better ..

For fans of the paranormal and ghosts then I highly recommend reading this..

Perfect for spooky season.

[taleisha ridgway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

I enjoyed this, it was fast paced, thrilling, informative, comedic in places and kept me hooked the entire time. I loved that images were included, i referred back to them quite a bit while reading, it’s so interesting to see what others have captured on their cameras.

I like the variety of interviews and people interviewed, there were ghost stories from many different people from around Australia and i loved hearing their experiences!

[Zoe Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy, spooky but so fascinating. The stories contained within the pages combined with the images makes this book so enticing. I didn't want to put it down. There were places I had heard of and some that I had never heard of but each were just as fascinating.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good Australian ghost stories, some quite chilling.
3.5

[Gracie Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should've had a warning saying "Do not read at night". Hahaha

[Katie Clemson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Definitely learned things I didn't know before.

[Dawn Lawrence Read_with_Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as I’m a huge fan of the paranormal, spooky, crime stuff. If it puts shivers down my spine and it did, it’s a good book. I couldn’t sleep and stayed up most of the night in the dark reading and creeped myself out a bit! Really enjoyed this book, highly recommend

[JKS · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book gave me loads of mixed feelings. I received this novel as a present from my mom after her Australia trip and was intrigued by its premise. It must be mentioned that I never really took this book serious. It's probably this mindset that made the first few chapters super fascinating. Early on, I started noticing how similar the ghost-stories were to witch-stories. The witch-incidents are nowadays explained as a moral panic, during which society (and men) were scared of what women could do and tried to explain it away by branding them as a witch. Similarly, in many of the ghost stories, we see a tragic incidents being explained as ghost-possessions. Most of those stories state that the person was ''never really violent'' and yet suddenly started showing aggression or unhappiness. Similarly, many seemingly unexplainable murder cases are branded as ghost occurrences, which is fascinating because there are a bunch of other reasons as to why a person commits such acts towards ''loved ones''. Nowadays, we can explain many of these cases through a criminological lens, yet most of these stories originate from times when criminology was not as developed. That makes the core of many of these stories so fascinating, right :)

That said, this book was completely lacking any coherent and logical reasoning, often utilizing circular reasoning instead. Phelps also seemed to solely work based on hearsay and personal observation, thus opening his work to multiple biases (notably: social desirability bias, observer bias, recall bias, confirmation bias, response bias, and reporting bias). Most of these biases were quite evident and began to annoy me more as the stories progressed. After two-thirds of the book, I actually had to force myself to keep reading and felt motivated to throw the book out. I didn't. I made it through. I simply wished the book wasn't as long as it turned out to be. There are a lot of empty filler words, arguments, and stories that have simply nothing to do with Phelps objective. The book could have been shorter, and it should have been. It seems that academia has made me a peculiar book hater.

[Shiloh (read_w_lo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian Ghost Stories Review

My rating: 5⭐️

Anything spooky with supernatural elements…COUNT ME IN!

This book was such an interesting read I absolutely devoured it in under 24hrs! It was awesome to read real accounts by your average Joe to sports superstars. I love how James visited these locations as well and did extensive research to be able to discern what some tour guides have said is not quite true. The addition of images to this book was wonderful. Being able to flick to the pictures and understand what photo is being spoken about makes it a whole lot easier rather than googling an image which may or may not be the one analysed. James’ writing style was seamless and easy to follow which made it all the more enjoyable. The mentions of haunted locations of such notoriety was so exciting to read! I’m really intrigued in James’ other work after reading this book. Especially the Pentridge Prison one.

If you like books that contain:
👻 Spooky themes
🫣 Research/background info of locations
👻 Real accounts by people experiencing hauntings
🫣 Images of infamous photos
👻 And more

This book is for you.

👻 Australian Ghost Stories have since been released 👻

Thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia for this gifted copy!

[Courtney Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely outstanding paranormal non-fiction book by James Phelps. I have been DESPERATE to find out what happened at the house on 3 Gerard Street in Gladesville, Sydney for months. After searching online endlessly, I found a link to James' book and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. His attention to detail and interview sources are comprehensive and legitimate, with really interesting interview subjects and sources. You can tell he's a talented journo as he knows how to incorporate sources, quotes and dialogue very fluently while balancing the backstory. I love the variety of stories - my favourite are,of course, Australia's Amityville, the Picton Ghosts tale and the Hydro Magestic story. I will go and investigate these places now :-) I highly recommend for anyone in Australia who is interested in investigating the paranormal. It's a great source of information to get you started. Thanks, James :)

[Julie Berzins · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read of some of the famous ghost stories in Australia. Having been to some of the areas that are written about it was interesting to hear of what others have experienced. I enjoyed the stories from the skeptics who had not only one but numerous experiences until they could no longer put it down to coincidence or excuses. It was interesting to hear that the mediums believed them straight away, could pinpoint where the experiences took place and could encourage the spirits to move on. It was interesting that spirits could attach to people, places or things. I really liked how the stories were real enough to be believed and not some over the top Hollywood ghost busting mission. Real people, real places. Odd but believable experiences with stories behind them.

I usually love James Phelps’ books and rate them 5 star but this one seemed to jump about a little bit so I had to keep checking where I was like I had missed a page or missed a thought.

[Sharon J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian Ghost Stories by James Phelps was a very impressively well researched investigation into ghost stories set in Australia. I was very impressed with the research and the stories were all very interesting to read. Great presentation of the stories with a touch of ghostly humour! As I live in Victoria I was particularly enthralled by those stories but they were all of interest. While I’ve never knowingly been confronted by a ghost there are several methods mentioned to deal with any should one confront me - I particularly liked the one where you just tell the ghost to leave you alone as humans need to get their sleep!

Highly recommended read.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AustralianGhostStories #NetGalley

[Tyearra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, one of the best real ghost books I’ve read in a while—and I’ve read a lot! What I love about this book is how it discusses the roles of healers, shamans, and spiritualists, and how each story highlights their connection to identifying spirits in people’s homes. I especially enjoyed the mention of a First Nations Spiritualist, which was really fascinating and added a unique cultural perspective.

I highly recommend this book, especially because it ties in Lorraine and Ed Warren. I had no idea they came to Australia to investigate the haunted house in Gladesville—that part was simply brilliant!

If you’re looking for other recommendations, I suggest:

Ghost Hunters: True Stories from the World's Most Famous Demonologists by Ed and Lorraine Warren
Bones in the Basement: Surviving the S.K. Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion by Joni Mayhan

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook format.
There were a lot of cases and locations covered in this book that I had not heard of before, which was a good thing. Most centred around the eastern parts of Australia, however. I would have liked to have read more about paranormal activity from other areas.
The tone of the book is conversational, with some humour and with a bit of swearing, which didn’t bother me. Overall, I’m was entertaining, though a bit of skepticism would have been good, for balance - especially when it came to those shysters - the Warrens.

[angelbby02 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to the audio version while reading alone bevause it comes with pictures, and the audio person being AUSSIE makes this book so amazing. I liked references to Aussie TV shows and interviews and the multiple POV'S of everyday people to famous people shows diversity of just about anyone can experience this. Definally got chills and now I feel so paranoid 🤣. I can't wait to read more books from this author especially aussie jails. (So glad to find an Aussie ghost book too)

[lum琳 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ahhh so good!
not a 5 star read though bc some parts were a little honk shoo mimimimi inducing (i fell asleep 3x...)
lots of stories about syd and mel which gave me a sense of familiarity, heightening the scared even more!!!

the one about padstow was pretty creepy because my partner and i bought a place near there... we were considering properties in padstow itself .__. imagine if we had inspected the haunted padstow one... yuck