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Eli Carver Supernatural Thriller Series
Ghost Recall
THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE ELI CARVER SUPERNATURAL THRILLER SERIES FROM THE AWARD-WINNING MASTER OF DARK FANTASY
Life has calmed down for Eli Carver and he's grown complacent. Enjoying the high-stakes spoils of his new girlfriend's gambling wins, the duo is living large in Las Vegas. It's the most peaceful time he can recall. But when things turn quiet, Eli finds trouble.
Dragged into the strange machinations of a dangerous secret society, Eli will finally face everything he's been ignoring if he hopes to make it out the other side. And even then, nothing will ever be the same again. Eli and his ghosts find themselves battling powerful adversaries as violence and dark magic coalesce with lethal consequences. Strap yourself in for the third installment of award-winning author Alan Baxter's unrelenting Eli Carver Supernatural Thriller Series.
Life has calmed down for Eli Carver and he's grown complacent. Enjoying the high-stakes spoils of his new girlfriend's gambling wins, the duo is living large in Las Vegas. It's the most peaceful time he can recall. But when things turn quiet, Eli finds trouble.
Dragged into the strange machinations of a dangerous secret society, Eli will finally face everything he's been ignoring if he hopes to make it out the other side. And even then, nothing will ever be the same again. Eli and his ghosts find themselves battling powerful adversaries as violence and dark magic coalesce with lethal consequences. Strap yourself in for the third installment of award-winning author Alan Baxter's unrelenting Eli Carver Supernatural Thriller Series.
170 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2021
39 people want to read
About the author
Alan Baxter
135 books526 followersMy book rating system:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.
I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.
Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.
Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.
I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.
Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.
Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 29, 2021
Haunted killer Eli Carver returns for his third outing in Alan Baxter's Ghost Recall, and Baxter wastes no time whatsoever throwing Carver into the thick of things. We're reintroduced to Carver as he dispatches a group of Las Vegas thugs who had the not-so winning idea of robbing Eli in an alley. For having to go to all that trouble of kicking their asses for them, Eli takes one man's ring as recompense and finds himself in a world of trouble. The ring is supernatural, see, and the man he took it from is a member of a cult, the Acolytes of Ur. Eli won't be scared off, though, and is hellbent on taking the fight straight to these moon-worshipping weirdos. Sure, he could just leave town with a bag full of money and his girl, Bridget, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. The desert surrounding the city may be full of dead bodies, and Eli's gonna make damn sure there's plenty more in the streets, too.
Ghost Recall is a hell of a lot of fun. Baxter keeps the action swift and furious, and the pressure high, leavened with occasional moments of dark levity. It's the perfect blend of noir and occult horror - imagine Jason Statham leading The Frighteners if written by Laird Barron and you're on the right track.
There's a lot to appreciate here, but Baxter's antihero and his moral code are at the top of the list. A former hitman for the mob, Carver is a highly proficient, stone cold killer. While he might not be a killer with a heart of gold, he does have a compelling view of the world and a rigorous sense of justice, aiming his sights squarely at the bad guys who deserve it. We get an excellent look at this morality near the end when Carver ruminates on the moral failings of billionaires, who hoard the wealth they've amassed by exploiting everyone else and refuse to do any good for the world. It's impassioned and certainly hard to disagree with.
I also greatly admired Carver's relationship with Bridget, which is built on honesty and open communication. Unlike your typical action heroes, Carver refuses to keep his girlfriend in the dark and either hide or outright lie about the hard truths out of some outdated and ridiculous hyper-masculine pretense that it will somehow keep her safe only to be proven wrong in Act III. No, Carver gives her the straight scoop and relies on her to make informed decisions about the path their lives are taking. He's fully aware that although the Acolytes of Ur are hunting him, the violence that is sure to follow is something that will affect Bridget as well. It's a refreshing exploration of emotional honesty, trust, and maturity that you don't often see in typical alpha male action-heroes and their primitive views about their significant other.
Furthermore, Baxter continues to open up and push Carver's world forward a bit more. We get a few tantalizing changes and additions to Carver's understanding of this story's universe and his place in it, which makes for a whole lot of exciting potential for future books to explore. Because there's gotta be a Book 4, right? There better be!
Ghost Recall is a hell of a lot of fun. Baxter keeps the action swift and furious, and the pressure high, leavened with occasional moments of dark levity. It's the perfect blend of noir and occult horror - imagine Jason Statham leading The Frighteners if written by Laird Barron and you're on the right track.
There's a lot to appreciate here, but Baxter's antihero and his moral code are at the top of the list. A former hitman for the mob, Carver is a highly proficient, stone cold killer. While he might not be a killer with a heart of gold, he does have a compelling view of the world and a rigorous sense of justice, aiming his sights squarely at the bad guys who deserve it. We get an excellent look at this morality near the end when Carver ruminates on the moral failings of billionaires, who hoard the wealth they've amassed by exploiting everyone else and refuse to do any good for the world. It's impassioned and certainly hard to disagree with.
I also greatly admired Carver's relationship with Bridget, which is built on honesty and open communication. Unlike your typical action heroes, Carver refuses to keep his girlfriend in the dark and either hide or outright lie about the hard truths out of some outdated and ridiculous hyper-masculine pretense that it will somehow keep her safe only to be proven wrong in Act III. No, Carver gives her the straight scoop and relies on her to make informed decisions about the path their lives are taking. He's fully aware that although the Acolytes of Ur are hunting him, the violence that is sure to follow is something that will affect Bridget as well. It's a refreshing exploration of emotional honesty, trust, and maturity that you don't often see in typical alpha male action-heroes and their primitive views about their significant other.
Furthermore, Baxter continues to open up and push Carver's world forward a bit more. We get a few tantalizing changes and additions to Carver's understanding of this story's universe and his place in it, which makes for a whole lot of exciting potential for future books to explore. Because there's gotta be a Book 4, right? There better be!
November 23, 2021
So here we are. Book Three. The TRILOGY. Eli Carver arrives again, kicking heads in and taking no names.
But is this it? Is this the end of Eli Carver? For a while, Baxter had hinted at finishing things off with a third, but with this character, who can say for sure.
By this point, I’ll assume you’ve either read book one or both one and two. Either way, you’ll know that Eli Carver, former muscle, is now saddled with five ghosts, five former kills that won’t leave him alone.
This allows Baxter to use them for or against Carver and it makes for some great moments, both in action sequences, but also just random, meaningless interactions.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
What I liked: Book three picks up in Vegas, where Eli now resides with Bridgette. He’s made a few friends, kept his head down, but still those five ghosts hound him.
A chance encounter, which being Eli, turns violent, leads him to be in possession of a ring with an odd symbol.
From here, Baxter does a great job of ‘John Wick’-ing the story with Eli wanting to figure out who these chuckleheads are as well as those chuckleheads wanting the ring back. Expect collateral damage, blockbuster fight sequences and of course, some great banter between the ghosts and Eli.
The previous two entries were both really fun reads, filled with emotions and creating a rollercoaster ride for the reader. This one does the same, but turns it up a notch. The reader will also see just how much love Baxter has for Carver, as the character practically leaps off the page time and time again.
What I didn’t like: The climactic scene was great and the way it happens made sense for the story leading up to that point, but I felt like Carver made it there a little too easy. Especially when the group of people have been chasing him all over the city. Minor, overall, but just something I noticed.
Why you should buy this: I always love reading Alan’s work. He inflicts everything with darkness, depth, emotions and some of the best action/fight scenes out there (and that’s coming from a reader who can take fight scenes or leave ’em).
‘Ghost Recall’ is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy (if it is a conclusion) but also leaves the door open for a possible fourth.
For current fans of the series – you’ll be very pleased to see there is no letdown with the content and quality of the Carver series.
For new fans – grab book one and dive in, these are always a blast and will take you places you never expected.
But is this it? Is this the end of Eli Carver? For a while, Baxter had hinted at finishing things off with a third, but with this character, who can say for sure.
By this point, I’ll assume you’ve either read book one or both one and two. Either way, you’ll know that Eli Carver, former muscle, is now saddled with five ghosts, five former kills that won’t leave him alone.
This allows Baxter to use them for or against Carver and it makes for some great moments, both in action sequences, but also just random, meaningless interactions.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
What I liked: Book three picks up in Vegas, where Eli now resides with Bridgette. He’s made a few friends, kept his head down, but still those five ghosts hound him.
A chance encounter, which being Eli, turns violent, leads him to be in possession of a ring with an odd symbol.
From here, Baxter does a great job of ‘John Wick’-ing the story with Eli wanting to figure out who these chuckleheads are as well as those chuckleheads wanting the ring back. Expect collateral damage, blockbuster fight sequences and of course, some great banter between the ghosts and Eli.
The previous two entries were both really fun reads, filled with emotions and creating a rollercoaster ride for the reader. This one does the same, but turns it up a notch. The reader will also see just how much love Baxter has for Carver, as the character practically leaps off the page time and time again.
What I didn’t like: The climactic scene was great and the way it happens made sense for the story leading up to that point, but I felt like Carver made it there a little too easy. Especially when the group of people have been chasing him all over the city. Minor, overall, but just something I noticed.
Why you should buy this: I always love reading Alan’s work. He inflicts everything with darkness, depth, emotions and some of the best action/fight scenes out there (and that’s coming from a reader who can take fight scenes or leave ’em).
‘Ghost Recall’ is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy (if it is a conclusion) but also leaves the door open for a possible fourth.
For current fans of the series – you’ll be very pleased to see there is no letdown with the content and quality of the Carver series.
For new fans – grab book one and dive in, these are always a blast and will take you places you never expected.
November 28, 2021
It’s November and my brain has become conditioned to expect a new Eli Carver book from Alan Baxter and Grey Matter Press. When book three kicks off, Eli has settled into something of a comfortable life. Given how well we know Mr. Carver, not to mention the length of the book, that can’t last. Right?
Sure enough, Eli’s luck winds him back front and center in a sticky situation. These books have always showcased supernatural elements—it’s kind of a hinge of what makes the series unique—but the previous book, Recall Night, really did more than just dip toes in the water. Ghost Recall fully embraces the weird and otherworldly aspect, almost making it feel at times as though Carver is paying a visit to Gulpepper, Australia. (Don’t get the reference? Go read Baxter’s The Gulp. Like now.)
Baxter’s ability to write quick, exciting, and most importantly, clear fight scenes remains one of the writer’s top strengths. The reader never gets lost in the blurry, moving parts or feels like the action is stretching on for too long; a balancing act that feels effortless when written this way.
The interplay between Carver and his latched-on ghosts is always a highlight, and possibly the best part of this novella is Baxter early on establishing a new precedent for this relationship that changes the game in a big way. It’s not too long after this that a truly shocking moment comes out of left field as an indirect result. It’s all a nice touch that goes a long way to keep this series the furthest thing from stale, even three books in.
While Ghost Recall doesn’t end on a cliffhanger per se, Baxter makes it clear he’s not stopping at a trilogy. With this being the strongest entry in the series yet, I can get behind that decision.
Sure enough, Eli’s luck winds him back front and center in a sticky situation. These books have always showcased supernatural elements—it’s kind of a hinge of what makes the series unique—but the previous book, Recall Night, really did more than just dip toes in the water. Ghost Recall fully embraces the weird and otherworldly aspect, almost making it feel at times as though Carver is paying a visit to Gulpepper, Australia. (Don’t get the reference? Go read Baxter’s The Gulp. Like now.)
Baxter’s ability to write quick, exciting, and most importantly, clear fight scenes remains one of the writer’s top strengths. The reader never gets lost in the blurry, moving parts or feels like the action is stretching on for too long; a balancing act that feels effortless when written this way.
The interplay between Carver and his latched-on ghosts is always a highlight, and possibly the best part of this novella is Baxter early on establishing a new precedent for this relationship that changes the game in a big way. It’s not too long after this that a truly shocking moment comes out of left field as an indirect result. It’s all a nice touch that goes a long way to keep this series the furthest thing from stale, even three books in.
While Ghost Recall doesn’t end on a cliffhanger per se, Baxter makes it clear he’s not stopping at a trilogy. With this being the strongest entry in the series yet, I can get behind that decision.
December 7, 2021
“If you know someone means to hurt you, f*cling destroy them instantly with extreme prejudice.”-Eli Carver
This sentence from GHOST RECALL by Alan Baxter describes Eli Carver as well as the whole series perfectly. This is a no hesitation, straight for the throat, action packed joy ride and GHOST RECALL just adds exclamation points.
But has Eli met his match? He isn’t just up against normal muscle here, these are guys that can track him like a bloodhound and they have the power to destroy him.
Eli is also dealing with the guilt of possibly dragging some of his new friends into danger with him.
I didn’t have time to take a lot of notes or make highlights like I usually do. I got so sucked into this story that there was no way I could stop. I was absolutely engrossed in the action. It was so much fun.
This sentence from GHOST RECALL by Alan Baxter describes Eli Carver as well as the whole series perfectly. This is a no hesitation, straight for the throat, action packed joy ride and GHOST RECALL just adds exclamation points.
But has Eli met his match? He isn’t just up against normal muscle here, these are guys that can track him like a bloodhound and they have the power to destroy him.
Eli is also dealing with the guilt of possibly dragging some of his new friends into danger with him.
I didn’t have time to take a lot of notes or make highlights like I usually do. I got so sucked into this story that there was no way I could stop. I was absolutely engrossed in the action. It was so much fun.
December 25, 2021
Eli Carver returns to crack skulls, kick ass and lock horns with a formidable
supernatural foe in book three of the killer ‘Manifest Recall’ series
Three hardmen meet in a bar for a drink (choose your three personal favourites), for the sake of argument mine are John Wick (of Keanu Reeves fame), Isaiah Coleridge (from the pen of Laird Barron) and Eli Carver, the star of Ghost Recall, the third book in the Eli Carver series. All three men are vicious (but generally likable and charismatic) killers who have come out of hitman retirement to add more notches to their already substantial body-count resume. As these guys operate on dangerously short fuses a disagree breaks out and the pub empties, who will be the last man standing? Mmmmmm, that is an impossible question to answer, but you can guarantee blood will flow. But what a mythical pound-for-punch matchup! If you like your fiction short and sweet, with the back-kick of a mule laced with razorblades, then perhaps it is time to jump into the slipstream of this awesome tough guy created by Alan Baxter.
Ghost Recall is a quality continuation of the series and although I would recommend you read the books in sequence, this third entry is a standalone story with various pointers to what went before without going into too much detail, so you could also potentially jump straight in here. All three are novella, or short novel length stories (170-pages this time out) and are guaranteed to be devoured very quickly. If anything, I wished they were longer, with more detail thrown into the mix, for example the main plot of Ghost Recall revolves around a supernatural cult and there was plenty of scope to develop this strange secret society in significantly more detail. Instead, Alan Baxter keeps things moving with a light and sketchy style which was perfect if you’re after an easy and fast paced reading experience, the literary equivalent of a quality popcorn and beer driven ninety-minute horror/thriller film.
Eli Carver is a supreme main character, the frailties and emotional turmoil which surrounded his memory loss and personal tragedy in Manifest Recall are generally gone and book three finds him hooked up with one of the characters introduced in its predecessor Night Recall. Narrated in the first person, the uber-cool former hitman attracts trouble and is soon involved in another mystery which takes a dangerous supernatural turn when he acquires a ring (with an odd symbol) after his first fist fight in a while. Finding himself in Las Vegas, Eli has grown accustomed to a relatively quiet life, but problems soon arise as this guy simply cannot back away from a tussle, no matter how heavily the odds are stacked against him. The plot is top heavy with vicious action sequences, a substantial body count and Alan Baxter has a real knack of delivering unrelentingly brutal battles which would not be out of place in a Tarantino flick, or the Hong Kong Heroic Bloodshed films of the 1990s. He certainly dispatches his enemies with the same brutal efficiency Chow Fun Fat did in his Honk Kong action flick heyday!
One of the major strengths of Ghost Recall is the clever development of one of the key story threads which connect the three books. Eli Carver sees five ghosts, all individuals he has previously killed over his long career as a hitman, none of which are particularly fond of him (with obvious reason!) and in this book the ghosts have a much more prominent role, rather than just lurking in the background. Their individual characters begin to develop, they both help and hinder Eli, and one could not really see any future instalments without them cursing and chundering in the background.
This was a highly entertaining supernatural thriller which refuses to get too deep, the romantic interest could have been developed for example but is kept on the backburner, instead Baxter chooses to throw the kitchen sink at Carver who probably wishes he returned the dodgy ring but is just not that kind of guy. The climatic sequence was wildly over the top and was by far the most overtly supernatural part of the series thus far. Baxter obviously has a lot of fun writing this character and I would not be surprised if he bounced back for another adventure. If so, I would like to see him pushed through the emotional wringer (as in book one) as well as the physical, in order to see his character develop, as he wiped out the opposition without breaking too much sweat in this book.
Recurring characters are great for long-term fans who enjoy episodic fiction and I love this type of writing where I can periodically reconnect with old favourites for a few hours. Personally, more often than not these come from detective fiction rather than horror so having a yearly catchup with Eli Carver is a very welcome distraction where I can easily tap into his world without too much thought. I’m sure new readers will find the series equally appealing and relish the opportunity of reading the three books on the bounce. By way of comparison, the absolute gold standard of supernatural thrillers is John Connolly’s simply breath-taking Charlie Parker series, now nineteen books old, now there’s a challenge for Alan Baxter to rise to.
supernatural foe in book three of the killer ‘Manifest Recall’ series
Three hardmen meet in a bar for a drink (choose your three personal favourites), for the sake of argument mine are John Wick (of Keanu Reeves fame), Isaiah Coleridge (from the pen of Laird Barron) and Eli Carver, the star of Ghost Recall, the third book in the Eli Carver series. All three men are vicious (but generally likable and charismatic) killers who have come out of hitman retirement to add more notches to their already substantial body-count resume. As these guys operate on dangerously short fuses a disagree breaks out and the pub empties, who will be the last man standing? Mmmmmm, that is an impossible question to answer, but you can guarantee blood will flow. But what a mythical pound-for-punch matchup! If you like your fiction short and sweet, with the back-kick of a mule laced with razorblades, then perhaps it is time to jump into the slipstream of this awesome tough guy created by Alan Baxter.
Ghost Recall is a quality continuation of the series and although I would recommend you read the books in sequence, this third entry is a standalone story with various pointers to what went before without going into too much detail, so you could also potentially jump straight in here. All three are novella, or short novel length stories (170-pages this time out) and are guaranteed to be devoured very quickly. If anything, I wished they were longer, with more detail thrown into the mix, for example the main plot of Ghost Recall revolves around a supernatural cult and there was plenty of scope to develop this strange secret society in significantly more detail. Instead, Alan Baxter keeps things moving with a light and sketchy style which was perfect if you’re after an easy and fast paced reading experience, the literary equivalent of a quality popcorn and beer driven ninety-minute horror/thriller film.
Eli Carver is a supreme main character, the frailties and emotional turmoil which surrounded his memory loss and personal tragedy in Manifest Recall are generally gone and book three finds him hooked up with one of the characters introduced in its predecessor Night Recall. Narrated in the first person, the uber-cool former hitman attracts trouble and is soon involved in another mystery which takes a dangerous supernatural turn when he acquires a ring (with an odd symbol) after his first fist fight in a while. Finding himself in Las Vegas, Eli has grown accustomed to a relatively quiet life, but problems soon arise as this guy simply cannot back away from a tussle, no matter how heavily the odds are stacked against him. The plot is top heavy with vicious action sequences, a substantial body count and Alan Baxter has a real knack of delivering unrelentingly brutal battles which would not be out of place in a Tarantino flick, or the Hong Kong Heroic Bloodshed films of the 1990s. He certainly dispatches his enemies with the same brutal efficiency Chow Fun Fat did in his Honk Kong action flick heyday!
One of the major strengths of Ghost Recall is the clever development of one of the key story threads which connect the three books. Eli Carver sees five ghosts, all individuals he has previously killed over his long career as a hitman, none of which are particularly fond of him (with obvious reason!) and in this book the ghosts have a much more prominent role, rather than just lurking in the background. Their individual characters begin to develop, they both help and hinder Eli, and one could not really see any future instalments without them cursing and chundering in the background.
This was a highly entertaining supernatural thriller which refuses to get too deep, the romantic interest could have been developed for example but is kept on the backburner, instead Baxter chooses to throw the kitchen sink at Carver who probably wishes he returned the dodgy ring but is just not that kind of guy. The climatic sequence was wildly over the top and was by far the most overtly supernatural part of the series thus far. Baxter obviously has a lot of fun writing this character and I would not be surprised if he bounced back for another adventure. If so, I would like to see him pushed through the emotional wringer (as in book one) as well as the physical, in order to see his character develop, as he wiped out the opposition without breaking too much sweat in this book.
Recurring characters are great for long-term fans who enjoy episodic fiction and I love this type of writing where I can periodically reconnect with old favourites for a few hours. Personally, more often than not these come from detective fiction rather than horror so having a yearly catchup with Eli Carver is a very welcome distraction where I can easily tap into his world without too much thought. I’m sure new readers will find the series equally appealing and relish the opportunity of reading the three books on the bounce. By way of comparison, the absolute gold standard of supernatural thrillers is John Connolly’s simply breath-taking Charlie Parker series, now nineteen books old, now there’s a challenge for Alan Baxter to rise to.
January 2, 2022
Book 3 in the Eli Carver series fixes my complaints of Book 2. Here, Eli's ghosts play a significant role in the story and aren't just stuck on the sidelines cracking wise at each other. Like the other books, Alan Baxter throws us straight into the action as fists are flying and bullets are taking out plenty of bad guys. I loved the supernatural element with this one as things are just left out there without getting too descriptive or providing much analysis which would just bog down the story...the quick hits were perfect for this book. Also, I'm going to need to fire up the demo from the Acolytes of Ur band and thrash hard.
February 20, 2022
John Wick meets Clark Ashton Smith
What a fun ride! Two-fisted ex-hitman Eli Carver gets mixed up with an occult cabal in Sin City. With his ghost sidekicks in tow, he keeps trying to do the right thing, but things keep getting weirder. He may be tough in a tumble, but with ruthless enemies and very high stakes, there are still consequences to pay. And that's before the cosmic climax. Highly recommended.
What a fun ride! Two-fisted ex-hitman Eli Carver gets mixed up with an occult cabal in Sin City. With his ghost sidekicks in tow, he keeps trying to do the right thing, but things keep getting weirder. He may be tough in a tumble, but with ruthless enemies and very high stakes, there are still consequences to pay. And that's before the cosmic climax. Highly recommended.
January 1, 2022
As with the first two books, absolutely loved the fast paced, gritty, supernatural action. Punches you right in the face and leaves wanting more!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews