Ghosts of NY's Capital District: Albany, Schenectady, Troy & More

by Renee Mallett

New York's Capital District is an area rich in history . . . and in ghosts! Covering a dozen communities within the area, read about historic hauntings and modern-day spooks in upstate New York. Catch a show at the Cohoes Music Hall--just watch out for the Lady in Black and the outrageous spirit of Vaudeville superstar Eva Tanguay. Take a ride on Lincoln's ghost train that charges through Albany each April. Learn the true stories behind the legends of Amsterdam's Widow Susan and the Witch of Saratoga. And find out why the Men in Black menaced the residents of Scotia for four years. Why not begin your paranormal encounter right here?

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2009

Reviews

[Cassandra Pratt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is riddled with spelling and punctuation errors - it was kind of astounding that it was published this way and took away from the quality and ease of reading, IMO.
Also,
The stories were vague and it wasn't the historical, detailed or fact-filled book I thought it was going to be.
Great subject matter with lots of potential, just not well developed or crafted :/
Glad it was a short book.

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this book had been titled "An Encyclopedia of Ghost Sightings in NY's Capital District" I may have been more favorable towards it, however this book was just plain boring! The stories did not have enough substance to create a book, and this subject would have been better handled in a shorter article format. A ghost sighting by one janitor in a college dorm does not make a story.

[Emily Lovely · Rating 1 out of 5]

As someone who lives in the Capital Region, I was very interested in reading this. But I was very disappointed. The stories are vague and often end abruptly. There were way too many spelling and grammatical errors, I found myself more interested in finding mistakes than I was to engage in the stories. This was not my cup of tea.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read a few stories and then put this down. A lot of typos and errors in the writing. The stories themselves feel disconnected, lack details and flow, and end abruptly. If you can't participate in the local ghost tours, "Saratoga County Ghosts" by Pitkin is a little better. Although that reads more like reports rather than told as stories/ folklore.

[Smith Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the most poorly written book I've ever encountered. Endless grammatical errors, awkward run-on sentences, and amateur writing that at times borders on childlike. I have no idea how it got published. To make matters worse, the ghost stories are vague, bare-bones accounts with scant research behind them.

[Kirsten Bombard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite telling of ghost stories. But was knowledgeable, some stories I had heard - some i haven't. My biggest issue is how stiff/thick the pages are.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories I've heard since I was a wee lass, still exciting to have in print and remember. And for us locals, it's a historic little fun-time campfire read-along.