Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1-3

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper Trilogy

Rate this book
This set of three complete novels follows Ellie Jordan, a paranormal detective in the heavily haunted city of Savannah, Georgia. Ellie uses a combination of historical research, ghost-hunting technology, and stubborn toughness to protect her clients and remove dangerous entities from their homes.

Included in this set:

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (book 1)

When a family contacts her to deal with a disturbing presence in the crumbling old mansion they've purchased, Ellie first believes it to be a typical, by-the-book specter, a residual haunting by a restless spirit. Instead, she finds herself confronting an older and more powerful evil that dwells within the walls of the house, stalking the living.

Ellie must unravel the secret history behind the haunting in order to remove the ghost. She is aided by her new assistant Stacey, a recent film school graduate with a gift for capturing images and video of ghosts, and Jacob, a reluctant young psychic. Together, they will try to evict the dangerous spirits of the dead, whose threats to the family grow more terrifying every night.

Cold Shadows (book 2)

Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan faces a difficult new case. Her clients are a family haunted by multiple ghosts and a poltergeist that wrecks their home at night. Their seven-year-old son’s invisible friends may not be imaginary at all, but the restless spirits of dead children.

To clear her clients’ house of the dangerous entities, Ellie must unravel the mysterious deaths of another family who lived in the old mansion more than a hundred and sixty years ago—and she must do it before the ghosts can carry out their malevolent designs on her clients and their children.

The Crawling Darkness (book 3)

Ellie Jordan investigates an apartment building where a twisted, dangerous entity emerges from closets and doorways to terrorize the residents at night. A powerful spirit, it feeds on fear and takes the shape of its victims' worst nightmares.

Ellie and her mentor Calvin have tried to capture the same entity before, in a different house nearby, an attempt that ended in disaster. Now, with the help of her apprentice Stacey, Ellie must try again to capture the elusive shape-shifting ghost before it can claim another soul as its own.

722 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2017

1955 people are currently reading
1751 people want to read

About the author

J.L. Bryan

53 books1,034 followers
J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife and son. He is the author of the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper books and some other assorted novels like Inferno Park, The Unseen, Jenny Pox, and basically a lot of supernatural stories, some of it dark, some of it very dark, some of it less dark than that.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
968 (63%)
4 stars
392 (25%)
3 stars
131 (8%)
2 stars
14 (<1%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
Profile Image for Alexandra.
1,309 reviews3 followers
Read
January 4, 2018
1/4/18 First 3 books in the Ghost Trapper series on sale for $.99 for Kindle. I've very much enjoyed this paranormal series.

Book 1 is FREE if you want to get it on it's own.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
June 26, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (6/26/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book.
1,493 reviews36 followers
June 27, 2020
I really enjoyed these 3 books. Great start to an interesting ghost series. I love the quirky, funny and dark stories. The characters are fun, and there have been times I have laughed out loud. Witty banter combined with eerie ghost stories. It’s exactly what I needed to get me out of my book funk.

Moving on to book 4.
Profile Image for Petrina Binney.
Author 13 books24 followers
April 17, 2021
This collection first published, 2017

Book 1: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper

First published, 2014

When Ellie Jordan is called to the Treadwell house, what might have been an ordinary haunting (new family, old house) takes a bone-chilling turn. Mercy Cutledge, murderess and lifelong lunatic has been walking the halls in the night, scaring the Treadwell’s little girl and making a nuisance of herself. So, when Ellie, and paranormal newbie, Stacey, appear with gadgetry aplenty, ready to trap the ghost of Mercy, only Dale Treadwell thinks it’s a waste of time, that children see things and old houses make noises. He certainly doesn’t want to deal with the bill at the end of it all. But no sooner have Ellie and Stacey got a handle on the ghost they’re looking for, they discover that there are more things in heaven and earth, and most of them are in the Treadwell household.

Absolutely compulsive reading. I’m not much for paranormal stories, but I couldn’t leave this one alone. Set in Savannah, Georgia, the honeyed dialect slipped off the page and into my heart. Lots of wry observations and humour in the writing. I especially liked this part:

“‘Are you going to be able to take care of this or not?’ Dale stomped down the stairs, buttoning his shirt over his pale, hairy stomach. He could have started buttoning a little earlier, if you ask me.”
16% in, Chapter Thirteen, Book One, Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper Trilogy by JL Bryan

I loved this story, and am so pleased I plumped for the trilogy right from the off. Onwards!

Book 2: Cold Shadows - Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper, Book Two

First published, 2014

The adventure continues. Ellie and sidekick Stacey have been called upon to exorcise the ghosts from an old house, packed with heirlooms and old furniture, and a secret history. When Toolie, Gord and their children, Juniper and Crane, moved into the old house, kept in the family for a few years but not much lived in, they had no idea that it came with a full and troubled family of ghosts and a long dormant poltergeist. However, due to teenage thoughtlessness, the poltergeist has been unleashed, and the mad, bad and dangerous to know ghost of abusive husband and father, Isaiah Ridley, is filling the sewing room with dark energy, and scaring the ghostly daylights out of his formerly mischievous, now deathly dangerous sons, Luke and Noah. With wife and mother, Catherine, haunting the backyard and little Eliza probably hiding in a cupboard somewhere, it’s up to Ellie and the team to destroy the poltergeist, release Isaiah’s grip on the house, and save the families, both living and dead.

What a whirlwind. There was a little bit of a reminder of the previous story, nothing repetitive though, more of a ‘Previously, on Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper…’ - which I really liked. The story felt full but not overdone, and the writing remains strong. There were a couple of very difficult scenes involving Crane, the eight year old son, and young ghosts who encourage him to die so he won’t be a chicken, and they can play together forever, but the story was chilling and really well-told.

There was a brilliant scene where Ellie tried to get Noah and Luke, the boy ghosts, to listen to reason, with Stacey in back-up and Jacob, the psychic, interpreting for her:

“'Noah! Luke!’ I snapped, trying to sound as tough and firm as I could manage. I widened the iris of my flashlight and swept it back and forth, chasing away flickering shadows. ’Stay away from us!’
‘Wow, they hate you,’ Jacob told me. ’They look angry now. You can really see their dark and tormented side now.'
‘I’d rather not see that if we can avoid it,’ I said.
‘What about me?’ Stacey asked. ‘Do they hate me?’
‘They’ve barely noticed you’re here,’ Jacob assured her. ‘They aren’t paying any attention to you, don’t worry.’
‘Oh.’ She frowned a little, as if slightly disappointed.’”
55% in, Chapter Fifteen, Book Two, Cold Shadows by JL Bryan

Love it.

Book 3: The Crawling Darkness - Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper, Book Three

First published, 2015

“‘Even if you really feel afraid on the inside… act like you’re not afraid. That’s what courage really is, anyway.’ “
78% in, Chapter Ten, The Crawling Darkness by JL Bryan

In The Crawling Darkness, Ellie, Stacey and boss Calvin face the most powerful monster yet: their only real failure and the entity that put Calvin in a wheelchair some years ago. Whatever it is, surely more than ghost and less than demon, a fearfeeder, and it seems to have moved from its original location to a house close by.

The fear feeder takes the form of whatever frightens the observer and it uses that fear for sustenance. Over the course of the story, we meet widowed Alicia and her two young children, Michael, the handsome firefighter and his younger sister, Melissa, the unlikeable Fielding family and the elusive Mr Gray.

Another dramatic instalment in the saga, the writing remains tip-top, often humorous, and the story was complex and intricately plotted. I really enjoyed it.

The complete trilogy can be found here, and it’s free, for goodness’ sake: https://amzn.to/3ggYMiy

There are fourteen books in the series, with the fifteenth planned for publication in 2022. My TBR list is enormous (really, it’s bigger than me) but I think I might have to work my way through the rest of the series before the new one comes out.
Profile Image for Frank Kelso.
Author 12 books368 followers
March 1, 2018
Great series.

Wonderful light fun reading. Good character development. A bit too repetitive on feelings. Love the visuals. Curios to see how the children are going to develop.
Profile Image for Jane Marais.
14 reviews1 follower
August 15, 2019
Really great storyline with amazing writing. Author J.L. Bryan really wrote this story well in pulling you into the book. Really a great read and hope to continue the series.
5 reviews
February 13, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, and will go back for more when I can. You can get this trio for free on kindle, or just the first book, your choice. Ellie is a ghost hunter in New Orleans, one of the most haunted spots in the states.
The first book introduces you to all the characters, can't think of their names right now, except for Stacey, the upbeat intern that Ellie is not sure she wants to work with. They meet a family with a female ghost that walks around the house at night. The daughter and mother are both freaked out, but the father has no clue what they are talking about. Turns out the ghost is protecting the live ones from the other creapier ghosts. Ellie gets hurt, they all do actually, but the psychic proves he is needed.
In book 2, we are introduced to a family that is living in a cousin's mansion. Since they moved there the husband has gotten really sick, and the son has 2 imaginary friends. The older child, a daughter is entering her teens and is having meltdowns because her privacy is constantly being invaded, and her stuff never stays in one place, someone is moving everything around. Turns out there is a ghost family in the house, but Ellie and Stacey only see two boys and a man. They look back in the history of the house to see what has happened there. Wow, that was a good story.
The third book explains how Ellie's mentor became wheelchair bound. This third house has been built in the 1960's so it shouldn't be that haunted, but it is!!! The house has been split into 4 apartments, with all being able to use the basement laundry facilities. All the kids in the house have closet monsters, all different depending on what scares them the most. The mom that called in Ellie's group has also seen the monster, and when standing looks like a person, but climbs walls and ceilings and joints move like a spiders. Ellie is afraid it is the ghost that lives on young children's fears, and some children over the years in this neighborhood have disappeared. All hands on deck for this one!
All in all, great read
109 reviews
September 25, 2022
Scary and Satisfying

I’ve now read the first three books and am going for the next two as soon as I finish this review. They’re among the best written books I’ve read recently in any genre, with a great central character (strong woman) and a solid cast of supporting characters who figure out ways to get the restless (and sometimes downright evil) dead to leave the living alone. If you like scary, dark fiction, these books dish it up all too believably. Only a very few errors (swapped words, maybe 3-4 across three books, pretty good for an e-book. If you like satisfying endings without cliffhangers, characters it’s easy to get invested in, historical fiction, romance, anything to do with the paranormal, and even humor (if subtle and occasionally of the dark variety) you’ll find all that and more in this series. Might make you feel a little skittish around old homes in Savana, Georgia, though…
Profile Image for Oleander .
452 reviews26 followers
June 23, 2025
Wow! Ellie Jordan gets top marks for excellent writing and good story-telling. The quality was consistent throughout all three volumes. The intensity of book was riveting, and the danger and thrills increased in each book. The author is able to create mind pictures like a movie playing in your head and knows how to write a scary scene. And the twists, especially at the end of Vol. 3 are killer. I love a good twist!
Ellie Jordan definitely falls in the horror category, although the recurring characters and case-by-case set up seem more like Urban Fantasy. However, there is no other magic in the first three volumes other than very real and very dangerous ghosts. The setting is in Savannah, and it is easy to imagine the old, magnificent, and decaying homes as haunted. The books have a similar vibe to the Graveyard Queen series. I can imagine that this series might get very dark as it progresses, but these first three books were outstanding in every way.
Profile Image for Mel.
341 reviews3 followers
July 17, 2019
Ghost Trapper

I really enjoyed those 3 books. Very well written storyline with lots of details regarding to the ghosts they try to trap. Lots of action and gripping fear that you might develop goosebumps during the readings.
The only thing I didn't liked was the character Calvin, the Boss he didn't came over as a boss, on some parts he sounded not knowledgeable or said things already been known, I hoped that he is more able to advise her in some things regarding how to catch this one, to provide more information for her but nothing, so I found him a bit lame. The end was a bit unfinished some how a bit rushed, because I would have liked more details about conversations with the characters and the clients at the end. But it's definitely worth to read who likes paranormal story's.
218 reviews4 followers
September 27, 2019
Ghost stories aren't my favorites--but this boxed set was pretty good

There are 3 books in this set. None are long, as the set only totals around 600 pages. Although they are books that should be read in order, the individual books don't end with cliffhangers.

I don't generally go out of my way for this particular genre. But the reviews were pretty good on this series, so I downloaded this set. And I actually rather enjoyed them. The characters were nicely developed. The individual ghost adventures were well done. A touch of potential romance was included. The locale was interesting.

I wasn't compelled to read it without putting it down...but it was still a pretty good read for me. I found myself thinking about the stories until I had to pick up the Kindle and read some more. 3-3/4 stars.
Profile Image for Sharen.
608 reviews5 followers
November 29, 2020
Couldn’t decide how many stars to give this

For myself, personally, I would give it a 2 because I can’t handle scary. (I have a VERY graphic imagination and can actually “see” the story unfold in front of me as I read.). But, if you like scary...you will love this series. That’s the 5 stars. The first book started off scarier than I like...and got even scarier as I went along. I stuck with it because while the plot line and descriptions scared the daylights out of me, the writing is very good and the characters are so well described that you can envision them, and I wanted to get to the end and see how it ended. I won’t be reading any more of the books in this series because it is definitely not my kinda book. But I recommend it for those who like being scared by what they are reading.
37 reviews
January 5, 2024
Good modern ghost hunting! Great editing too

I really enjoyed this one - reminded me a bit of early Barbara Michaels such as Ammie Come Home and Prince of Darkness. loved the ending of the first book in particular.
It was also refreshing to not encounter a single typo or editing problem. - though other authors have recently entertained me with a villain wearing a cygnet ring instead if a signet ring and confused apprised and appraised..
This is a.modern paranormal mystery set but there are no werewokves or vampires but the jury is still out on the walking dead question.
So far each of the three books has had a surprise twist in plot or character development. How the author can keep this up is a true mystery to me.
Highly recommend!!! Five gold stars and I may re read.
46 reviews
June 18, 2024
Loved this box set! Got it on Stuff your Kindle Day free as a break between my usual style of books. I loved the build of the characters and how opposing the 2 main females are.
I don't know if I can commit to the 20+ books in the series as I'm prone to nightmares so would be happy to leave it with just the first 3.

The plots are well constructed and each time when I thought it was a done and dusted case there was always another plot twist.

If the next books end up in Stuff Your Kindle Day I'd probably download them (not that they're not worth buying - love J.L.Bryans writing style!) I'd just take it as a sign to keep reading them.
Profile Image for Linda Hughes.
174 reviews
July 24, 2019
Fun Read

I got the 3 volume set of ghost-trapper books and really enjoyed reading them. There is enough character development to make you care about the characters, and the story line makes for an interesting book. I like books with a paranormal slant, and these “ghostbuster” books provide plenty of that. I felt that the battles the protagonist faces in dealing with dangerous ghosts had a unique perspective and I enjoyed reading them very much. I probably will continue to read the series.
Profile Image for Michelle Fuentes .
5 reviews
January 11, 2021
Great series!

I’ve never read a book about a ghost hunter but I love the shows so I thought why not I have nothing else to read right now. I was sick with Covid and in bed so I started reading. I truly couldn’t put these books down. I know I should have been sleeping but I loved Ellie and Stacey oh and definitely Jacob then Michael. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for a good read, you won’t regret the adventures you’ll be on! Enjoy! I know I did! I can’t wait to read the other books in the series!
117 reviews3 followers
August 3, 2021
Awesome

I'm not generally a reader of " ghost stories" but this one caught my eye so I grabbed it. I'm so glad I did because it was very well written without a bunch of typos(to me that is really distracting), the story was well thought out and put together with just the right attention to detail without losing me in boredom, the characters all had such original background stories and the hunt was fraught with creepy tension and scares and surprises! Totally recommend it for anyone looking for a good creepy story.
Profile Image for SHARON K BECK.
33 reviews
May 18, 2024
If you want to read about scary ghost

The good the bad and the ugly side of ghost is in these books. I never would like to see any of these ghost in person. But ghost are around us and they are just like humans . good bad and down right evil.. Well is how ghost are the same. Scary afraid upset nervous angry . your only dead once in your life . there is no one telling you want to do next. So you could miss your light to move on. You may not even know your dead. So have fun a be good. L really like the books. Have fun reading.
Profile Image for Georgia hillstrom.
55 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2025
what to believe

This has to be about the best paranormal ghost book I have read in a very long time. Now I am wondering about the author? How much of this super natural have you experienced? Have you seen real ghosts, real boogyman’s? This book is about haunted mansions, dead people haunting. I just finished this book at4:25am. This ghost hurting a ghost hunter, terrorizing. Ellie the main character gets hurt, then this hunky fire fighter comes to help. I will be looking for more in this series. I do hope there are several more books. If you like ghosts read this book! If
10 reviews
October 22, 2025
Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper

Hard to put down, a read that is thrilling with characters who are unforgettable. JL Bryan has a knack for weaving intrigue, horror, humor, and day to day living that creates stories and people who are real...at least in my mind!
Ellie Jordan, the protagonist, is brave, caring, and loyal to her friends, boss, and clients --- especially children. I am making this short so I can get to the next volume! Mr. Bryan, you truly have something here! I salute you!
Profile Image for Marci.
18 reviews
June 28, 2019
Great ghost story, great detective story!

Not the ordinary ghost hunter story, a detective story that is a treat for the reader. You get the who, what, where and why expertly woven into a tapestry that immerses you completely into the believability and suspense of the narrative. The author uniquely blends mystery, clues and unpredictable endings with detailed characters that are captivating. Intelligently well written, altogether a spellbinding supernatural read.
63 reviews
October 21, 2021
The original Ghost Busters made believable!

All the things I've heard here and there over the years about ghosts all wrapped up in one cohesive whole, with a small band of intrepid people fighting a welling tide that most people don't even see. Best books of haunting, possession and the fights against them. These put into movies would rival The Haunting of Hill House - one of the top 5 on my haunting list.
57 reviews9 followers
May 15, 2025
Highly recommend ...

I chose this rating because I really enjoyed the trilogy. The characters are well developed with a full range of emotions. There are definitely some moments of hold-your-breath fright and some really good twists and turns. JL Bryan has done a terrific job, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Also...each of the trilogy books is a stand alone, so I assume the rest of the series is as well; another reason I'll read the rest of the series!
6 reviews
August 17, 2018
A good, casual read

JL Bryan is a very apt story teller. This series pulls you in from the perspective of Ellie Jordan. Through her eyes, he paints a scenic picture that you can paint in your mind as Ellie has her misadventures. Good character development as well. A good, casual read.
Profile Image for Susan Acevedo.
70 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2019
Don't read this before bedtime unless you want nightmares.

These three books contain the stories of Ellie who captures ghosts and puts them back where they belong, with the dead. Some rather spooky tales that will make you wish you hadn't read them! Not recommended for the faint of heart.
7 reviews
July 6, 2019
savannah Georgia haunting

As savannah is one of my favorite places to visit it was inevitable that I love this series. It’s original content, combined with the real places, graveyards, historic buildings in Savannah that I have visited made this book a winner. Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Profile Image for Karen Cote.
5 reviews
July 7, 2019
Great stories!

I thoroughly enjoyed the first three Ellie Jordan books and will definitely buy the others. Ghost stories and one of my favorite cities go so well together, and these are well thought out and smoothly written, allowing for that immersive experience I look for when reading. I highly recommend!
41 reviews
July 29, 2019
First off, I love books with strong female characters. Secondly, the storyline is easy to follow and sucks you in from that very first sentence. I have never really read paranormal books before so this trilogy got me hooked. Especially book 3. I will be in the lookout for more of your books so thank you J. L. Bryan.
Profile Image for Autumn Fox.
85 reviews
September 30, 2019
Although I felt the first half of book one was little slow and strained, the rest of it, plus the other two books were fantastic. Ghost hunting isn't my reading genre as such, but I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the plotlines - both were brilliantly executed.

I liked them so much that I'm intending to carry on with the series - something I don't normally do with books not in KU.
Profile Image for Paranormal Books R Us.
461 reviews31 followers
February 18, 2020
Ghost Trapper Books 1-3 Review

This is a great starter set for the series. I like the main characters a lot and the ghosts are as interesting as they are spooky. And I can honestly say these books gave me the creeps more than once especially while reading The Crawling Darkness. I can't wait to continue the series and would definitely recommend this set.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.