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Ghost Dance
When struggling filmmaker Patrick Gallagher fishes a mutilated corpse out of a river, his retreat from life takes a sinister turn. After destroying his own career, Patrick had hoped to lick his wounds in the quiet of a small New England town, but the ghostly secrets of Lawton, Vermont prove all too ominous to allow for serenity. In the course of the investigation, Patrick befriends local policewoman Andi Nightingale, who is haunted by her own troubled past. As the suspense builds, Patrick and Andi are drawn into the shocking legacy of the town’s shared-guilt over a crime kept hidden for a century… History, spirituality, and death all merge in this spellbinding thriller from acclaimed author Mark Sullivan. “A grisly tale…a web of destruction that includes government assassins, spiritualists, and even Sitting Bull’s niece.”—Chicago Tribune “Mark Sullivan combines poetic writing with eerie elements of mysticism to fashion yet another fascinating thriller.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Tess Gerritsen
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 1999
439 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Mark T. Sullivan
38 books4,298 followersMark T. Sullivan (b. 1958) is an author of thrillers. Born in a Boston suburb, he joined the Peace Corp after college, traveling to West Africa to live with a tribe of Saharan nomads. Upon returning to the United States, he took a job at Reuters, beginning a decade-long career in journalism that would eventually lead to a job as an investigative reporter for the San Diego Tribune.
Sullivan spent the winter of 1990 living with a group of skiers in Utah and Wyoming, and used the experience as the foundation for his first novel, The Fall Line (1994). In 1995 he published Hard News, a thriller based on his work as a reporter, and a year later he released The Purification Ceremony, which won the WH Smith Award for Best New Talent. His most recent work is Private Games (2012), which he co-authored with James Patterson. Sullivan lives with his family in Montana, where he skis, hunts, and practices martial arts.
Sullivan spent the winter of 1990 living with a group of skiers in Utah and Wyoming, and used the experience as the foundation for his first novel, The Fall Line (1994). In 1995 he published Hard News, a thriller based on his work as a reporter, and a year later he released The Purification Ceremony, which won the WH Smith Award for Best New Talent. His most recent work is Private Games (2012), which he co-authored with James Patterson. Sullivan lives with his family in Montana, where he skis, hunts, and practices martial arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 5, 2019
Good story, but...
...there are so many punctuation and typing errors that at times it was difficult to read. Having just read "Beyond A Scarlet Sky," I was very disappointed in the apparent lack of editing on this book. First, the author used single quotation marks instead of double, and sometimes didn't use them at all. Second, there are many sentences which run together because there is no period. Third, as each chapter begins, the font is so tiny you almost can't read it at all. There were other issues, but the thing which baffled me the most was that many times when the word "then" should appear, it was "men." It was almost as if the book was poorly scanned and then not edited. The story was good, but the editing was almost non-existent.
...there are so many punctuation and typing errors that at times it was difficult to read. Having just read "Beyond A Scarlet Sky," I was very disappointed in the apparent lack of editing on this book. First, the author used single quotation marks instead of double, and sometimes didn't use them at all. Second, there are many sentences which run together because there is no period. Third, as each chapter begins, the font is so tiny you almost can't read it at all. There were other issues, but the thing which baffled me the most was that many times when the word "then" should appear, it was "men." It was almost as if the book was poorly scanned and then not edited. The story was good, but the editing was almost non-existent.
January 17, 2012
Unfinished shelf
Got through: 172 pages
Holy offensiveness, Batman. This book oozed racism and misogyny. And I'm not referring to the plot itself-- I'm referring to the author's treatment of, and descriptions of, their own characters; the stereotyping, the fetishizing, and (the final straw for me) the casual, repeated use of rape as a lurid plot device. Every POC in this book is an exotic showpiece. Every woman in this book is a struggling victim. Good thing there's a white man around to save the day.
Got through: 172 pages
Holy offensiveness, Batman. This book oozed racism and misogyny. And I'm not referring to the plot itself-- I'm referring to the author's treatment of, and descriptions of, their own characters; the stereotyping, the fetishizing, and (the final straw for me) the casual, repeated use of rape as a lurid plot device. Every POC in this book is an exotic showpiece. Every woman in this book is a struggling victim. Good thing there's a white man around to save the day.
June 29, 2022
More violent than his other books
Down from 5 stars for violence, but still a gripping read. Patrick Gallagher is in Vermont researching for a documentary in Fr. D'Angelo, who is up for canonization. But first some fishing. He discovers a dead body in a tangle of debris. He meets Andie Nightingale, investigator from the state troopers. The killer left a message and a drawing of Charun, the mythological boatman.
The murders increase and all involve people who'd been entrusted with parts of a journal written by Sarah Many Horses, a Souix survivor of the Wounded Knee massacre.
The murders release Gallagher's demons, but pursuing the mystery helps both Andie and Pat to release those demons and to move on.
The writing is vivid and so detailed that it's but hard to see what the characters see and feel. The editing unfortunately doesn't do the book justice. Missing punctuation, wrong and misspelled words were a big distraction. I still recommend the book.
Down from 5 stars for violence, but still a gripping read. Patrick Gallagher is in Vermont researching for a documentary in Fr. D'Angelo, who is up for canonization. But first some fishing. He discovers a dead body in a tangle of debris. He meets Andie Nightingale, investigator from the state troopers. The killer left a message and a drawing of Charun, the mythological boatman.
The murders increase and all involve people who'd been entrusted with parts of a journal written by Sarah Many Horses, a Souix survivor of the Wounded Knee massacre.
The murders release Gallagher's demons, but pursuing the mystery helps both Andie and Pat to release those demons and to move on.
The writing is vivid and so detailed that it's but hard to see what the characters see and feel. The editing unfortunately doesn't do the book justice. Missing punctuation, wrong and misspelled words were a big distraction. I still recommend the book.
June 28, 2016
EinecGeschichte von Morden, durchgeführt von einem Wahnsinnigen in Anlehnung an antike Mythen und verknüpft mit der Ermordung eines Lakota-Mädchens hundert Jahre früher.
Guter Stoff, und teilweise auch interessant verarbeitet. Aber halt nur teilweise, und an anderen Stellen ist die Geschichte etwas sehr abgedreht, woran die krude und halbgare Einbindung von übersinnlichen Erlebnissen mit Schuld trägt.
Insgesamt ein Buch, das spannende Szenen enthält, in der Summe aber nicht wirklich überzeugen kann.
Guter Stoff, und teilweise auch interessant verarbeitet. Aber halt nur teilweise, und an anderen Stellen ist die Geschichte etwas sehr abgedreht, woran die krude und halbgare Einbindung von übersinnlichen Erlebnissen mit Schuld trägt.
Insgesamt ein Buch, das spannende Szenen enthält, in der Summe aber nicht wirklich überzeugen kann.
November 6, 2019
Patrick Gallagher, a man who is still trying to get his life together after a bitter divorce, comes to Lawton, Vermont to research the life of one Father D'Angelo, a priest that supposedly performed miracles and is now in the process of being canonized by the Catholic Church. He rents a cabin from Andromeda Nightingale, a sergeant with the state police, and a woman battling her own demons. While fishing in the nearby river, Gallagher ends up pulling a dead body out of the water. This initiates a chain of events that thrusts himself and Andie Nightingale into a crime committed over a century ago, but the memory of which seems to be coming back to haunt the town that has tried to keep it hidden.
This story is a mixture of history, murder, and the paranormal. It centers around the belief in the Native American tradition of the Ghost Dance, a mystical movement that took place among the Indians after the majority of the tribes were forced onto the reservations. This takes that old celebration and mixes it with insane vengeance to create a tale of mystery and intrigue. Exceptionally well written, the reader is drawn into a world of madness, violence, and triumph over the past. Filled with enough action and scary moments to keep you turning pages, this is a great story for a stormy night by the fire.
This story is a mixture of history, murder, and the paranormal. It centers around the belief in the Native American tradition of the Ghost Dance, a mystical movement that took place among the Indians after the majority of the tribes were forced onto the reservations. This takes that old celebration and mixes it with insane vengeance to create a tale of mystery and intrigue. Exceptionally well written, the reader is drawn into a world of madness, violence, and triumph over the past. Filled with enough action and scary moments to keep you turning pages, this is a great story for a stormy night by the fire.
July 7, 2021
Very interesting story
I was fascinated by the story, couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The reason I didn’t give it five stars is because there were SO MANY errors, typos. It seems like maybe the author narrated his book using voice recognition software...but the software couldn’t make out what he said all the time. For instance, many times when the word “then” was intended to be used “me “ was written instead. It was very frustrating that this happened over and over. When editors proof these books do they just use a spell checker, and not actually read the transcript for errors like that???
I was fascinated by the story, couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The reason I didn’t give it five stars is because there were SO MANY errors, typos. It seems like maybe the author narrated his book using voice recognition software...but the software couldn’t make out what he said all the time. For instance, many times when the word “then” was intended to be used “me “ was written instead. It was very frustrating that this happened over and over. When editors proof these books do they just use a spell checker, and not actually read the transcript for errors like that???
January 8, 2018
I truly hated this book ( Ghost Dance by Mark Sullivan ) but I am reluctant to discourage those who enjoy this genre from discovering it for themselves. Mark Sullivan's nonfiction account of World War 2 in Italy (" Scarlet Sky ") is rather labored with respect to tedious detail of cross country travels, but it is redeemed as an unique account of the later years of the war in Italy. The author's true account of the bravery of particular people and events in a hideous war is far more gripping and better written than his nasty ghost story.
January 23, 2021
Good book marred by editing problems
The story about a man who finds himself through the ghost of an Indian woman is woven in a mystery of people being brutally murdered. The story is well written with an age old theme of love and belief in one’s self but the Kindle version is fraught with mistakes. You’re forced to go back and read sentences that don’t make sense. The author should insist the editor or person who formatted the book fix it in a new version.
The story about a man who finds himself through the ghost of an Indian woman is woven in a mystery of people being brutally murdered. The story is well written with an age old theme of love and belief in one’s self but the Kindle version is fraught with mistakes. You’re forced to go back and read sentences that don’t make sense. The author should insist the editor or person who formatted the book fix it in a new version.
September 16, 2017
Excellent from start to finish
This is one of those amazing books that keeps you guessing until the very end! So well written, that you could see the story and the characters as if they were right there watching it unfold before your eyes!
This is one of those amazing books that keeps you guessing until the very end! So well written, that you could see the story and the characters as if they were right there watching it unfold before your eyes!
March 6, 2019
Not my kind of book
It was well written and the story line, I am sure would be of interest to many. It had to much occult and sexual description for me.
It was well written and the story line, I am sure would be of interest to many. It had to much occult and sexual description for me.
May 2, 2023
I loved Sullivan’s two historical fiction books, Beneath a Scarlet Sky & The Last Green Valley. I had no idea that he has written a ton of books in the thriller/mystery genre so I wanted to try one. This book was well written, although the kindle version I read had several typos, the word ‘men’ in place of ‘then’ throughout, as well as no quotation marks on speaking parts. It took me quite awhile to get into, but the story picked up pace in the last third. Great writing, but it was very graphic and disturbing in many parts which i did not enjoy. Interesting story line with well researched cultural aspects. I'll definitely look into picking up another of his books, but maybe one that is less horror/thriller.
September 13, 2021
Sioux honored in great mystery
Excellent history of massacre of Wounded Knee. Also includes stirring moments of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Then winds these events into how they relate to bizarre serial killings happening in a small Vermont town. Main characters have their own demons to slay as they chase down a real monster. Great read!
Excellent history of massacre of Wounded Knee. Also includes stirring moments of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Then winds these events into how they relate to bizarre serial killings happening in a small Vermont town. Main characters have their own demons to slay as they chase down a real monster. Great read!
September 21, 2021
This was an extraordinary story and the historical background made for fascinating reading. As I progressed through this novel I did some research relating to Wounded Knee, the military figures and history of the Sioux people. The modern day plot interweaved with myths and actual events from the 19th century was compelling. Highly recommend.
December 8, 2021
Ghost dance is a must read!
Ghost Dance by Mark Sullivan is spell binding. From beginning to end
it captivated me. The history of the Sioux beliefs. The horrific
Way the People of Lawton treated a very special lady were devastating. The mystery was unfolded with an exciting and realistic
Climax and ending.
Ghost Dance by Mark Sullivan is spell binding. From beginning to end
it captivated me. The history of the Sioux beliefs. The horrific
Way the People of Lawton treated a very special lady were devastating. The mystery was unfolded with an exciting and realistic
Climax and ending.
June 25, 2021
Another good read but poorly.edited
I enjoyed the book but there were a lot of autocorrect errors. I used to own a 1964 Egg HARBOR YACHT named Ghost Dancer. It was named for the same dances that Sitting Bull performed.
I enjoyed the book but there were a lot of autocorrect errors. I used to own a 1964 Egg HARBOR YACHT named Ghost Dancer. It was named for the same dances that Sitting Bull performed.
July 28, 2021
This was a good story and fair writing. However, the editing was so poor it was quite distracting. For instance, every sentence which should have contained the word "than" contained "men" instead. There were many other mistakes.
February 21, 2023
This book is a wonderful love story of life.
The characters became so real to me and their story will stay with me. A story of lose, redemption and great love of the Spirit that exist for all. This life is not the end.
The characters became so real to me and their story will stay with me. A story of lose, redemption and great love of the Spirit that exist for all. This life is not the end.
January 12, 2024
Irritating when editing is poor
I gave this a 3 because the editing on this book was horrible and very distracting. I read several other books by this author and enjoyed them very much. Also the tiny print at the beginning of the chapters was off putting.
I gave this a 3 because the editing on this book was horrible and very distracting. I read several other books by this author and enjoyed them very much. Also the tiny print at the beginning of the chapters was off putting.
July 21, 2024
A Fable of Indian Myths
Difficult to understand the swirl of the story. Going from real life experiences to the twisted story of death.
At times it was hard to figure out the switches of life fable between the two
Difficult to understand the swirl of the story. Going from real life experiences to the twisted story of death.
At times it was hard to figure out the switches of life fable between the two
July 27, 2024
Sorry folks I love this book! There was a little bit of murder, mystery, and mysticisms. Mark Sullivan leads you along the path of two people with different
Goals, heading in the same direction to solve local murders.
Goals, heading in the same direction to solve local murders.
January 15, 2025
Desperately needs editing
The story isn’t bad, but the editing makes it hard to read. It feels like some kind of dictation software was used, then no one bothered to read the final product before it went to print
The story isn’t bad, but the editing makes it hard to read. It feels like some kind of dictation software was used, then no one bothered to read the final product before it went to print
June 27, 2025
Amazing Storytelling
Wonderfully thread through history , religion, abuse, mysticism and heroism. Mark Sullivan’s writing is so readable, making you not want to put “Ghost Dance” down.
Wonderfully thread through history , religion, abuse, mysticism and heroism. Mark Sullivan’s writing is so readable, making you not want to put “Ghost Dance” down.
June 23, 2019
A Dance Of Words
The more Sullivan I read, the more l am stunned by the way he writes and holds my interest. This is a great book highly recommended for anyone who loves reading.
The more Sullivan I read, the more l am stunned by the way he writes and holds my interest. This is a great book highly recommended for anyone who loves reading.
January 21, 2021
Ghost dance
It started out interesting, but deteriorated into senseless gruesome descriptions. At that point I lost interest and couldn’t finish it.
It started out interesting, but deteriorated into senseless gruesome descriptions. At that point I lost interest and couldn’t finish it.
July 17, 2021
Loved the story line and the story within a story but something about the way it was worded annoied me
September 13, 2021
Read in 1999. Well written mystery.
November 15, 2021
I really liked this book, myths, murder and kept me guessing to the end.
December 17, 2021
Spiritual on so many levels
Kept me reading and wondering. Four tales woven together. Just note that the beginning of every chapter is impossible to read due to the tiny typeface.
Kept me reading and wondering. Four tales woven together. Just note that the beginning of every chapter is impossible to read due to the tiny typeface.
February 20, 2022
didn't read - language
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews