Ghosts of Key West

by David L. Sloan

Key West’s past comes alive with thirteen incredible stories of the southernmost ghosts. From Victorian era spirits returning to claim what is rightfully theirs, to haunted dolls that continue to send chills down their visitors’ spines, Ghosts of Key West beautifully captures the true spirit of Florida’s second oldest city. Ghosts of cigar makers, pirates, wreckers and voodoo practitioners all await you. While their ghostly journeys continue through time, yours is just about to begin.Ghosts of Key West author David L. Sloan founded Key West’s original ghost tour and is the leading authority on the island’s hauntings.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ghosts, Travel, Ghost Stories, Horror, Paranormal

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first was introduced to the name David Sloan from the locals in Key West.

So, I decided to take the late night ghost hunting tour....which was a pretty good history lesson, but a big bust on seeing any ghosts.

[Melvin Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never knew Key West had so many ghosts! Decently written, not fabulous, but as good as most of the Savannah local ghost books I've read.

I did hear "for better or for worse" about Count Carl von Cosel from a history podcast (Stuff you missed in history class) but didn't know there was a ghost component to it as well. Very cool.

[Sam Tindall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up after a trip to the Keys and finally read it since we figured out where going back next spring. The stories are entertaining i this book and over all it's a solid, informative book. I really appreciate the first story being Robert the doll since I plan on visiting him when I go back.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Keys have a history all their own. That’s certainly one way of putting it.

I knew a Key West was historic but I never imagined it had that many ghosts running around.

It will certainly be something I try and look into next time I’m in Key West. Maybe I’ll even rent one of the rooms in the buildings that are now hotels!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up in the gift store at the Key West airport to read on the planes home to Chicago. It was light reading and interesting to read about ghosts and other history of Key West. It's a wonderful place and this book is fun to read.

[Tammy Konarska]

interesting stories

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some spelling errors in the last chapters. Content was good. Pretty well written.

[theJungleBOOKIE : Jennifer Machado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this read as a book of mini stories instead of one book reading like a memoir. Also the directory in the back is an awesome way of keeping track of all the places!

[Lindsay (LindsayReads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

 I needed a spooky read to help get me extra excited about a tropically vacation, and luckily Ghosts of Key West was just sitting there on our shelves. It was just what I needed! 

Ghosts of Key West is a super short read, taking only an hour or so to get through, and is told in a ‘stories around the campfire’ format. There are tons of black and white pictures of historic key west homes and portraits of the people still haunting the island. The ghost stories are educational as they provide a decent amount of island history alongside the ghostly tales. Its broken up in to short chapters, each with their own ghost story, that i feel makes it a better read.

Sadly, it is very poorly written. The plot of each story is very jumpy and full of random first person encounters. These first person stories were annoying for someone who picked up the book for history. The writing issues could have probably been fixed with a good editing or two. 
Ghosts of Key West a good starter book if you’re planning on hitting the keys for a vacation. It’s a nice introduction to the ghostly history of the island, but I definitely recommend taking a tour if you visit. 

Anyone else love a good ghost story? Who else loves the Florida Keys?

Lindsay

Check out more reviews at historymysterybooks.com

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and quick read, I read it in about an hour and a half. Not too in-depth. Strikes me as the type of book you should read on the beach or maybe while relaxing in a hotel or at home. There are some typos but that's no big deal, nothing is perfect.

The stories are pretty quick. A general brush over of some of the most popular stories in Key West, little to no history or background, which is understandable since it varies depending on who is telling it (such as the story with Robert the Doll).

The photos were a refreshing, and in many cases, creepy, twist.

I've been on two ghost tours in Key West and have heard these stories before (different versions, depending on who is telling it) but it's nice to have a hard copy of some of the stories and to read a few I didn't know about.

****

Just a tip for people considering this while standing in a store in Key West, the book is cheaper on Amazon. It isn't autographed, but it's a few dollars cheaper than the tourist trap stores.

And yes, you should consider taking a ghost tour there. Particularly the one where they take you to see Robert the Doll. It's a creepy and entertaining tour.

[Michele Cacano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is comprised of witness accounts of spirit activity and local ghost tales. It's a quick, fun read, but I would have liked more historical context.

On the plus side, I enjoyed the stories and the relaxed writing style. And there are pictures, though more ghost pics would be nice...as is, there is one photo of a "demon doll" supposedly showing evidence of supernatural interference, but that's it. Heck, my husband and I were there for four days and captured at least one spirit image, possibly three.

On the minus side, there are lots of typos and grammatical errors. But my main gripe is lack of dates! When were these lives and deaths? When were these ghost sightings? Who are these people telling about their ghostly experiences? I have no frame of reference for these accounts, and zero historical content or context.

Makes me want to move to move to Key West for a few months and write a better book!

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this while on vacation in Key West. I usually love and devour these types of stories, and this one certainly made that happen. I got lost in the book, It was just me, and I couldn't hear anyone else sitting right next to me I was so involved.
This book definitely cuts it for the "horror" genre, it had my toes curled. Talk about scary! But I still loved reading it.
It's also so easy to believe! Yes, I do believe in ghosts, but even if I didn't, this book would make me. Told from the person who was experiencing it POV, it was very convincing.
I loved it!
Looking for "Ghosts of Connecticut" next!

[Carol Cassada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a ghost fanatic. I'm always interested in reading about ghosts from around the world.

I was intrigued to read about the hauntings in Key West since that's an historical town in Florida. When I bought this book, I was expecting to read about real life hauntings. The author does talk about haunted places and legends in the city. However, he takes the encounters and turns them into a story, which seems more like fiction.

I wish the author would've focused a bit more on the history and ghosts instead of using them as focus for a story. I like reading about the real life encounters instead of a fictionalized version of it.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this while in Key West the night of a ghost tour. David had signed it. I enjoyed the stories (particularly the one about Robert- who I enjoyed seeing in the East Martello Museum the next day). It was probably one of the better mementos I brought back from vacation. I no longer really go back to read the stories, but I remember them well enough from those days where I reread these until I swore my eyes would fall out of my head.

[Jeannette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I don't believe in ghosts I'm still fascinated with ghost lore. I would have preferred to learn more about the history surrounding the various locations and people. This book provided very little if that but focused on eye witness testimony,far less interesting since it is so unreliable. Also, this book is in need of a good editor. So many spelling mistakes!

[Infernal Apex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up while on vacation in Key West. Simple, short stories on some ghost legends in the area.
Nothing really scary, but entertaining local lore.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

These tales are much more enjoyable when told out loud by a grand storyteller (such as those on the ghost tour). They lose their flair in printed form.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but not too in-depth. Worthy beach-reading for any Keys tourist.

[Pug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert the DoLL!!!!!!!