A Riveting Haunted House Mystery Boxset that will keep you guessing until the end!
Calhoun Mansion
Three murders. One night. No convictions.
Nicole Harper, a hospice nurse with a floundering marriage, is assigned a new patient in the remote Northwestern wilderness. But when Nic meets her new patient, she discovers the old woman's family history is as troubling as her medical condition.
Bell Mansion
Sarah thought the small town of Bell, Maine was the answer to her troubles.
Bell, Maine is a small town with rural roots. While its citizens have fallen on hard times, they've managed to survive decades of harsh, northern winters. But when drifter Sarah Pembrooke rolls into town looking for work, the frigid cold will be the least of their worries.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
James Hunt's passion for writing began at an early age. While his journal of yesteryear may never be the work of great fiction, he's been working hard every day since then to bring pages to life. James has well over a decade of writing under his belt, but his professional career in literature didn't take off until 2014.
James currently lives in Orlando, FL and when he's not pounding away at the keyboard you can find him at the theater or somewhere outside enjoying the beautiful Florida weather.
I have it 5 stars because it deserves them.Well written and it draws you in within the first few pages.Will continue to read James Hunt in the future.Thank you Sir for an enjoyable read.
On Amazon UK this boxset is known as Secrets in the Walls: A Collection of Riveting Haunted House Mysteries. One of the stories in this boxset is in an audible version entitled Haunted Secrets Boxset along with others. I could not find this actual title as a kindle e-book. I have read a lot of the author’s EMP series and this what had first drawn me to the author. I wanted to find more books to read by the author and came across these haunted house stories. I received an ARC copy of the boxset from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the books below.
The first book in the boxset is all about the Calhoun Mansion. It starts with events of some thirty years previously, when almost an entire family is brutally murdered in their home and the killer is never found. The story then continues with a hospice nurse called Nicole Harper, who is having problems at home. Her last patient has passed and a new opportunity was presented, which she gladly takes for a change of scene and the higher pay packet. Her new patient is said to have dementia, but also hasn’t spoken since the family tragedy years before.
There are very strict rules given to Nicole and her husband, who has accompanied her and is not allowed into the main house. They have a private house on the grounds and this is where her husband works from, whilst she is working in the main house, looking after old Ms Calhoun. There are a few other staff, a chef; a scary looking garden maintenance and handyman; a butler and then the lawyer who hired her. It seems that some may be looking for the hidden treasure thought to have been missed all those years ago and will go to any lengths to find it.
Add in the strange woman Nicole saw in a tall window on their approach to the huge house, and it adds a nice paranormal taste to the storyline. Someone is trying to get Nicole to help Ms Calhoun and also discover the secrets being held by the house about the events in the past. A nice twist is the same police detective being in charge of the most recent investigations and deaths, as was in charge in his youth at the original sad event. A really good storyline and Nicole was a strong character, dealing with her husband’s infidelity, whilst making a change and trying to forgive. Rules are broken and danger is coming for Nicole and her husband, whether they want it or not.
The second book is much longer and covers events at Bell Mansion. The main character is a young woman called Sarah, who up to this point has had a hard life. She lost her parents at age three and ended up in various foster homes and unsavoury placements. Nothing good has happened to her for years and her latest relationship ended in murder and her running for her life. She has ended up in the very small town of Bell and finds a job offer whilst escaping from the cold outside, in the local bar. It is to be a general maid and cleaner at the Bell mansion on the hilltop above town.
Fortunes have fallen in the town and there are tales of what one of the Bell ancestors, Alistair Bell, did to gain prosperity for the town. Since his death and the strange and sudden deaths of most of his descendants, there is only Iris Bell and her grandson left. This house also has rules, Sarah must wear a very outdated maid’s uniform and is told she can never go onto the fifth floor of the house. It is forbidden! She has been promised a large weekly pay and thinks she may be able to find something valuable to take and thus fund her escape, further from her past.
But, it seems that a deal was made with the devil all those years ago, by Alistair Bell and all his descendants must feed a dark entity with souls, to keep them alive. A promise was made and Iris is doing a lot of evil to ensure her promise comes true! Sarah is not the first loner that has been drawn to the home. She may be the last though! She doesn’t plan to stay for long, but soon realises she is in more trouble than that following her and she can’t escape this danger.
This story definitely deals more with ghosts, spirits, the paranormal world and details of the hell on earth coming if another soul is sacrificed. It deals with people’s inner thoughts and memories, good or bad, and tries to draw people in to its dark shadows. Sarah makes a friend she thinks in Pat, the local bar owner, someone she finds is kind to her, yet wants nothing from her. She also meets the local deputy sheriff Dell and he will be key to her shortly, whether she trusts him or not at this stage.
You have ghosts and messages in dreams appearing to Sarah, asking for her help, to save the souls of others. Not that Sarah understands, from what, or why. Why is she the only one that can do it? She may be desperate to escape her past and the one person who is hunting her down, but can she give up a little of herself to help others who have suffered like she has in her past?
A great tale, but much more complex in its telling than the first book of the set. It took me a little bit longer to get through, but mainly from its length. Once you understand the history of the Bell family and what their generations have been up to, you can understand what Sarah is being asked to do or to sacrifice and I got right behind her. Both fantastic reads and I want more!
These books were very well written. They kept me captivated with twists & unexpected turns. There's no starting slow & building up to interest, it captures your interest & keeps it till the end leaving you breathless but wanting more. I highly recommend these 2 books & everything I've read by James Hunt. Thank you sir for the exciting adventures & for scaring the daylights out of me a few times! ✌
I read the first book, “Calhoun” in the thee-book collection and I won’t read the rest. The writing is elementary and filled with cliches, I would have believed it if someone had told me it was a middle school student project. To add to the ridiculous story line were missed mistakes thanks to poor editing. I see that the author has written dozens of books, but they must be self-published. No respected publisher would consider such poor writing.
These two stories are completely different. They are both entertaining and good reads. I really liked the second stories lead character Sarah...underdogs are always good to root for and Sarah certainly was an underdog. There are spirits in both stories that take the story reader on adventures. Enjoy your time in these haunted houses.
This book has everything. Betrayal, deception, a bit of love and the supernatural but spiritual tale of the eternal battle between good and evil.This is definitely a must read book for anyone who has ever said I would do anything for something they desire. This truly is a book I could not put down. It pulled me in within the first few chapters.
Both books in the set had very good plots. The first was excellent. The Haunting of Bell Mansion was full of factual errors! I live in Maine. There are NO grizzly bears here. The capital of Maine AUGUSTA not Bangor. There were some other odds and ends that were off, but unless you live here, you won't get the mistakes.
Riveting everything seems so calm and peaceful as you start, and then one is caught up in the twists and turns of another haunting tale by the author. There are secrets, as is her troubled marriage.well worth reading.
The first one in the set was excellent. Enjoyed so much I couldn't put it down. Second one started that way but seemed to drag on to much at times. Still wanted to find out what happened though. Loved the first one , second would say was ok.
Stories kept me interested. Not what I expected, but was easy to get into. I would recommend these book. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down.