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Ghost Town
In the isolated coal mining town of Sulphur Creek in the late 1800s, young Sammy Murphy’s world is a blend of shadowy tunnels and unspoken secrets. Born into solitude and pushed into reclusion, Sammy’s quiet life starkly contrasts with the booming industry that surrounds him. But as he searches for connection in an era of ruthless expansion, he finds himself at odds with forces far greater than he imagined.
Enter Barry Bacon, an ambitious industrialist who fancies himself a peer to magnates like Andrew Carnegie. Driven by unbridled ambition, Bacon’s dreams stretch far beyond the soot-covered rooftops of Sulphur Creek. But as the weight of his empire bears down, his unchecked arrogance threatens to unravel everything he’s built.
As Sammy faces an unexpected awakening brought forth by a fleeting love, and Bacon’s empire teeters on the brink of collapse, both men must face truths that transcend time—true love extends beyond mere attraction and real power is more than forceful arrogance.
Set against the raw, unforgiving landscape of America’s industrial ascent, Ghost Town is a gripping novel of ambition, isolation, and the pursuit of connection. With richly drawn characters and a hauntingly relevant message, it echoes through history, exploring what it truly means to lead, to love, and to belong.
Enter Barry Bacon, an ambitious industrialist who fancies himself a peer to magnates like Andrew Carnegie. Driven by unbridled ambition, Bacon’s dreams stretch far beyond the soot-covered rooftops of Sulphur Creek. But as the weight of his empire bears down, his unchecked arrogance threatens to unravel everything he’s built.
As Sammy faces an unexpected awakening brought forth by a fleeting love, and Bacon’s empire teeters on the brink of collapse, both men must face truths that transcend time—true love extends beyond mere attraction and real power is more than forceful arrogance.
Set against the raw, unforgiving landscape of America’s industrial ascent, Ghost Town is a gripping novel of ambition, isolation, and the pursuit of connection. With richly drawn characters and a hauntingly relevant message, it echoes through history, exploring what it truly means to lead, to love, and to belong.
180 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 2, 2026
Ghost Town by Dr. James R. Gregory was a super engaging book that held my attention!
This historical fiction, which had many thrilling and suspenseful moments thrown in, has short chapters and amazing storytelling to propel the story forward.
Although succinct in wording, both the setting and characters were well-developed and easily imagined.
The desperate and harsh, boom-or-bust 19th-century timeframe was palpable and atmospheric. The cyclical storyline thread was a clever choice, and this ending upset me while helping me reframe my own mind (along with the book's characters), providing a satisfying conclusion.
This is the type of book to leave out for guests, to return to summer after summer while out camping, or to offer as a choice at a rental getaway!
Without a doubt, this was a five-star read!
Thank you, PR By The Book, for the complimentary copy to read and review.
This historical fiction, which had many thrilling and suspenseful moments thrown in, has short chapters and amazing storytelling to propel the story forward.
Although succinct in wording, both the setting and characters were well-developed and easily imagined.
The desperate and harsh, boom-or-bust 19th-century timeframe was palpable and atmospheric. The cyclical storyline thread was a clever choice, and this ending upset me while helping me reframe my own mind (along with the book's characters), providing a satisfying conclusion.
This is the type of book to leave out for guests, to return to summer after summer while out camping, or to offer as a choice at a rental getaway!
Without a doubt, this was a five-star read!
Thank you, PR By The Book, for the complimentary copy to read and review.
March 22, 2026
A little intrigue goes a long way.
The strong, steady pacing kept my interest levels high from beginning to end, and this was accomplished while including characters who tended to have quiet, reflective personalities and a preference for avoiding conflict when possible. These are the sorts of folks I love to read about and don’t get to meet in fiction nearly as often as I’d prefer to. I appreciated the fact that the plot, while sometimes rightfully given precedence over character development in the most dramatic moments, never overshadowed the gentle souls who inhabited this world. Having such a natural ebb and flow to what or who was being described worked alongside the pacing even if some scenes did temporarily veer a little further into one direction or the other. As someone who has been writing book reviews for many years, this doesn’t happen as often as I’d like to see, and it’s made me incredibly curious to see what the author writes next.
There were a few memorable plot twists that kept me wondering what might happen next. I especially appreciated the fact that not every aspect of the storyline was tied up neatly by the final scene. There was enough of a resolution to make me feel comfortable saying goodbye to these characters while still having a few things left to mull over that could make for a reasonable starting point for a sequel if the author ever chooses to write one. I have no way of knowing if that will occur, of course, but I enjoy having that possibility, however faint, dangled in front of me all the same.
Dr. Gregory did an excellent job of balancing the thriller, romance, and historical fiction themes here. It isn’t necessarily easy to write something that includes multiple genres, especially with a plot that already filled with so many different types of conflict, from quiet internal struggles for some characters to life-threatening events such as natural disasters in other scenes. They were all blended together so seamlessly that I’d need to pause for a moment before deciding which genre to mention first while describing this tale to someone else. It truly was a little of everything in the best sense of that term.
Ghost Town made me feel as if I’d stepped into a time machine to visit the past. What a ride!
The strong, steady pacing kept my interest levels high from beginning to end, and this was accomplished while including characters who tended to have quiet, reflective personalities and a preference for avoiding conflict when possible. These are the sorts of folks I love to read about and don’t get to meet in fiction nearly as often as I’d prefer to. I appreciated the fact that the plot, while sometimes rightfully given precedence over character development in the most dramatic moments, never overshadowed the gentle souls who inhabited this world. Having such a natural ebb and flow to what or who was being described worked alongside the pacing even if some scenes did temporarily veer a little further into one direction or the other. As someone who has been writing book reviews for many years, this doesn’t happen as often as I’d like to see, and it’s made me incredibly curious to see what the author writes next.
There were a few memorable plot twists that kept me wondering what might happen next. I especially appreciated the fact that not every aspect of the storyline was tied up neatly by the final scene. There was enough of a resolution to make me feel comfortable saying goodbye to these characters while still having a few things left to mull over that could make for a reasonable starting point for a sequel if the author ever chooses to write one. I have no way of knowing if that will occur, of course, but I enjoy having that possibility, however faint, dangled in front of me all the same.
Dr. Gregory did an excellent job of balancing the thriller, romance, and historical fiction themes here. It isn’t necessarily easy to write something that includes multiple genres, especially with a plot that already filled with so many different types of conflict, from quiet internal struggles for some characters to life-threatening events such as natural disasters in other scenes. They were all blended together so seamlessly that I’d need to pause for a moment before deciding which genre to mention first while describing this tale to someone else. It truly was a little of everything in the best sense of that term.
Ghost Town made me feel as if I’d stepped into a time machine to visit the past. What a ride!
January 13, 2026
Dr. James R. Gregory writes a thrilling tale with Ghost Town
In Ghost Town, the reader is brought into the life of Samuel "Sammy" Murphy, the last living resident of Sulfur Creek. The Ghost Town. I have read this author's work before and am a big fan. The story is set against the Allegheny Mountains, in Pennsylvania. It's a great story that brings together drama, suspense, and story-showing. The characters are well developed and complex, and they intertwine with each other, and yet have their own personal struggles. The past events, such as a flood, added to their personal issues. This was once a coal-booming town, and then, it wasn't. It tells the story of how it was once something, and now, only one man resides, refusing to leave his home. The story is gripping, and harrowing at some times, and it can be very emotional, depending on whose story you're reading. It's a great historical story, and it brings to light, how perseverance, and even resolution, can change someone. This story is a grand suspenseful story. Ghost Town is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.
In Ghost Town, the reader is brought into the life of Samuel "Sammy" Murphy, the last living resident of Sulfur Creek. The Ghost Town. I have read this author's work before and am a big fan. The story is set against the Allegheny Mountains, in Pennsylvania. It's a great story that brings together drama, suspense, and story-showing. The characters are well developed and complex, and they intertwine with each other, and yet have their own personal struggles. The past events, such as a flood, added to their personal issues. This was once a coal-booming town, and then, it wasn't. It tells the story of how it was once something, and now, only one man resides, refusing to leave his home. The story is gripping, and harrowing at some times, and it can be very emotional, depending on whose story you're reading. It's a great historical story, and it brings to light, how perseverance, and even resolution, can change someone. This story is a grand suspenseful story. Ghost Town is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.
November 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Morgan James Fiction for the ARC in turn for a review.
This was a really great story and very different from the genres I typically go for. It’s hard to get stories like these right, but I think James Gregory nailed it.
Ghost Town tells the life story of Sammy Murphy growing up in a mining town. Alongside Sammy’s story is also that of Barry Bacon, the mayor of the town Sammy resides in, Crystal Creek, and the head of the mining operations. Both of their lives intertwine throughout this book, and we see how their actions, and the consequences of natural disasters, affect their paths.
I think the characters were all well portrayed and the book kept me very engaged. The chapters were very short which kept the book moving along. I’ve never read a historical fiction but I very much enjoyed this one!
This was a really great story and very different from the genres I typically go for. It’s hard to get stories like these right, but I think James Gregory nailed it.
Ghost Town tells the life story of Sammy Murphy growing up in a mining town. Alongside Sammy’s story is also that of Barry Bacon, the mayor of the town Sammy resides in, Crystal Creek, and the head of the mining operations. Both of their lives intertwine throughout this book, and we see how their actions, and the consequences of natural disasters, affect their paths.
I think the characters were all well portrayed and the book kept me very engaged. The chapters were very short which kept the book moving along. I’ve never read a historical fiction but I very much enjoyed this one!
February 15, 2026
This story had me turning the pages so fast. I love reading stories based on areas I have been to/around as it plays more like a movie for me.
The characters were complex and the story will leave you with a chill.
You enter the story learning about Sammy and you leave the story shocked.
The characters were complex and the story will leave you with a chill.
You enter the story learning about Sammy and you leave the story shocked.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews