Chasing Ghosts

by Justin Boote

Officers Angela and Doug are called to what they believe to be a prank call—parents claiming to have murdered their daughter. But this is no prank, and soon they discover things are worse, much worse than they could ever believe. For it’s not the first time a young girl has been killed here. Over the last 30 years, others have died at the hands of their parents. And all claimed to have been forced to do so. The problem for Angela and Doug is that the thing that caused such misery to so many is apparently already dead.
And unless Angela can solve the mystery fast, her daughter, Kim, may be next.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2022

Reviews

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Chasing Ghosts” by Justin Boote is the first book I’ve read by this author as I was excited to jump in after seeing such an incredible cover. Now, before I get into my final review of this book, I wanted to let you all about a trigger warning that happens right off the bat in Chapter 1.

Just so you know, there is an abduction/kidnapping of a minor that I know could trigger readers. Don’t worry, things don’t get too graphic or anything which I appreciate Boote not getting into crazy specifics around this but yeah, if that triggers you for any reason, please make note of that.

Moving along, I loved the solid characters in this novel and especially the horror meets mystery aspect of it. This was a thrilling read as I tried to figure out exactly what was going on with each passing chapter. The horror events and situations were very well written. Several creepy events and situations happened and I really enjoyed Boote’s writing style. He’s quite good at capturing those scary moments which delivered those chills down your spine brilliantly.

I loved all the references to books and bands I love from “Carrie” by Stephen King to even popular songs by Pink Floyd. Whenever authors throw things like that in, it just resonates very well with me. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything about this book as the only thing I didn’t like was that at a few points while reading, about the 40% mark, and a couple of instances towards the ending, some parts dragged on.

I felt there was a bit too much dialogue between characters that was basically just repeating what was already known. I would have preferred even more horror and action to balance that part out as it wasn’t really fluff to boost pages or anything but I felt wasn’t needed at all. If that extra dialogue recapping things was trimmed, this would have been a perfect and tight horror book in my opinion.

I give “Chasing Ghosts” by Justin Boote a 4/5 as it was a solid read. The atmospheric horror here was very creepy and immersive while showcasing Boote’s excellent writing style in this genre. As a huge “A Nightmare on Elm Street” fan, I got some major Freddy Krueger vibes during certain events which were pretty damn awesome. The plot twists were great and overall, I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for a unique horror book that flirts with mystery, suspense, and delivers a nice thriller. I can definitely tell Boote will be quite successful in this genre for many years to come thanks to writing as well as he does.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy and Suspenseful!

Small backstory:

Doug and Angela, police officers are sent to investigate a murder that they think could be someone just messing around, but what they find is far worse as the home where the murder took place has a bad history of murders in the past.

The house they soon learn is haunted and "something evil" lies within the house which could be the main source of all the bad the house has had to endure in the past, but can the officers combat evil and rid the house of the haunting manifestation?

That is about all I can give on a small backstory and there are no spoilers here as you will just have to read the book to learn more!

Thoughts:

This book was one spooky and creepy ride as the author slowly built up the suspense within the story! I could just feel the dread and atmospheric conditions of the haunting vibrating off the pages of the book as I would read it late into the night!

Justin Boote has become one of my favorite authors as his story telling just seems to flow along in any story he writes. Normally his books have some carnage and extreme situations but this book he took it in a different direction with haunting and ghosts.

This book kept my insomnia fueled a few nights and one night I was so wrapped up within the story that I just kept reading as I couldn't put the book down! Another great book by this author and it will be going on my favorites shelf! Giving this book five "Spooked-Out Haunting" stars!

[Alison Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger from Justin Boote! I love a good ghost story and this one is that… and then some WOW. You’ve got a serial killer taking young girls and murdering them, flash forward 30 years and you’ve got parents killing their young girls in a similar fashion in one particular house… what the hell is going on?? Angela, a cop with a traumatic past is going to find out. Can you figure it out before she does??

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished my first book from Justin Boote, It was so good! Definitely 5 stars ⭐️ I didn't want it to end. Can't wait to read more from him.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever walk into a room and think I’m not alone? You look around and you don’t see anyone but you can’t shake the feeling. You get this overpowering oppressive feeling and know something bad happened here and the evilness is lingering, watching you.
Justin Boote’s newest horror story, Chasing Ghosts, is full of atmospheric evil. The book takes off with no letting up. I started it at night, and I recommend you do the same. The quiet and darkness around me intensified the evil.
Welcome to Bradwell. Here is where you will find a home that has a troubling past. Many of its victims are in the sanitarium, Northgate. While others live the rest of their lives in prison. I picture in my mind a village so desolate and quiet with a deep history in violence. A home that claims its victims with no remorse. People on the verge of mental breakdowns and violent acts. And for what purpose? Why is this happening, again?
Boote’s writing is smooth and direct. It is easy to get hooked on his books because the words flow effortlessly. Undoubtedly, Boote can turn the macabre into something beautiful. I know he has lots to choose from, and if his writing is this consistent across all of them, it doesn’t matter what book you start with.
If you have been enjoying some cozy horror stories and looking to up your game, give Chasing Ghosts a try. I would consider this a great book to read for those of you that want horror, but not over-the-top gore. There is some violence and gore, but in my opinion, it is done to give a sense of dread and fear, not to make your stomach roll.

[Kate DeJonge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I've read a few of Justin Boote's titles in the past, but this one is my new favourite. I love a good ghost story! In this one, a haunted house is making tenants kill their daughters, but only under specific circumstances. The daughter must be an only child. It's happened at least 4 times, and in each case the parents are shocked but confess immediately. So, why has it taken so many years for the police to question this pattern?

Boote delivers a steadily paced mystery within a ghost story, with a twist. The officer who connects the dots and starts investigating the house on her down time has a daughter, an only child. She's not a detective, it's not her job to investigate, and she'd probably be fired if her superior found out, but she can't stop herself. By the time she realizes her mistake, that her daughter matches the description of all of the other victims, it's too late.

The story is not extreme (like the books this author publishes under the name J. Boote). It will give you just the right amount of shivers while you try to figure out the mystery, and you probably won't want to go exploring any haunted buildings in the near future.

[Danielle Yeager · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulls you in from the first few pages and is spooky and suspenseful!

This is a ghost story about a haunted house with a history of child murders dating back to 1992, a serial killer, and the cop (an overprotective , single mother) investigating the latest killing. I'm a fan of Justin Boote and like/recommend everything I've read by him, including this one!

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my issues with moving into a new house (which I may be doing in the next couple of years), is knowing or not knowing what went on behind those walls before you move in. It matters. This is scary, gruesome, sad and exciting in a "I know I should be disgusted but this is kind of exciting, way".
Real crime and otherworldly horror, with well written characters make this an excellent read.

[Kaycee Sterling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great haunted house/ghost book! I don’t get scared often but this one made me a nervous wreck while reading because I was scared for the characters.
This author is always recommending other authors work and I never see him recommending his own work. And although I have no issues with self promotion it really made me respect him as a person and after reading my first book by him I respect him as a talented author too. Looking forward to reading more by him!

[Graeme Rodaughan]

Purchased. Reading this with the fine folk over at Castle Terror in March.

[Corrina Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I have loved every book I've read by Justin, and I've read a LOT. And each book he releases just gets better and better, making this his best yet in my opinion!

Two police officers are called to a disturbance, a weird one, or could it be a prank call?, in a rundown house, a house thats all too familiar to some. And when Angela discovers what actually happened there, she doesn't want to drop the case until she gets some answers! Only, the answers she gets aren't what she was expecting!
The house itself is where several similar murders occurred, and it has a lingering, malevolent presence left throughout. A house that draws certain people to it, makes them do things they wouldn't normally do, yet it also deters others.

Angela has a kind of sixth sense that causes her to have the most terrifyingly vivid dreams and visions, and her strange behaviour also has a big effect on her daughter Kim!

There are two stories intertwined here and they culminate in the most brilliant, yet awful way.

This book hooked me in straight away and held my attention until the very last word! It was tense, gripping, deeply engaging and totally unputdownable. The story flows so fluidly and the anticipation and intrigue grows so steadily throughout, you can't help but keep reading!
It was horrifying, breath holding, fear inducing and full of action. The imagery is creepy as hell and will have you seeing things out of the corner of your eye for a long time to come. I even got goosebumps a couple of times, it's so chilling in places! 🖤

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin does it again! Can this guy even write a bad book? Apparently not! This was deliciously creepy and I highly recommend!

[Dollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a shocking beginning and a rattling ending. Be prepared for creepiness. Angela Harford and Doug Ramsey are police officers who respond to a murder. Angela is divorced with a teenage daughter, Kim, and her ex-husband is totally out of the picture. Angela still suffers trauma from the murder of her younger brother long ago, so the murder she and Doug responded to makes no sense to her at all. She appears to be fairly new to the area, but soon starts learning about a serial killer there who was never caught. The more she learns, the more the story goes from being a creepy horror story to also being a police investigation, so it’s horror and mystery. I thought it was good at both. I liked Angela, Kim and Doug’s characters. Lots of eeriness, lots of action and lots of suspense. I liked it.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, another great read! This gave me the Amityville vibe ! When one house has a history, one cop won’t let it go.. she fights to solve the case that others have dusted under the rug!

[Shannon Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What happened? Why? was all she could muster. There was a sob caught in her own throat, this was the worst possible scenario a mother could imagine - killing one one child”.
When police officer Angela Harford uttered those words after responding to what she was sure was a prank call, she has no idea how much worse the scenario would get …

I’ll be very honest, ghost stories and haunted houses aren’t usually my thing. I have always found them to be trite and played out.
Justin Boote’s twist on the supernatural has completely turned me around …
From his erudite insertion of a fantastically twisty thriller / murder mystery storyline to his well controlled splashes of gore (reminiscent of his “alter-ego’s” work under J. Boote that I’m absolutely obsessed with…), this was the intriguing take on a ghost story that I didn’t know I needed in my life.

What would cause a parent to believe that killing their own child was in the child’s best interest?
How did it become endemic in a small town?
How far would you go to unravel that mystery before it hits far too close to home?

“Rather than turn and run, she found her legs edging towards him, of their own free will.”
“Maybe in hell she could apologize to her daughter…”

[Margaret Hamnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in blind to this story only knowing it was something to do with ghosts. In the first five seconds I wasn’t disappointed.
Murder but not the usual kind has been perpetrated but not for the first time in the same house.
As always the worse things happen where? In the basement of course. I won’t ruin the story for everyone but every time someone was in that basement I would read faster and feel myself going no, no, nooooo.
The tension was kept really high throughout the entire story and it didn’t take me long to get to the end. There was also a lot of backstory on the characters and a nice amount of gore.
My absolute favourite line from the entire book was as follows: “Her brain seemed to have forgotten the idea of escape because all she could do was stare, wide-eyed and terrified at the thing now halfway out of the wardrobe.” I have never been so glad to have a closet in my bedroom and I’m not going anywhere near my kid’s wardrobe for a long time!
Even though I normally prefer extreme horror this was a great twist on the haunted house trope and was extremely well paced with great goosebumpy, tingly, hair standing up on the back on your neck moments.

[Shannon Zablocki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome ghost story. If you want something easy to read, well written and spooky then this is your go to. It's a decently fast paced read with great characters and none the too gore scenes. I honestly loved this book and finished it in 3 days. It shows what a mother will endure and do to ensure the safety of her child, friendships that are solid and some great spooky scenes. Highly recommend this book for a good ghost story read.

[Batty4Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boote is back to basics with this latest novel. After taking a short plunge into the darker world of extreme horror, his latest is a modern day ghost/crime story hybrid, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The tone of this story, to me, was very reminiscent of the classic 1981 film, The Changeling. This ghost is looking for help, but is still extremely violent and will threaten anyone until it gets what it wants, even the ones who vow to unravel it’s mystery. These cops playing detective aren’t blundering fools either. They’re pursuing connections others have chosen to ignore and know they’re in a race against time to stop the ghost’s revenge and solve a decades old cold case that may be linked in the process. I’ve heard paranormal investigators say that ghosts are relatively poor communicators when dealing with the living. I loved that Boote used this principal in his novel. As the investigators try to understand the otherworldly clues, the spirit only grows more aggravated and dangerous. As much fun as it is to see an author grow and explore new ideas in their writing, I liked seeing that Boote still has a knack for creating a fast-paced, suspenseful story that can appeal to a wide audience of both extreme and non-extreme horror fans.

[Leah Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve gotta say that I’m a big horror fan and also a big fan of Justin’s work. This guy is intelligent y’all! The amazing thing that he did to mix horror, true crime and a little extreme horror together … I will never know! But, I can say one thing, this book is EPIC! There’s so many ghost stories out there to the point that they all start to sound the same! This will not be the same for you. This story involves two detectives that are trying to solve a case … is what they see real? Or not??? You don’t have a clue! It’s kinda like someone working on a car … is it this?? Or is it that?? And then it’s a totally different thing. This book will definitely take you around for a loop or two … maybe three or more! You will not be disappointed at this loving ghost story! Check it out y’all! If not, I’m sorry ….

**Not to mention the cover is awesome**

[Fallon Raynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 frightful ghosts! 😱😱😱😱😱

Angela finds herself being pulled further into a crime scene than she had planned. A daughter murdered by her parents. But this was not the first murdered daughter by their parents. The air in the house at 11 Parkland Drive picked at her. It moved. It breathed. It lived. Something was far from right. Something evil lived there. Sirens were going off, literally. Something that pulled Angela in, and would put her daughter Kim in harms way. Angela drags her partner Doug into the mix. How many more people will die before she finds the person behind the killings? Will she survive to find the answers?

Put a jacket on, it's chilly paranormal weather in the house. I also recommend some earplugs. I could feel and hear everything. This brook brought it! Great Job Justin! And I love that cover! <3

[Catherine Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! I enjoyed having the two separate but connected stories running parallel - the serial killer mystery and the haunted house murders, and they were both done well. I'm not someone who gets upset when I predict the ending, so I still enjoyed it despite working things out well on advance of it happening.
The only things that dropped it a star for me were the couple of chapters which happened in the past but had no indication that they were in a different time to the main story.
There were a couple of minor typos/errors but that's chalked up to editing issues and there aren't enough of them to take anything from the enjoyment of the book.

[Bryan Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vengeful spirit revisiting his trauma on unsuspecting and innocent families that move into his house, this is a haunted house story with bite. Shrouded in the mystery of a thirty year old serial killer cold case, Angela must rush to solve both the mystery and the haunting as her daughter becomes the spirit's next target. Angela is a fantastic protagonist as she is tragically flawed and haunted by her own personal demons that plague her throughout the book. The narrative is written well with great pacing that holds your attention through to the conclusion.

[Bookish Satty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first half when the main characters were trying to solve the mystery behind the haunted house but I'm so disappointed with the revelations because the motive behind said haunting didn't make sense to me. Overall a nice action packed haunted house story but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

[Indieterror13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Angela links some suspicious murders in a home, happening repeatedly over several years, to a serial killer from years ago. She must solve the case before it's too late - for her own daughter.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kayla Victoria Craft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rtc

[Spike Chasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

crime thriller meets horror brilliantly

Loved this read. Great Character Development and a beautiful twist or two. My first Justin Boote but won’t be my last.

[Erica L · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟 had lots of potential.