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Dark Things #1
Dark and Deadly Things
Since Elise Morgan left her father’s reality television show, Dark and Deadly Things, she put the ghost-hunting life behind her, able to comfortably watch from her couch. Her father has resorted to faking the hauntings that thrill America, but he could never fool Elise. She can see the dead.
When the Halloween episode airs live on television, something goes horribly wrong. Four people end up dead, and Elise's father is the lead suspect in their murders. But Elise knows the truth. She watched the thing that crawled from the darkness. She just has to prove her father's innocence.
Abel Hale was in the house when his family were slaughtered. He felt the cold breeze, heard the scraping of nails along the wall as the entity stalked them. The thing that killed the people he loved was not human. There is only one person who believes him, one person who can help him. Joining forces with Elise, they try to find the creature and stop it once and for all.
There’s only one problem. How do you kill a ghost?
When the Halloween episode airs live on television, something goes horribly wrong. Four people end up dead, and Elise's father is the lead suspect in their murders. But Elise knows the truth. She watched the thing that crawled from the darkness. She just has to prove her father's innocence.
Abel Hale was in the house when his family were slaughtered. He felt the cold breeze, heard the scraping of nails along the wall as the entity stalked them. The thing that killed the people he loved was not human. There is only one person who believes him, one person who can help him. Joining forces with Elise, they try to find the creature and stop it once and for all.
There’s only one problem. How do you kill a ghost?
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 26, 2017
548 people are currently reading
853 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Martin
40 books285 followersKelly Martin is an author and developmental editor who lives in a possibly haunted house in a small southern town. While she'd like to say paranormal things only happen to her at her home, it would be a lie, mainly because she searches them out in some of America's most haunted locations. Whether it is talking to the ghosts of Waverly Hills or the spirits of Thomas House Hotel, these events inevitably land in some of Kelly's books. Just wait until you read The Haunting of Micah Reed.
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Take a peek at the Website: http://www.kellymartinbooks.com
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Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/readKellyMartin
Subscribe to the Youtube:
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Email Kelly Martin at kelly @kellymartinbooks.com (no spaces).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
June 26, 2020
Good and super creepy!
Dark and Deadly Things by Kelly Martin takes the reader on a creepy ride with a gal that can see ghosts and a guy that can sense of feel them near. An unlikely pair that date brings together. The story is full of suspense, selected of all kinds, and lots of thrills! Can't wait to read the next book!
Dark and Deadly Things by Kelly Martin takes the reader on a creepy ride with a gal that can see ghosts and a guy that can sense of feel them near. An unlikely pair that date brings together. The story is full of suspense, selected of all kinds, and lots of thrills! Can't wait to read the next book!
November 14, 2021
Super creepy and addictive - this has me gasping for more!
July 25, 2019
Illogical, clichéd plot. Long internal monologues. See trigger warnings last paragraph. THIS BOOK HAD NO ENDING.
Elise, 21 yr-old daughter of a fake ghost-hunter named Roger Morgan, can see ghosts. She watches Roger’s very cliché, live-stream, ghost-hunting show about a family living in a haunted house. She sees a “dark, violent, evil” black mass (no capitals) behind Roger. Zzzzap! The camera goes to static.
Police arrest Roger for murdering two TV personnel and three members of the Hale family. Abel, the twenty-something Hale son, is saved by his six year old sister, who saw the black mass. Ghost hunter Roger, driven mad by the murders, is in a mental hospital. Right after the funeral, Abel Hale goes to see Elise, the murderer’s daughter.
So if you’re like me, you think Elise and Abel go to the Hale’s house to ghost hunt; lure out what killed his family; fight and almost be killed by the black mass; will ultimately destroy the black mass; avenge Abel’s family, and exonerate Elise’s dad. Nope. That’s waaaaaay too logical.
I zipped through the book to find/follow the storyline, whilst noting editing problems. (A patient is in the “Psyche Ward.”) Unfortunately, the storyline is implausible and illogical, with plot holes that nine ringwraiths on horses could gallop through.
Abel lost his dad and mom, plus OMG, his 6 yr-old sister died protecting him. But he DOES NOT grieve, doesn’t feel guilty, doesn’t hurt. Unbelievable. Right after the funeral he’s off to see Elise, and a couple of days later, he and Elise are at different haunted house to find a ghost(s), and then they fight a scary ghost—one so powerful that I couldn’t suspend disbelief.
Elise was difficult to like, because she came off like a moody, angst-ridden teenager. She’s a very immature twenty-one. She lies, keeps secrets, breaks promises, isn’t sure about a lot of things, and doesn’t know even more things. She has long, agonizing internal monologues that go on and on and on.
I have so many questions about ghosts’ abilities, powers and categories. Can they touch the living, possess the living, rearrange furniture? Why’d Elise forget to use EVP, but use it later, like a magic-trick? Why and how’d the second camera record the should-be-invisible black mass in the Hale’s house? How’d non-ghost-seeing people actually SEE a human figure in the black mass? Plus: the police were so incompetent that they did not confiscate ALL the recordings made at the Hale house.
Trigger warnings: Pedophilia. Matricide. Sexual situations/rape/assault by juvenile.
1.5 stars
Elise, 21 yr-old daughter of a fake ghost-hunter named Roger Morgan, can see ghosts. She watches Roger’s very cliché, live-stream, ghost-hunting show about a family living in a haunted house. She sees a “dark, violent, evil” black mass (no capitals) behind Roger. Zzzzap! The camera goes to static.
Police arrest Roger for murdering two TV personnel and three members of the Hale family. Abel, the twenty-something Hale son, is saved by his six year old sister, who saw the black mass. Ghost hunter Roger, driven mad by the murders, is in a mental hospital. Right after the funeral, Abel Hale goes to see Elise, the murderer’s daughter.
So if you’re like me, you think Elise and Abel go to the Hale’s house to ghost hunt; lure out what killed his family; fight and almost be killed by the black mass; will ultimately destroy the black mass; avenge Abel’s family, and exonerate Elise’s dad. Nope. That’s waaaaaay too logical.
I zipped through the book to find/follow the storyline, whilst noting editing problems. (A patient is in the “Psyche Ward.”) Unfortunately, the storyline is implausible and illogical, with plot holes that nine ringwraiths on horses could gallop through.
Abel lost his dad and mom, plus OMG, his 6 yr-old sister died protecting him. But he DOES NOT grieve, doesn’t feel guilty, doesn’t hurt. Unbelievable. Right after the funeral he’s off to see Elise, and a couple of days later, he and Elise are at different haunted house to find a ghost(s), and then they fight a scary ghost—one so powerful that I couldn’t suspend disbelief.
Elise was difficult to like, because she came off like a moody, angst-ridden teenager. She’s a very immature twenty-one. She lies, keeps secrets, breaks promises, isn’t sure about a lot of things, and doesn’t know even more things. She has long, agonizing internal monologues that go on and on and on.
I have so many questions about ghosts’ abilities, powers and categories. Can they touch the living, possess the living, rearrange furniture? Why’d Elise forget to use EVP, but use it later, like a magic-trick? Why and how’d the second camera record the should-be-invisible black mass in the Hale’s house? How’d non-ghost-seeing people actually SEE a human figure in the black mass? Plus: the police were so incompetent that they did not confiscate ALL the recordings made at the Hale house.
Trigger warnings: Pedophilia. Matricide. Sexual situations/rape/assault by juvenile.
1.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2020
Let me say, this was a good book. I was looking forward to answers to all the questions.
There are some typos, and some words used incorrectly and a few editing errors, but not enough to interfere.
Brakes, not breaks
Especially not specifically, things like that.
The main character, Elise, raises many.
“ I have an idea what it is, but cant tell him that.”
But no questions are answered, not one.
And it ends on
“i dont know what se was, but I have my theories. I hope to God I’m wrong”
I dont mind cliffhangers, I don't mind series, but there had to be something that concludes in a book!
Im reading number 2 because the book is well written, the story is good and the characters are interesting.
The cut off with no information is the reason for the two stars.
There are some typos, and some words used incorrectly and a few editing errors, but not enough to interfere.
Brakes, not breaks
Especially not specifically, things like that.
The main character, Elise, raises many.
“ I have an idea what it is, but cant tell him that.”
But no questions are answered, not one.
And it ends on
“i dont know what se was, but I have my theories. I hope to God I’m wrong”
I dont mind cliffhangers, I don't mind series, but there had to be something that concludes in a book!
Im reading number 2 because the book is well written, the story is good and the characters are interesting.
The cut off with no information is the reason for the two stars.
Want to read
July 26, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/26/2020)! 🎁
July 9, 2020
Real rating: 3.5⭐︎
TW/CW: referenced incest, child molestation, pedophilia
OK.
So.
Where to start?
This story could have been creepier than what it was... Elise should not be telling this story. Because she is so juvenile, self-absorbed, and negative/surly, the spooky elements loose most of their teeth. Simply because Elise isn't paying attention to them. She is constantly navel-gazing.
C O N S T A N T L Y.
We know she's going to encounter a spook? We know the build up should be happening? Along comes a long, angsty, been-through-it-10-times-already inner-monologue and very little punch when the spooks do make an appearance. Like...thank you for finally showing up so she'll stop obsessing about herself for a few sentences.
And there's a lot of holes in the plot line and world building. It doesn't make sense that Elise is part of a prominent/famous ghost hunting family, can see ghosts herself, has been on investigations since she was a young child...but she has severely limited knowledge and exposure to any type of a ghost that isn't one of her Flickers. She doesn't even have resources or contacts that would come with being part of a niche community so she can do any proper research or consult anyone to help her out. No books or guides on the occult? Supernatural? Paranormal? Anything? Nothing about any of this set up would lead me to believe that Elise and the Morgans are prominent ghost hunters besides having a show. Every one of those shows has experts they consult and crew members who specialize in research. Who was doing this for the Morgans?
So. There's a lot of potential in elements of this story, but the execution is a serious fumble.
Let's not get into the hot mess which was the lack of an editor for this.
I'm willing to try the next story to see what happens—I have theories about Silas and what's going on that I want to see if I'm correct about or not— but if the next is also a let-down, I will be parting ways with this series.
TW/CW: referenced incest, child molestation, pedophilia
OK.
So.
Where to start?
This story could have been creepier than what it was... Elise should not be telling this story. Because she is so juvenile, self-absorbed, and negative/surly, the spooky elements loose most of their teeth. Simply because Elise isn't paying attention to them. She is constantly navel-gazing.
C O N S T A N T L Y.
We know she's going to encounter a spook? We know the build up should be happening? Along comes a long, angsty, been-through-it-10-times-already inner-monologue and very little punch when the spooks do make an appearance. Like...thank you for finally showing up so she'll stop obsessing about herself for a few sentences.
And there's a lot of holes in the plot line and world building. It doesn't make sense that Elise is part of a prominent/famous ghost hunting family, can see ghosts herself, has been on investigations since she was a young child...but she has severely limited knowledge and exposure to any type of a ghost that isn't one of her Flickers. She doesn't even have resources or contacts that would come with being part of a niche community so she can do any proper research or consult anyone to help her out. No books or guides on the occult? Supernatural? Paranormal? Anything? Nothing about any of this set up would lead me to believe that Elise and the Morgans are prominent ghost hunters besides having a show. Every one of those shows has experts they consult and crew members who specialize in research. Who was doing this for the Morgans?
So. There's a lot of potential in elements of this story, but the execution is a serious fumble.
Let's not get into the hot mess which was the lack of an editor for this.
I'm willing to try the next story to see what happens—I have theories about Silas and what's going on that I want to see if I'm correct about or not— but if the next is also a let-down, I will be parting ways with this series.
August 22, 2021
This wasn't bad if you could wade through the first 3/4 of the book getting bogged down by the main character's immature, self-loathing, and selfishly snotty attitude. 21 years old, supposedly, in the book, but my 11 year old is less of a child than this main char. There's a fine line between "trying-to-be-funny" adult and "annoying teenager" and this character walks that fine line.
A few ghost tropes we'd all seen/heard before but the reality show angle put a fresh spin on it.
Hopefully the less jokey/annoying inner dialog in the next one is more like the last 1/4 of this book, where the main char finally decides to stop being a human booger and thinks/talks like an adult that gives a crap.
A few ghost tropes we'd all seen/heard before but the reality show angle put a fresh spin on it.
Hopefully the less jokey/annoying inner dialog in the next one is more like the last 1/4 of this book, where the main char finally decides to stop being a human booger and thinks/talks like an adult that gives a crap.
February 6, 2017
I loved the whole concept of this book. I've been a huge fan of ghost hunter programs and to have this subject in a book got my attention immediately. To say I was excited is an understatement.
Dark and Deadly Things really started out with a bang, Author Kelly Martin successfully turned up the creepy factor that even raised the hair on my arms and had my heart pounding.
I raced through this book and when i reached the end I was begging for more. Thank goodness book 2 comes out this month! It's a great story with well developed characters and GHOSTS! The perfect combination.
Dark and Deadly Things really started out with a bang, Author Kelly Martin successfully turned up the creepy factor that even raised the hair on my arms and had my heart pounding.
I raced through this book and when i reached the end I was begging for more. Thank goodness book 2 comes out this month! It's a great story with well developed characters and GHOSTS! The perfect combination.
October 12, 2021
Elise Morgan quit her family’s ghost hunting show shortly after her mother was killed by a ghost. Though her father currently fakes most of the ghostly evidence on his show, Elise knows there are definitely real spirits out there, even if he doesn’t believe her when she tells him that she can see them and has since she was a child. So, while watching the Halloween episode of her father’s show, she sees a dark ghostly mass appear behind him. When the show cuts to static, the family at the house is killed with the exception of the son, and her father is blamed for the murders since he is the most unscathed. Abel, the surviving son from the Halloween episode, comes to Elise in search of answers for what happened to his family.
I love paranormal books focusing on ghost hunters and though Elise technically isn’t a ghost hunter anymore, Abel drags her back into the ghost hunting field in his pursuit for answers and to try to help other families so they don’t share the fate of his own family. With this being book one in a series, not all of the questions get answered and I’m dying to answer so many questions still like what’s up with Abel’s odd power of calmness or is that just Elise’s crush on him? And the mystery of what really happened to Elise’s mother and Abel’s mother, and just what was the black ghostly mass? So many questions because the story of what happened on Halloween night gets carried over as arc over the entire book series, while the story gets turned more into an episodic ghost investigation. I loved Elise. I loved how disillusioned and anti-social she was, and how pain pills made her ramble, and how very hilariously ironic and sarcastic she was. I loved her narrative voice as she berates her past self for being so naïve and how she never follows her own advice or plans. I also loved the ghost in her dorm who has a lot of attitude for a dead girl and am dying for Elise to solve her mystery (since it’s down right disturbing that there’s a female victim who looks that bad on campus, but yet Elise doesn’t seem to think much of it since she’s so inured to the ghosts wandering past her). I liked Abel, too, who seems mysterious and odd, though outwardly friendly and charming to everyone, so I totally want to uncover he truth of him. And I love the chemistry between Elise and Abel, even if he was just dragging her around for his own purposes, regardless of the fact that she needed recuperation after her accident. Since this is a series, this book ends on a cliffhanger, leading in to the next book (though it did resolve the current episodic investigation part). Can’t wait to dig into the next book in the series!
I love paranormal books focusing on ghost hunters and though Elise technically isn’t a ghost hunter anymore, Abel drags her back into the ghost hunting field in his pursuit for answers and to try to help other families so they don’t share the fate of his own family. With this being book one in a series, not all of the questions get answered and I’m dying to answer so many questions still like what’s up with Abel’s odd power of calmness or is that just Elise’s crush on him? And the mystery of what really happened to Elise’s mother and Abel’s mother, and just what was the black ghostly mass? So many questions because the story of what happened on Halloween night gets carried over as arc over the entire book series, while the story gets turned more into an episodic ghost investigation. I loved Elise. I loved how disillusioned and anti-social she was, and how pain pills made her ramble, and how very hilariously ironic and sarcastic she was. I loved her narrative voice as she berates her past self for being so naïve and how she never follows her own advice or plans. I also loved the ghost in her dorm who has a lot of attitude for a dead girl and am dying for Elise to solve her mystery (since it’s down right disturbing that there’s a female victim who looks that bad on campus, but yet Elise doesn’t seem to think much of it since she’s so inured to the ghosts wandering past her). I liked Abel, too, who seems mysterious and odd, though outwardly friendly and charming to everyone, so I totally want to uncover he truth of him. And I love the chemistry between Elise and Abel, even if he was just dragging her around for his own purposes, regardless of the fact that she needed recuperation after her accident. Since this is a series, this book ends on a cliffhanger, leading in to the next book (though it did resolve the current episodic investigation part). Can’t wait to dig into the next book in the series!
January 7, 2021
This is a great start to a new year! I loved this book so much and I am so glad to have a new author I enjoy. I have not read any other Kelly Martin books before so I am so glad to find this one and love it!!! Elise Morgan can see ghosts but she can not hear them. I think this is an interesting twist already. I love the characters of Elise and Abel. I think the story line was great and moved at a very good pace. I was not bored and I could not put this book down. I can not say this about many books I read, because most of the time, I read several books at a time. This book left me wanting more at the end and was a bit of a cliff hanger for me. I want to know what will happen next. I can't wait to get more into the series and I can see this series as a TV series or a movie. I love the direction this series is going and I love the supernatural! Thank you, Kelly, for writing such a great book and I can't wait for the next book in the series.
July 29, 2019
Elise was born the ability to see ghosts, Her dad is a ghost hunter
February 7, 2017
3.5 stars
This was an interesting read. It was like watching an episode of Ghost Hunters, but with heart. I honestly feel like human, and non-human, emotion was the star of this tale. I expected a little more of the creepy factor here, but I think that Elise's sarcasm and semi-dark humor, along with her begrudging kind of acceptance and normalization of the fact that she saw ghosts, helped make it seem less shocking that you were consistently seeing things not of this world. Truth be told, I didn't feel too creeped out by this ghost story until the end of the book, which was totally awesome, by the way.
The characters were intriguing. After finishing there are still a lot of questions about their true motivations and what is really going on with each of them, but since I know there is a sequel coming, I think that's fine. Ultimately it made me want to continue with the story to see where things go from here, cause that ending promised some very compelling things to come.
This was an interesting read. It was like watching an episode of Ghost Hunters, but with heart. I honestly feel like human, and non-human, emotion was the star of this tale. I expected a little more of the creepy factor here, but I think that Elise's sarcasm and semi-dark humor, along with her begrudging kind of acceptance and normalization of the fact that she saw ghosts, helped make it seem less shocking that you were consistently seeing things not of this world. Truth be told, I didn't feel too creeped out by this ghost story until the end of the book, which was totally awesome, by the way.
The characters were intriguing. After finishing there are still a lot of questions about their true motivations and what is really going on with each of them, but since I know there is a sequel coming, I think that's fine. Ultimately it made me want to continue with the story to see where things go from here, cause that ending promised some very compelling things to come.
paused
August 30, 2020DNF @ 67% (chapter 17).
I cannot take another page of the protagonist’s insufferable sarcasm.
I cannot take another page of the protagonist’s insufferable sarcasm.
August 11, 2019
This was a surprisingly fun read. I really like the sarcasm of the main character and I the back story of the characters was a different approach than I had ever read before. The author does use some typical ghost tropes but it reads so quickly that you don’t mind. I am continuing on with the series as one of my next reads.
August 27, 2020
This....is.....brilliant!!!
From the first chapter giving me shivers right up to the last page is a fantastic creepy story with some brilliant characters.
Kelly Martin take my money! I have just bought the next 4.
From the first chapter giving me shivers right up to the last page is a fantastic creepy story with some brilliant characters.
Kelly Martin take my money! I have just bought the next 4.
March 3, 2021
Not bad. The characters were likable and the writing was pretty good. The book was obviously a set up for the rest of the series.
July 1, 2020
MEH- I thought it had potential, but it wasn't scary enough and it seemed to be YA, which I cannot get into.
February 4, 2017
I received an ARC copy and could not wait to devour it after having already fallen for the Heartless series. If you're a fan of that series, then you must read Dark and Deadly Things.
"A soul is a soul, whether living or dead."
The entirety of this story is understood in just that one simple line, among so many other notable lines that really had my head reeling, thinking, wow! That's profound!
Right from the very first sentence I was hooked; Kelly has done it again. She has created a very believable character, in that she is just your average college student making her way. Elise is just trying to make her way in the world, she can't help that she's gifted (or cursed?) She is able to keep her wits, making difficult times easier to get through, for both the reader and surrounding characters.
I found some similar characteristic traits between Elise and Gracen (Heartless) but quite a different twist in the plot. I did not see the ending coming, and was completely blown away. I simply could not put this down. I can't wait for the next installment!
"A soul is a soul, whether living or dead."
The entirety of this story is understood in just that one simple line, among so many other notable lines that really had my head reeling, thinking, wow! That's profound!
Right from the very first sentence I was hooked; Kelly has done it again. She has created a very believable character, in that she is just your average college student making her way. Elise is just trying to make her way in the world, she can't help that she's gifted (or cursed?) She is able to keep her wits, making difficult times easier to get through, for both the reader and surrounding characters.
I found some similar characteristic traits between Elise and Gracen (Heartless) but quite a different twist in the plot. I did not see the ending coming, and was completely blown away. I simply could not put this down. I can't wait for the next installment!
February 6, 2017
Because somethings that go bump in the night can kill you
Omg just when you thought Kelly Martin's imagination couldn't create anything better than the heartless series she proves you wrong.
Elise was born the ability to see ghosts which when you work on a ghost hunting show can be an advantaged. When her mother is murdered she leaves the show but sadly not the ghost behind. Her father though no longer believes and has taken to faking evidence but when a live episode of the show goes horribly wrong result in the murder of almost the entire family apart from the oldest child Abel.
Abel is determined to learn the truth to his families murder and his mother's disappearance so he seeks out Elise's. Reluctantly she agrees setting them together on a path neither could foresee. There is physical attraction between the too but does Abel trust her and will they be able to stop the evil force killing innocent people.
What a rollercoaster ride and I can't wait for the next one. You better not make me wait too long Kelly Martin
Omg just when you thought Kelly Martin's imagination couldn't create anything better than the heartless series she proves you wrong.
Elise was born the ability to see ghosts which when you work on a ghost hunting show can be an advantaged. When her mother is murdered she leaves the show but sadly not the ghost behind. Her father though no longer believes and has taken to faking evidence but when a live episode of the show goes horribly wrong result in the murder of almost the entire family apart from the oldest child Abel.
Abel is determined to learn the truth to his families murder and his mother's disappearance so he seeks out Elise's. Reluctantly she agrees setting them together on a path neither could foresee. There is physical attraction between the too but does Abel trust her and will they be able to stop the evil force killing innocent people.
What a rollercoaster ride and I can't wait for the next one. You better not make me wait too long Kelly Martin
January 26, 2017
Elise is not like every other girl her age. Elise can see ghosts. Her father is a ghost hunter on television. One night while watching a live broadcast of him at work, Elise witnesses something unexpected. A family member from the potentially haunted house where her father was filming tracks Elise down to help him understand what exactly happened at his house. What dark and deadly things will be uncovered along the way?
I have read many books by Kelly Martin, and I have yet to be disappointed. Her latest is no exception. The pace quickly sucks the reader in, making this a difficult book to put down. The plot and characters are well-developed. Fans of the supernatural will certainly want to pick this one up.
One of my favorite lines is: "Things happen, and we have to somehow find the strength to get through it and live our lives."
Disclaimer: I won an ARC, but I was not required to leave a review of any sort. Opinions expressed are my own.
I have read many books by Kelly Martin, and I have yet to be disappointed. Her latest is no exception. The pace quickly sucks the reader in, making this a difficult book to put down. The plot and characters are well-developed. Fans of the supernatural will certainly want to pick this one up.
One of my favorite lines is: "Things happen, and we have to somehow find the strength to get through it and live our lives."
Disclaimer: I won an ARC, but I was not required to leave a review of any sort. Opinions expressed are my own.
Read
November 5, 2019This book ends in a cliffhanger. Know that up front.
It is told from the perspective of Elise. She has a begrudging acceptance that she sees ghosts. Has since childhood. Yet her parents, both Ghosthunters, inexplicably never believed this about her. One Halloween night, while watching her father's live cast of Dark and Deadly with her recently deceased mom, she witnesses a dark mass that attacks the Hale family.
In an improbable turn of events, Elise teams up with the only survivor of the Hale family to discover what happened to his family and was view by thousands on national television.
The limited perspective keeps the mystery. Elise is an interesting, sarcastic lead, and the story leaves much unanswered.
It is told from the perspective of Elise. She has a begrudging acceptance that she sees ghosts. Has since childhood. Yet her parents, both Ghosthunters, inexplicably never believed this about her. One Halloween night, while watching her father's live cast of Dark and Deadly with her recently deceased mom, she witnesses a dark mass that attacks the Hale family.
In an improbable turn of events, Elise teams up with the only survivor of the Hale family to discover what happened to his family and was view by thousands on national television.
The limited perspective keeps the mystery. Elise is an interesting, sarcastic lead, and the story leaves much unanswered.
February 8, 2023
I really wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did, the premise for the book was great but I found the style of writing a little awkward without having too many paragraphs within the chapters. I was happy enough to give it two stars because I enjoy ghost stories and the paranormal but I do wish that the characters were a little more life like and believable as well as the author not repeating certain things constantly.
While I know that there are other books in the series but it is one series that I won't be finishing off.
While I know that there are other books in the series but it is one series that I won't be finishing off.
February 7, 2017
Let me start off by saying that I don't do scary and I was a bit reluctant to start reading this, but once I started I could not put it down! Kelly has a way with sucking you in to her books no matter what they are about. The storyline was believable and kept your attention throughout the book without any lull moments. This was my first ghost story I've ever read and I can't wait for book 2! Kelly has done it again and you won't be disappointed in reading this.
August 7, 2020
This was a real disappointment. I enjoyed the set up to the story. I liked the characters. But this violated my pet peeve concerning books these days. It was not a complete story. There was no resolve. You are expected to read the next installment to find answers. Sorry. i'm not that gullible. You may have suckered me into reading one book, but i'll be damned if you can make me read two.
Read
June 2, 2019If you enjoy ghost stories, and shows like Paranormal Lockdown and Ghost Adventures, you are sure to love this series from Kelly Martin. Book 1, Dark & Deadly Things is a spine-tingling page turner. A definite “read it with the lights on” book.
December 17, 2019
This book brings the ghostly creepy atmosphere in a read.
Not sure if it's just a slump I'm in or that my busy days have been distracting me, but couldn't get into this book like I wanted to. I plan on rereading this later and giving it another try.
Not sure if it's just a slump I'm in or that my busy days have been distracting me, but couldn't get into this book like I wanted to. I plan on rereading this later and giving it another try.
August 24, 2020
Ummm…ok, so…once again, I was duped into thinking I was going to be reading a horror book and what I got was light romance, a person who has watched plenty of movies regarding ghosts or possibly have read many, and a somewhat active imagination. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by any means. In fact, I’d say I was rather irritated.
The cover of this book hooked me before I even read the genre and/or synopsis. My readers know I’m a horror connoisseur and I do take my fear level of reading very serious. I do not like to waste my time under any circumstances, so when I pick up a book (or rather download) one, I’m advising the author that I chose to read their much slaved over words and so you had better make it worth my while. This is what any reader is asking of an author, and no it’s not asking for too much! Why write a book if you do not plan to “entertain” your readers, right? Riiight!
So, imagine my surprise when I got into this rather short read, I had my eyes all set to read something wild and crazy was about to happen, judging off the image of the cover, and when I kept looking for the scary, I began to get frustrated. (Trust and believe, I’m trying not to cuss here!) What I found was Elise Morgan, an ex-ghost hunter, or so she thought, sitting at home watching her father on his reality show, Dark and Deadly Things, try to help a family who summoned him to get rid of the poltergeist lurking within their home. While Elise watched on, she saw a black mass of clouds heading in her father’s direction, along with the family he was in charge of assisting. She reaches for her cell phone and tries to warn her dad that something not quite of this world was headed his way. But lo and behold, wouldn’t you know it? Daddy looked at the phone, and saw his daughter’s name on the screen, and he ignored her. Of course, that decision wasn’t the correct one, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed.
When the black cloud lifted and the smoke cleared, the only two people that survived was Mr. Morgan and the son, Abel Hale, of the family he was trying to assist. Everyone else was literally pulverized by whatever the black mass was. Elise was devastated. Not only was she able to see what was happening, she also sees dead people. It’s only been six months since her mother died. Her mom was with her trying to talk to her, but of course, Elise can see her, but she is unable to hear what she’s trying to say.
And that, readers, is how the entire book went. Are you scared yet? Do you have goosebumps? Is the hair on the back of your neck standing attention? No, you say? Ooook, so there’s my problem. Where oh where was the horror in this book? Try as I might, and trust me, I tried, I could not find anything that made me feel prickly inside. The angst between Elise and Abel was driving me absolutely nuts. I wanted to scream, “get a room already,” but instead I forged on reading!
This book was so disappointing and I’m really getting tired of authors putting out work under genres that, to me, are misrepresented and false advertisement. This was about as scary as watching an episode of Scooby Doo. And if that scares you, then you’ll love this book. However, for me, I don’t play when it comes to my time nor my horror books. If you state that this is a horror book and I don’t get a hair-raising experience, I’m immediately going to deduct stars for it. This book wasn’t written poorly, in fact, the opposite is true. But that’s the saddest thing. If this author took the time to actually write a real ghost story, I would have given it five-stars, but unfortunately, it failed miserably.
The Sexy Nerd gives Dark and Deadly Things two ghostly boos. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the scary in this book. As I think about it at the time of writing this review, I still can’t find it. This book should be reclassified under cozy romance. Luckily, this story was short and I didn’t have to waste too much time trying to invest in characters that didn’t appear real in the first place. What a disappointment! As you can already imagine, I will not be continuing on with the series to find out what happens, which is most likely the same as what I just experienced here. I'm good.
To read original post, please go to: https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com/2020...
The cover of this book hooked me before I even read the genre and/or synopsis. My readers know I’m a horror connoisseur and I do take my fear level of reading very serious. I do not like to waste my time under any circumstances, so when I pick up a book (or rather download) one, I’m advising the author that I chose to read their much slaved over words and so you had better make it worth my while. This is what any reader is asking of an author, and no it’s not asking for too much! Why write a book if you do not plan to “entertain” your readers, right? Riiight!
So, imagine my surprise when I got into this rather short read, I had my eyes all set to read something wild and crazy was about to happen, judging off the image of the cover, and when I kept looking for the scary, I began to get frustrated. (Trust and believe, I’m trying not to cuss here!) What I found was Elise Morgan, an ex-ghost hunter, or so she thought, sitting at home watching her father on his reality show, Dark and Deadly Things, try to help a family who summoned him to get rid of the poltergeist lurking within their home. While Elise watched on, she saw a black mass of clouds heading in her father’s direction, along with the family he was in charge of assisting. She reaches for her cell phone and tries to warn her dad that something not quite of this world was headed his way. But lo and behold, wouldn’t you know it? Daddy looked at the phone, and saw his daughter’s name on the screen, and he ignored her. Of course, that decision wasn’t the correct one, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed.
When the black cloud lifted and the smoke cleared, the only two people that survived was Mr. Morgan and the son, Abel Hale, of the family he was trying to assist. Everyone else was literally pulverized by whatever the black mass was. Elise was devastated. Not only was she able to see what was happening, she also sees dead people. It’s only been six months since her mother died. Her mom was with her trying to talk to her, but of course, Elise can see her, but she is unable to hear what she’s trying to say.
And that, readers, is how the entire book went. Are you scared yet? Do you have goosebumps? Is the hair on the back of your neck standing attention? No, you say? Ooook, so there’s my problem. Where oh where was the horror in this book? Try as I might, and trust me, I tried, I could not find anything that made me feel prickly inside. The angst between Elise and Abel was driving me absolutely nuts. I wanted to scream, “get a room already,” but instead I forged on reading!
This book was so disappointing and I’m really getting tired of authors putting out work under genres that, to me, are misrepresented and false advertisement. This was about as scary as watching an episode of Scooby Doo. And if that scares you, then you’ll love this book. However, for me, I don’t play when it comes to my time nor my horror books. If you state that this is a horror book and I don’t get a hair-raising experience, I’m immediately going to deduct stars for it. This book wasn’t written poorly, in fact, the opposite is true. But that’s the saddest thing. If this author took the time to actually write a real ghost story, I would have given it five-stars, but unfortunately, it failed miserably.
The Sexy Nerd gives Dark and Deadly Things two ghostly boos. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the scary in this book. As I think about it at the time of writing this review, I still can’t find it. This book should be reclassified under cozy romance. Luckily, this story was short and I didn’t have to waste too much time trying to invest in characters that didn’t appear real in the first place. What a disappointment! As you can already imagine, I will not be continuing on with the series to find out what happens, which is most likely the same as what I just experienced here. I'm good.
To read original post, please go to: https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com/2020...
October 25, 2019
Warning: Cliffhanger Ahead
After reading several self-published books recently that were totally not ready yet for their time in the sun I was desperate for something/someone who would shine a little light on my field of newly discovered writers. Kelly Martin and her? his? book, Dark and Deadly Things came so close to achieving that.
I received this story free. More often than not when I do that I end up getting exactly what I paid for. In this case I got a very well written story about a young woman who is able to see ghosts and a man who perceives them inn a different manner. The woman, Elise, watches helplessly as her father, her ex-boyfriend (both television ghost hunters) along with their film crew and several members of a family are attacked and, in some cases, killed by a malevolent spiritual form. The young man, Abel, is a surviving member of the ghost-plagued family who approaches Elise for help finding out what actually killed his family. Unfortunately, despite this being set forth as the premise of the story, that's not the story that's told. The duo do go on a ghost hunting expedition but it's at the home of a nurse and her daughter. The scenes in this haunted house are very well written and far more spooky than most ghost stories I've ever read. You get the sense that the characters are really in danger and you care about them surviving their horrifying experience. What you don't get is much of anything related to the initial setup. The characters discuss and wonder about what happened to Abel 's family but they don't do much of anything to answer that question.
The author seems to be a member of the group who believe that unfinished stories will keep a reader coming back indefinitely. I've never appreciated that method of selling or telling a story. If you indicate that you're going to tell a story about this or that then tell if to its conclusion. If you insist on using cliffhangers at least follow the convention of having your main characters be in such great danger that the reader absolutely has to buy the next in the series to find out how they get out of it. In this story Elise and Abel have triumphed over one challenge and they just drive of to face the next one which, again, is not going to be the main problem we're told that they must face. As good as this story is its ending doesn't inspire me to jump up and spend $3.99 for the next in the series especially when I have to assume that the next is going to follow the same pattern.
If you, as a reader, don't mind stories that take several volumes to reach their conclusion then I truly believe you may find this story to be worthy of your reading time. I fully intend to keep an eye out for the future works of this author and the second I see something that interests me and doesn't follow the cliffhanger method of storytelling I'll definitely give it a try.
After reading several self-published books recently that were totally not ready yet for their time in the sun I was desperate for something/someone who would shine a little light on my field of newly discovered writers. Kelly Martin and her? his? book, Dark and Deadly Things came so close to achieving that.
I received this story free. More often than not when I do that I end up getting exactly what I paid for. In this case I got a very well written story about a young woman who is able to see ghosts and a man who perceives them inn a different manner. The woman, Elise, watches helplessly as her father, her ex-boyfriend (both television ghost hunters) along with their film crew and several members of a family are attacked and, in some cases, killed by a malevolent spiritual form. The young man, Abel, is a surviving member of the ghost-plagued family who approaches Elise for help finding out what actually killed his family. Unfortunately, despite this being set forth as the premise of the story, that's not the story that's told. The duo do go on a ghost hunting expedition but it's at the home of a nurse and her daughter. The scenes in this haunted house are very well written and far more spooky than most ghost stories I've ever read. You get the sense that the characters are really in danger and you care about them surviving their horrifying experience. What you don't get is much of anything related to the initial setup. The characters discuss and wonder about what happened to Abel 's family but they don't do much of anything to answer that question.
The author seems to be a member of the group who believe that unfinished stories will keep a reader coming back indefinitely. I've never appreciated that method of selling or telling a story. If you indicate that you're going to tell a story about this or that then tell if to its conclusion. If you insist on using cliffhangers at least follow the convention of having your main characters be in such great danger that the reader absolutely has to buy the next in the series to find out how they get out of it. In this story Elise and Abel have triumphed over one challenge and they just drive of to face the next one which, again, is not going to be the main problem we're told that they must face. As good as this story is its ending doesn't inspire me to jump up and spend $3.99 for the next in the series especially when I have to assume that the next is going to follow the same pattern.
If you, as a reader, don't mind stories that take several volumes to reach their conclusion then I truly believe you may find this story to be worthy of your reading time. I fully intend to keep an eye out for the future works of this author and the second I see something that interests me and doesn't follow the cliffhanger method of storytelling I'll definitely give it a try.
September 14, 2019
I’m going to do a review of the series as a whole and just repeat it for each volume, for a couple of reasons. 1) Much more many series, all of these books really function together as a unit, each one ending as a cliffhanger. Although I think they could stand alone, they really make more sense taken together. 2) I read through them all in a row and so quickly that they’re all one book in my mind and I don’t know how I would break the reviews out, especially without major spoilers.
So, these books are AMAZING. They’re funny, scary, sweet, and full of twists and turns. I burned through all of them in just a couple of days because each ended on a cliff hanger and I had to know what came next. Some of the twists I saw coming, or at least guessed at, but others took me utterly by surprise. There were a couple of things that I thought Our Heroine should have figured out sooner, but I’m also aware that I’m reading a book, and that everything detail means something or is a clue. Real life isn’t like that, and you’re not going to assume that every weird moment is actually a key to your situation.
There are some really original takes on ghosts, hauntings and various forms of possession, along with a lot of wit and humor and pop culture references.
Also, there are some things that happen in the first couple of books that seem like they’re forgotten or they aren’t going anywhere, only to come back around and become incredibly important at the end. I was glad when items I took to be plot holes actually came full circle in the end, instead of unused tidbits that never went anywhere. I’m thoroughly impressed and looking forward to reading the rest of the author’s works.
So, these books are AMAZING. They’re funny, scary, sweet, and full of twists and turns. I burned through all of them in just a couple of days because each ended on a cliff hanger and I had to know what came next. Some of the twists I saw coming, or at least guessed at, but others took me utterly by surprise. There were a couple of things that I thought Our Heroine should have figured out sooner, but I’m also aware that I’m reading a book, and that everything detail means something or is a clue. Real life isn’t like that, and you’re not going to assume that every weird moment is actually a key to your situation.
There are some really original takes on ghosts, hauntings and various forms of possession, along with a lot of wit and humor and pop culture references.
Also, there are some things that happen in the first couple of books that seem like they’re forgotten or they aren’t going anywhere, only to come back around and become incredibly important at the end. I was glad when items I took to be plot holes actually came full circle in the end, instead of unused tidbits that never went anywhere. I’m thoroughly impressed and looking forward to reading the rest of the author’s works.
August 28, 2017
I've never read a ghost story before. I've read a ton of paranormal romance, but mainly with vampires and reapers and witches etc etc. This was a first and I absolutely loved it! It kept me on the edge of my seat and creeped the he'll out of me lol! Who doesn't love a good ghost story!
We have Elise, she is a normal girl, well except for being able to see ghosts lol. She witnessed something terrible her dad's paranormal show Dark and Deadly things. She tried to call and warn him but it was to late. People died and her dad is suspect number one.
She's trying to cope and out smart the paparazzi who are everywhere.
We also have Abel. He is the one of survivors of the family her was helping on show when all his family were attacked. He's come to her, for help and answers. Ones she doesn't want to give.
I loved the twist in the story, everything that led up to our two main characters going on a journey into the paranormal. To stay out of the investigation because the evidence is scary.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting a good ghost story. Some of which is based on truth from the author!!
We have Elise, she is a normal girl, well except for being able to see ghosts lol. She witnessed something terrible her dad's paranormal show Dark and Deadly things. She tried to call and warn him but it was to late. People died and her dad is suspect number one.
She's trying to cope and out smart the paparazzi who are everywhere.
We also have Abel. He is the one of survivors of the family her was helping on show when all his family were attacked. He's come to her, for help and answers. Ones she doesn't want to give.
I loved the twist in the story, everything that led up to our two main characters going on a journey into the paranormal. To stay out of the investigation because the evidence is scary.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone wanting a good ghost story. Some of which is based on truth from the author!!
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