Real Ghost Encounters: Terrifying Tales of the Supernatural

by Rob Gandy, Jan Harold Brunvand (Introduction)

"Nothing will be the same again after reading this book" - Jeremy Harte, Folklore Society.

"A collection of uncanny tales in the classic folklorist tradition, Real Ghost Encounters provides a trove of new cases to puzzle over." - Matthew Kibbey, Editor FATE Magazine

The world is filled with strange occurrences that we can't explain with our rational minds. An odd feeling, a sudden appearance, a haunting figure in the distance...

At one time or another, many of us have encountered what we might describe as a 'ghost'. In this fascinating collection, author Rob Gandy makes use of his background as a statistician to try to understand the phenomenon and presents without judgement a wide range of true ghost stories. Ranging from mysterious hitchhikers who appear on the side of the road to haunted places where spirits crop up again and again to instances of 'timeslips', where a person or group of people suddenly experience a scene from the past, these incredible stories will reshape your understanding of the supernatural.

Take an open mind to the stories presented within and judge for yourself whether there can be any other explanation for these extraordinary events.

This edition includes a foreword from leading folklorist and urban legend researcher Jan Harold Brunvand.

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2026

Reviews

[Fiona Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like a seasonal read, and what could be more timely than ghostly encounters at Halloween?

This book is pleasingly written. Rob Gandy has a clear, neat writing style that reads easily and well, and thankfully avoids the borderline illiterate hyperbole that is normally a feature of paranormal publishing. Not a single skinwalker is featured in these pages.

What makes this a good book, though, also detracts from it a touch - for me, at least, having recently battled through other titles with thin narrative threads. Grouping the encounters by type is fine, adding some thoughts is fine ... but the book as a whole lacks momentum. Perhaps it's better dipped into rather than read in one - it doesn't have a classic structure so doesn't benefit from reading with the purpose of reaching the end. We aren't going to find out what happened.

I make no judgement on the veracity of the contents. Believe or don't. Just don't set a skinwalker after me, ok?

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up because I was hoping for some suitably spooky stories in the run-up to halloween, and while there are some genuinely unnerving tales in here, a lot of the stories are actually a little dull. I get that Gandy is probably just trying not to over sensationalise the accounts, but it doesn’t necessarily make for thrilling reading, and it did take me longer than expected to finish the book.

I agree with a previous reviewer who said the book had no particular structure in how the stories are presented, and it’s maybe just not meant to be read all in one go but dipped into now and then.

I didn’t dislike the book by any means, it just wasn’t spooky enough for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Cin (cinsnextchapter) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read just in time for spooky season! Each chapter is dedicated to a different type of haunting or paranormal phenomenon, with several short reports of sightings and strange happenings. Some of the encounters include reference photos of the locations, which was a nice addition. While I don’t personally believe in ghosts, I do love hearing about spooky sightings and unexplained events, so I thoroughly enjoyed Real Ghost Encounters!

[Mrs. Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun spooky read! At first, it was a bit slow and it read like a catalog of ghost encounters without much nuance or discussion, but then I got into it and I enjoyed reading about all the spooky encounters. Of course, none of it can be proven, but that's part of the fun! I recommend it for anyone who wants to be creeped out.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Amber Howe · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I love books about real hauntings/ghosts. I found the book interesting, and it did make me want to go to some of the locations just to see for myself.