The Hat Man

by Greg Marchand

"an imaginative, chilling, and inspirational story about a courageous woman who challenged a dark, otherworldly force... Marchand knows how to engage his readers with a blood-curdling tale" - Readers' Favorite Five Star Review

After leaving her fiancé and quitting her job, veterinarian student Sadie Burrows meets with friends at a rental cabin on coastal Alabama’s Ward Island. Instead of a peaceful weekend, Sadie experiences devastation. A shadowy figure at the edge of the forest kills her best friend—her Australian Shepherd, Buddy—with a breath of smoke. The event leaves the once-reserved woman with a foggy memory of a tall man in a bowler hat and gentleman’s coat… and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.
As she strives to lift the veil that shrouds the assailant’s identity, she learns he is indicated in other very recent and brutal murders on the island named for its previous Victorian owners. What’s more is GoPro footage from one of the killings, visions from a Seer boy in the Louisiana swamps, and a memoir Sadie finds in the Ward’s abandoned mansion leads her to the realization that he is not of this world and has a surreal connection to the Hat Man sleep-paralysis phenomenon and to one of the world’s oldest urban legends, that of Spring-Heeled Jack.
With help from a local fishing charter captain, a witch-proficient police officer, and her two faithful friends, Sadie will either see to the destruction of the so-called Hat Man or die trying.

The Hat Man is the first story in a planned series.

260 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2025

Reviews

[Jennifer Denney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced supernatural thriller. With a great group of characters and a killer whom is like a mix of vampire, slender man, Jack the Ripper with a dash of moth man.
With an old family history and a lot acres of land it is the perfect place for this book to take place. Fast paced, well written and only 1 thing bugged me. Not mentioning what it was but the book is soo good. Highly recommend.

[Kris the retired librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Booktoktours and author Greg Marchand for the review copy of Greg’s latest book The Hat Man.

The Hat Man is the atmospheric and creepy horror thriller. Set on a small island off the coast of Alabama, a vicious supernatural killer is unwitting unleashed. Sadie watches as the mysterious being kills her dog with a breath of smoke. As other more brutal murders occur, Sadie vows to get revenge on the spectral man wearing a tall hat and Victorian era coat.

I really enjoyed this fast paced mix of horror and thriller. Sadie went from a down on her luck main character to a brave kick butt heroine looking for revenge. I’d be motived for revenge too if something or something harmed one of my dogs. I really liked how the author incorporated the urban legend of Spring-Heeled Jack, a sleep paralysis demon, into the story. This is a quick read that you can binge in a day. It offers lots of bloody scares, a cryptic and menacing killer, and a main character you’ll definitely root for. This is a perfect book to pick up during spooky season.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for The Hat Man by Greg Marchand

I totally and utterly enjoyed this ghost horror story by this author. I was so invested by this compelling story that I found I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know how the story progressed. I liked the detailed description of the hat man, it sent shivers down my spine. The story had very descriptive text and everything was described in explicit detail. The characters were described in detail and acted their parts well. Sadie was a fantastic character and a force to reckon with. She was an animal lover and once she caught her fiance kicking her dog, Buddy, she decided to leave him. I truly liked her character and thought it had been written really well. It was a superb story that kept me reading into the night and I’m so pleased to know that there could be more books to follow this brilliant book! I would love to read more books in this series by this author. The synopsis drew me to read this book and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed. This is one of the best ghost horror stories that I have read in quite a while.

Blurb :

After leaving her fiancé and quitting her job, veterinarian student Sadie Burrows meets with friends at a rental cabin on coastal Alabama’s Ward Island. Instead of a peaceful weekend, Sadie experiences devastation. A shadowy figure at the edge of the forest kills her best friend—her Australian Shepherd, Buddy—with a breath of smoke. The event leaves the once-reserved woman with a foggy memory of a tall man in a bowler hat and gentleman’s coat… and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.
As she strives to lift the veil that shrouds the assailant’s identity, she learns he is indicated in other very recent and brutal murders on the island named for its previous Victorian owners. What’s more is GoPro footage from one of the killings, visions from a Seer boy in the Louisiana swamps, and a memoir Sadie finds in the Ward’s abandoned mansion leads her to the realization that he is not of this world and has a surreal connection to the Hat Man sleep-paralysis phenomenon and to one of the world’s oldest urban legends, that of Spring-Heeled Jack.
With help from a local fishing charter captain, a witch-proficient police officer, and her two faithful friends, Sadie will either see to the destruction of the so-called Hat Man or die trying.

The Hat Man is the first story in a planned series.

[Celeste Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It can’t be real. Can it? Can he?

Sadie lives a quiet life with her dog and her fiancé. Her only complication is her boss at the vet clinic where she’s working to complete her clinical hours as a vet tech. All this changes when her boss crosses the line with her physically, bordering on sexual harassment. It gets worse when her fiancé kicks her beloved dog, Buddy.

Sadie decides to leave both career and fiancé behind and accepts an offer from her friends Charlotte and Jerome to spend a weekend on Ward Island in Alabama. She arrives early and this is when one of the first of many tragedies unfold. A shadowy figure arrives in the dead of night and kills her German Shephard, Buddy. Sadie is devastated but also vows to find the monster that killed him. All she sees in the midnight hours was a tall man in a hat and long coat.

Events unfold quickly in the story, which kept it moving along and demands the readers attention. Gruesome murders on Ward Island start with an elderly couple, then move swiftly through many victims. While the story is packed with folklore, mystery and several characters, I didn’t lose the plot with each character addition.

Sadie’s character grows from someone who is wracked by fear and grief, to someone determined to solve the murders. She teams up with her friends and some new acquaintances to unravel the mystery of The Hat Man of Ward Island.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, the paranormal, folklore and a decent dose of horror, then this is a must read for you. However, this story does include a lot of mutilation and gore. It’s something to consider before reading this book.

The Hat Man is the first book in a planned series which is why I don’t mind the subtle cliff hanger at the end. I don’t think Sadie is done with Ward Island just yet.

Themes: Friendship, Folklore, Paranormal and Horror

[pastiesandpages - Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @booktoktours for the ebook.

This is a supernatural, horror thriller set on Ward Island, Alabama.

Sadie goes to stay in a woodside cabin with her friends Charlotte and Jerome after her life takes a turn for the worse. She's split up from her boyfriend, has to fend off advances from her lecherous boss, has a rocky relationship with her mother and finds herself with no money or home. A weekend with her friends along with her best friend, her dog Buddy, should be just what she needs until she encounters a mysterious stranger, a tall man with a long black coat and a bowler hat, who kills Buddy in front of her eyes.

Sadie's love for her dog gives her the strength to seek revenge on what she finds out is a serial killer known as The Hat Man.
He's no ordinary killer, having risen from the dead and possessing superhuman speed, claws and a death-dealing axe.

The Hat Man is an urban legend who is far too scarily real and is linked to the man known as Spring-Heeled Jack back in the 1800s.

I found the opening a little slow as we keep changing viewpoints to introduce all the characters but once Sadie comes across this paranormal horror events speed up, the bodies pile up, and this atmospheric horror really gets into its stride. And The Hat Man has a big stride! No one is getting away from him in a hurry.

There are missing persons and grisly discoveries, a family with three brothers with links to the police whose parents are early victims, a ghost hunting team known as the Ghost Hustlers, police and journalist investigations, a creepy mansion and dark woods, witchcraft, and flocks of starlings that appear linked to the killer.

Sadie is usually the shy and meek type but The Hat Man made a mistake when he messed with her dog. It's very tense waiting to see if Sadie can survive for a showdown with this evil.

A great read!

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 Title: That Hat Man
✍️ Author: Greg Marchand
⭐️ Rating: (3.5 out of 5)
📅 Date Finished: September 3rd0
—————————————————————————
🧵 Quick Summary:

The Hat Man by Greg Marchand is a paranormal horror novel about Sadie Burrows, a veterinary student seeking a fresh start after upheaval in her personal life. She joins friends on a trip to Ward Island off the Alabama coast, only to encounter the terrifying legend of the Hat Man—a shadowy figure tied to folklore, visions, and local hauntings. As unsettling deaths and eerie omens mount, Sadie and her companions are forced to confront the line between illusion, fear, and supernatural danger.
Content Warnings
• Animal abuse / animal death
• Gore, body horror, environmental horror (trees bleeding)
• Psychological horror (visions, dread, sleep paralysis–style themes)

💭 What I Loved:

- How things were implied more than described during certain parts of the book.
- The witty banter between many of the characters.
- The correct pacing. It was fast in places and slow in others.

😬 What Didn’t Work for Me:

- It took me a bit to fully get into the book. It felt disconnected to me at the beginning. (Personal issue)
- There were some things that happened that just didn't really strike me as possible. I know it's a horror novel, but it's still a stretch. That's all I'll say.

🗣️ Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. I had to get into it and past a lot of the back and forth in the beginning, but it was worth the read. There were parts of the book that I would have normally set the book down because of. I'm not elaborating on that. Just see content warnings. I was invested at that point and really wanted to see how the book ended.

[Alison Faichney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hat Man is a supernatural thriller from a new to me author, Greg Marchand. The story centers around Sadie. She’s working towards becoming a vet tech when she abruptly ends things with her douche of a fiancé. When faced with staying with her creepy boss Sadie opts to take her sweet pup, Buddy, to stay with friends at an Airbnb with her friends Jerome and Charlotte. The Airbnb is on Ward Island which has a mysterious and checkered past. Soon the bodies begin piling up around them and when Sadie experiences her own loss to the supernatural force, she and her friends take action.

The Hat Man concept was cool but not really what I expected. Initially he’s introduced as the too-much-Benadryl version, but this connection is never again mentioned. Instead there’s an abrupt clash of various supernatural elements and antagonists. At times it felt like the author struggled to pick a lane and stay in it. There’s conflicting tropes that were never fully tied together. The lore behind The Hat Man is incredibly vague and the book stays in safe waters with familiar plot lines and somewhat typical characters. There’s conflicting tropes and the last third of the book headed a very cinematic direction.

I think if horror isn’t your primary genre and you’re looking to dip a toe into that big bloody pool, this is a great starting point. It reads like a movie that would do well with the very comfortable storyline. Since horror is what I predominantly read, this one fell a bit flat for me. I definitely think there’s an audience out there who will appreciate this one. If you’re a super visual reader there’s a lot of fun imagery to play with. My favorite part of the book was the brief visit to Les Voyants. This is a quick read that will definitely find an audience who vibes with it.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to any kind of urban, folklore legend as the premise of a book; I am going to read such a book quickly. When I saw this book was available to read, I downloaded the book with fast interest. The history behind the Hat Man was unique as well as terrifying. When people find someone to be their “god” they should probably look at the history of the person. The Ward family had money to protect their reputation but even they had to put a stop to the terrible rumors being spread. The only problem was that sending the problem to another country did not stop the horror. Then the man became the leader of a cult. Every scene that a person came across ‘The Hat Man’ had to be the most terrifying scene. The poor people that encountered this supernatural creature had no chance of survival. The author made sure that the reader would not want to meet this scary person. The incorporation of human and animals that had a horrible fate only made the end more rewarding. Sadie was my favorite character. She was going to defeat The Hat Man one way or another. Another major good point for the characters was that each one was so relatable. I felt that anyone reading this book would be able to find a character to be drawn toward. I highly recommend this horror book.

[NatalieSWrightBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hat Man by Greg Marchand

Following a bad breakup with her fiancé and quitting her job, Sadie Burrows meets her friends Charlotte and Jerome, at a cabin they rent for the weekend in Ward Island, Alabama. Sadie takes along with her, her very best friend, Buddy, an Australian Shepherd.

The planned peaceful weekend turns into devastation for Sadie, when her beloved Buddy is killed by the Hat Man, an evil entity lurking at the edge of the forest. The event leaves Sadie full of anger and vengeance. On her hunt she learns of other killings by the same man in the area. The story unfolds to show us that the Hat Man is not of this world and has a connection to the urban legend Spring-heeled Jack!

The book is fast paced and easy to read. Great characters and plot, and the added Louisiana voodoo and folklore make the book a really interesting read.

So if you like mystery/thriller with added paranormal activity, then I would definitely recommend this book and I really hope there’s more to come!

[Jacquetta Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What did I just read?

I'm glad I read this all day today, I am still not sure I won't hear every bump in the night and coyotes howling. 

The Hat Man from the 'new to me' Author Greg Marchand I found. It wasn't a fear book, a scary book it was a Terror book and I absolutely loved it. I only find a handful of 'Terrorioze me' I love to read. 

In The Hat Man it got to the point that I felt like I could see the characters in the book. I could almost feel their feelings..Thinking of my childhood to teen years, my love for books and the crazy things we are a step away from. I could have stepped into Sadie's shoes I was so much like her.. 

Colton, Jerome, Cathleen, Mia and Sadie were very strong brave main characters. I loved their stories, the glimpse of their lives. I won't give it away, I say you need to read The Hat Man, if you love Terror you will love it! I had not read any of Greg Marchand's work but I will be reading more. 

[Sareya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me hooked from the prologue

This book started off so strong and only kept building in suspense from there. It follows two main characters Sadie and Colton. Each are dealing with their own trials and tribulations unaware of the other until their paths cross under unpleasant circumstances... both are drawn to an Island because an evil entity has been released, and both of them are out for justice. They need to settle a score and solve the mystery of what is happening on this Island, and what happened to their loved ones. The "hat man" himself is super creepy! Combined with some really cool lore, history, and great descriptions of the Alabama coast, you felt very immersed in the story. The Ward family was written in a very intriguing way, and so many interesting characters were introduced, though many do not make it out alive! The Hat Man comes relentlessly, accompanied by his winged friends. I really enjoyed this book.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadie Burrows has just gone through a bad breakup with her fiance', so when her friends Charlotte and Jerome invite her to join them at a cabin on Ward Island, she decides that is just what she needs. Little do the trio realize that there is a dangerous killer loose on the Island!

Sadie soon finds herself involved in the hunt for an evil entity known as The Hat Man, who has been resurrected by a couple out sap hunting. The book is fast paced and full of great characters, mixed in with local folklore and Louisiana voodoo-type magic.

I enjoyed the historical aspects to the tale, the haunted house vibes, and the interactions between the characters. I look forward to reading more books by this author, especially if it involves the legend of the Hat Man!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hat Man is a suspenseful mystery with paranormal phenomenon. Sadie and her dog, Buddy, meet her friends at a cabin for a relaxing weekend which turns out not to be so relaxing. After her dog is killed by a shadowy person at the edge of the forest. Sadie investigates and finds out that there is a grim history behind the shadowy person and he is not of this world. The characters are believable and the plot is interesting. I received a free copy of this book via the author and this is my honest review.

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I snatched this one up as soon as I saw the title, and I am so glad that I did! This was a nonstop, wtf, how are they going to stop the freaking Hat Man, action packed horror. I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach (in the best way) the whole time I was reading. I loved the character growth in this and the friendship between Charlotte and Sadie. Please do check the trigger warnings on this as some of the unaliving got pretty gruesome and wasn't contained to just the human characters. Take night terrors, mysticism, ghosts, and an urban legend with a violent appetite, roll them all up and put them in an isolated location and you have the groundwork for this awesome horror novel.

Sadie has never stood up for anything in her life. But her (now ex) fiancé kicked her dog Buddy this morning and it's over. She just has to figure out a way to tell him that. Her best friend Charlotte invites her to an air bnb that she and her fiance booked for the weekend to clear her mind before jumping in to find a new place to live. But there is something in the woods behind that house, and it doesn't want anything leaving alive.

Thank you to Henry Roi PR for the copy, all thoughts are my own.

[Megan Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally read it from a phone screen in one day! Such an enticing luring storyline with historical information along the way. Love, loss, drama, and thrills keep you page flipping. The intense detail given allows you to picture the scenes and experiences of all of the characters. It definitely leaves you wanting more! I cannot wait for a paper copy for my Marchand Collection!

[Sonja Linxwiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept my attention and had me staying up late reading more to find out what would happen next! I really enjoyed the story line and suspense. I’ll definitely be looking out for book two in 2026!

[A5hley Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well what can I say this book filled me with dread whilst reading it actually was really quite haunting as we follow the fmc in this urban legend I found myself reading faster and faster as this built up.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megan Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loooved this book and audio! Reminded me a lot of The Garden of Good and Evil. Sadie, Colton, Charlotte, and Mia were the best team and Garrett’s comedic relief was on point! This was so well written and kept me hooked from the start! I needed more!! Book 2??

[John Bitsko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, If you want to be afraid of every noise you hear while reading a book then this is definitely for you. This book hooks you from the opening pages. Definitely recommended!

[Lynda Walls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly loved The Hat Man!!! Looking forward to the series!