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Dark Side: The Haunting

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Do you believe in miracles?

Jenny Garrett does. Because only a miracle could have brought her through after a terrible car crash.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Jenny didn't either, until...

A tenacious and talented surgeon made Jenny almost as good as new. Almost.

Accidents happen--sometimes. But sometimes accidents are planned. Somebody wanted Jenny Garrett dead, and now Detective Rick Walker has to find out who and why. But Jenny can't help with the investigation. Jenny's memory of the accident, and the weeks preceding it, are gone. Yet somehow Rick has to get to the truth before the killer tries again.

But the real horror in Jenny's life transcends far beyond the stalking of an earthly killer. Jenny is being terrorized by a Doppelganger--a ghostly image of herself.

Dwight Mackenzie believes in ghosts. So much so, that he is willing to help Jenny uncover the truth behind her torment.

But the real truth is: there is only one way to escape the vicious torment of a Doppelganger.

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

7 people are currently reading
1478 people want to read

About the author

J.M. Barlog

18 books75 followers
Barlog grew up in Chicago before serving in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force.

He has authored numerous novels across many genres. Windows to the Soul, his debut novel, won the Readers' Choice award for suspense at an Illinois 'Love Is Murder' Mystery Conference.

But his greatest accomplishments are his three children and his grandchildren.

Barlog currently lives with his wife in Southern California, where he is busy writing sequels to his popular novels The Heart of the Lion, Minno, and A Connecticut Nightmare.

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5 stars
45 (38%)
4 stars
43 (36%)
3 stars
17 (14%)
2 stars
7 (5%)
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5 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Marie.
1,119 reviews389 followers
April 19, 2020
This was a great spooky tale!

Nothing is as what it seems in this book as you have a woman that survives a horrific car accident and she has no memory of the accident or the weeks before the accident. With the help of a detective that tries to help her unravel the mystery of the car crash, they come to a conclusion that someone wanted her dead. Who it is was and what exactly happened leading up to the crash is truly nail biting suspense.

A major page turner - kept me on the edge of my seat!

The author, J.M. Barlog pulls you into this story and weaves this mystery/horror novel to a point that will leave you breathless with anticipation of what is going to happen next! Giving it 4.5 stars and rounding up to 5 stars for mysterious suspense!
Profile Image for Nicolle.
104 reviews1 follower
August 19, 2013
What a read! I admit I did judge this book by it's cover at first and when I received this through Goodreads First Reads I didn't think it would be that good as the cover is a bit naff, but it was so thrilling. This was one of those thrillers that really do get you hanging off your seat.

The book opens up to Jenny who has just woken up from a major accident and is healing in hospital. As far as Jenny and the reader are concerned she is recovering from a car accident. She feels a bit strange but that's to be expected right? Wrong! This isn't the most gory novel in the world, but it is incredibly eerie and the plot has many twists and turns. Barlog skillfully creates a terrifying and creepy atmosphere which makes you want to keep your bedroom light on when you put the book down for sleep.

This horror does involve the paranormal, so depending on your beliefs it isn't the most realistic book I've ever read. However, the way it's set out and the characters reactions to the situations are so captivating and realistic that whilst I am reading I really do feel myself getting worked up, and I seem to clutch the book tighter after every page turn.

Highly recommend. I will certainly be checking out more of J.M. Barlog's books.
Profile Image for Dierdra McGill.
284 reviews59 followers
December 27, 2011
This book was on my Kindle forever, not sure why I picked it up, probably because the cover was interesting it was .99 and I liked the blurb. I love ghost, horror, scary etc.. books and I really thought I would like this one too.
The characters were so annoying in this book! Even the main character Jenny getting her memory back at the most convenient time possible and not little bits and pieces all at once, really?
The ending was super rushed after the rest of the book felt like it dragged on and on. The ending was also very predictable and was not surprise, I was just happy that I could close the book finally, I almost stopped reading it a few times but I made myself get through it.
Big words just thrown in random places just because annoyed me also about this book, when do you see the word menagerie used to describe equipment?
Do not recommend this book!
Profile Image for Redfox5.
1,654 reviews60 followers
August 5, 2013
*Won from Goodreads first reads*

I would not have picked this book up in a shop for one reason. The cover. The cover is awful. Really really bad photoshop. And it's a shame about the cover because I think people would pass it by and actually there is a good little story lurking behind that horror.

Jenny has been in a terrible car crash and almost lost her life. But now she is awake and being haunted by a Doppelganger, she can't remember anything and the police have come to the concusion that the "accident" was attempted murder.

This book is billed as a horror but it's actually not that scary. I could have read this late at night, all alone in house and gone to bed without being kept awake by thoughts of ghosts. But the ghost story is interesting and one I've not come across before in books. I felt for Jenny, no one belives her. Being told something is a result of painkillers must be a real bitch when your actually being thrown around the room by a ghost.

The real drive in this story is who tried to murder Jenny. I was kept guessing by the author. And I liked how more things were revealed as the book went on. Things I never would have guessed.

Overall this was an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours. If your looking for something to scare than pants off of you, then this is not the book. However if you are looking for a good murder mystery then pick this one up!
6 reviews
October 17, 2013
This is a classic case of don't judge a book by its cover. When I first received this book through Goodreads Firstreads I must admit that I was put of a little by the amateurish front cover but after just a few pages I had completed changed my mind.

This is an excellent paranormal thriller that is full of suspense and tension. It is not your normal average ghost story. The author manages to successfully mix a chilling supernatural tale with a gripping whodunnit thriller making this a very entertaining book indeed.
Profile Image for Kevin Potter.
Author 28 books153 followers
September 23, 2019
Let me start with the disclaimer that this is not my usual genre and I listened to this largely on account of being thoroughly impressed with Mr Barlog's work on the most recent God of War novelization.

That said, herein we have a very well written omniscient POV story with several mysteries and plot threads to keep you occupied.

Now, concerning the narrator.
I wish I could say Amber Wallace did a stellar job. I really do. Unfortunately, this is the main area where this book falls flat.

In fairness, she has a fair vocal range with a good number of unique voices. Even her male voices are, if not quite believable, at least well crafted.

But there are two major areas where she leaves much to be desired. First and foremost (the issue that almost ruined the experience for me) is that her vocal inflections are WAY off point. A good portion of the book it sounds like she's reading to children, with the unnatural excitement one uses to get young readers interested. And the rest of it she completely misses the mark on what vocal resonances are being described in the text.

And secondly, quite a few of her pronunciations are incorrect, at least for American English.

Now, for the story, which my honest rating is about 4.75 stars.
We open with a very confusing scene that quickly turns dark and I couldn't help but be drawn into it.

Following this, we spend some time getting to know Jenny, the main character, before more crazyness ensues. For her part, Jenny is an interesting character and I love the way her amnesia is played out. I'm not normally a fan of amnesiac characters as it so often feels contrived and gimmicky, but you'll find none of that here. It comes across very naturally and serves only to heighten the suspense of the story.

There are quite a few side characters and side plots. At times it feels a little excessive, but the author expertly ties things together to make all of it relevant.

The author does use a slightly old fashioned prose style, and omniscient is not my favorite point of view style. Like many who use it, the bouncing between characters within a scene does get a little jarring at times.

And finally, the ending. I'm sure the twist was meant to be a huge WTF moment, but honestly I saw it coming from the first time the character was introduced.

My foresight did not, however, diminish my enjoyment of the story. Whether you pick this up for the mundane mystery/Suspense/thriller element or if you're in it for the paranormal aspect, there's plenty here to keep you entertained and engaged.
Profile Image for Deedra.
3,932 reviews39 followers
September 17, 2021
This was a very good story.It was a different kind of haunting.Amber Wallace was a fine narrator except that she misprononced a LOT of every day words. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
2 reviews
July 10, 2022
Better readinh

Not a very good book ending was very flat it misty the reader hanging
It never got finished left hanging
Profile Image for Tessie.
154 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2013
*** Book was won in a Goodread's Giveaway contest!***

The story itself had a decent concept, but I feel like it didn't completely mesh together well like it could have. Some parts felt stilted and incomplete. It felt like the author was trying to convey too much in a short amount of time. There was also the use of cliches through out the book. I think the concept was a good idea, but like I said I feel like the story could have meshed together better. I felt the main character was whiny at times and spent way too much time worrying about her relationship with her husband. I got it in the beginning, it made sense that she felt like she was missing something, because in fact she was not whole. I got bored reading about her whining about it. Then towards the end the story started picking up and getting better and it held my interest again. But it seemed like all of a sudden, BAM! the book was over. I wished the author could have spent more time on the paranormal aspect of the story rather than the character's personal lives. I didn't need to know gory details of relationships of the characters. I wanted to know more about the reason behind the Doppleganger aspect of the story. It ended abruptly, and did not give me a sense of satisfaction or completion. It was like, here's the murderer and then everything is resolved. It seemed like there was a big buildup and I was let down by the conclusion. Not to mention, I knew who the attempted murderer was going to be from the very beginning. I felt that aspect of the story was predictable.

Overall the book was decently written, and easy to understand. At the very least it held my attention while traveling home. It could have been more developed but I liked the idea of the story.
44 reviews
August 11, 2013
I received this book from Goodreads to read and review. I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of genre's wrapped into one good book. I enjoy reading such things as the paranormal, crime/detective, deaths(especially when there is a medical/hospital involvement) to name a few. The Dark Side:The Haunting by J.M. Barlog brought these together very nicely along with a little bit of "adult content". The characters were all introduced in a manner that did not leave you confused at "who was who". I do not want to give too much of the book away, but when Jenny's doppelganger arrived you are able to visualize what is happening but not yet know why. There also was not too many clues of what happened to Jenny and who did it until later in the book.(yeah!) That's when you start putting the pieces together.

As having being told I myself have a doppelganger(used to get me into trouble) although not the same reasons as Jenny, I found interest in the book never let me down.

If you are looking for something new and different to read, I recommend the Dark Side:The Haunting. I will certainly be looking for new and upcoming books from J.M. Barlong. Very nicely done!!
Faith
Profile Image for Donna Warner.
Author 2 books11 followers
February 16, 2015
A Refreshing Twist on a Haunting
Jenny Garrett fears her life will never be the same after operating room staff swear her survival is a miracle. She isn’t convinced their saving her life was a good thing. Unable to recall events preceding the terrible crash, she feels threatened and confused by a detective’s relentless questioning. Was she at fault? Was it an accident? Did someone try to kill her?
Her mental anguish is exasperated when she is stalked by a malevolent spirit fixated on causing her physical harm. Afraid to tell her husband or friends what is happening to her in case she is forced into a mental institution, Jenny fights back the only way she can.
This is a superbly written supernatural thriller with a refreshing twist to a haunting. It is scary without being horrific or gory. I would recommend this novel to fans of both paranormal and mystery genres. My kudos to the designer of the cover.
Donna J. Warner, Mystery Author & Freelance Editor
www.djwarnerconsulting.blogspot.ca
Profile Image for Lexi Thyme.
106 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2015
This book was, admittedly, much better than the other book that I received through this giveaway from J. M. Barlog.

Jenny has just survived a car crash, a terrible one that has disfigured her for life, but there's something different about her now. Due to a little research, Jenny finds that she is now being haunted by a doppelganger, a ghost that looks exactly like her.

As the story goes on, we find that Jenny's "accident" was actually an attempt on her life, which is only the first in the series of great plot twists.

As I said before, this book was much better than Mr. Barlog's first book. The characters are more likeable, there is a great sense of justice, and the "supernaturality" of the novel didn't seem like it was thrown in there last minute for a bit of extra excitement.

I recommend this book for those who enjoy reading mysteries with a hint of the supernatural and anyone who reads the adult bestseller list religiously.
Profile Image for Tami.
511 reviews67 followers
August 13, 2016
I haven't received my copy yet, just received notice I had won. 12/10/13
Received my copy and hope to start soon. Love getting it this quickly but I am way behind. Have 12 others plus my current read in front. 12/12/13
Started 1/7/14 and finished 1/9/14


Jenny was in a horrible car crash and though the doctor was able to save her life she is repulsed by her scars. When she is released to go home, she doesn't feel the same. Detective Walker finds out that the accident wasn't really an accident. Someone wants Jenny dead. To make matters worse for Jenny, she is being terrorized by a doppleganger/ a ghost that resembles Jenny.

This was a really quick easy read. I found the ghost to be a bit unbelievable, but the whodunit part was well written and sortof kept me guessing. I made it a little over half way before I figured the key points out. Not bad for me.
Profile Image for King.
17 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2014
"Funny, when someone tells a ghost story & confesses it as fiction, everyone enjoys it; but the moment someone says, 'this is a true story, 'people turn their backs in disbelief." ~Quoted, Dark side: the haunting: the book is a thrill-ride; paranormal fantastic!

"The Story is vividly put together, every scene/chapter begins & ends right on time. All Characters could be seen & spoken-for as their own individually selves. It was fun living in the role as the detective the most, that, I enjoyed. Also, this book has a lot of those moments where you can't help but to laugh out loud, seriously! Excellent how the plot falls into place..!"

Do Not Be Fooled By The Hideous BookCover.
Profile Image for Barb.
1 review
November 18, 2013
First of all, I think its really hard to create a great ghost story. Most are mediocre at best, some are darn right bad. This one isn't a five-star read but it does come close. There is no shortage of creepy moments in this one and it seems you don't have to wait long between them. A few of the characters, however, just didn't work for me. I won't mention them so I don't taint anyone planning on reading this one. If I had to pay $5 for this, I might have been disappointed, but at 99 cents it was worth it.
Profile Image for Kelly Redmon.
2 reviews
June 10, 2013
I bought this book because the price was right and I've read others by this author. Like his others, this story grabs you right from the beginning and propels you along. It's more than just about a haunting. It's also a mystery and a police investigation. For me all the elements worked together to make this one exciting read. If you like haunted house books, this is one to read, because it's NOT about a haunted house!
Profile Image for Ashley Carr.
2 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2013
I bought this book because the price was right and I've read others by this author. Like his others, this story grabs you right from the beginning and propels you along. It's more than just about a haunting. It's also a mystery and a police investigation. For me all the elements worked together to make this one exciting read. If you like haunted house books, this is one to read, because it's NOT about a haunted house!
Profile Image for Amanda.
2 reviews
August 24, 2013
It didn't take long for this one to suck me in. Jenny's journey just keeps getting darker and darker. With so many things going on, and so many interwoven characters, you can't get bored reading it. The writing is excellent with only a few places where I thought it slowed for a bit. But, I did figure out the ending, which I will not say. Given that, it's still a thrilling read but that's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Profile Image for Phyllis Hamby.
7 reviews9 followers
August 18, 2013
DARK SIDE: THE HAUNTING GOT MY ATTENTION WITH THE FIRST COUPLE OF PAGES. I AM ABOUT TO START CHAPTER 6, AND UP TO THIS POINT, I CAN SAY I AM ENJOYING IT. THE BOOK IS WELL WRITTEN, AND I LOVE THE SHORT CHAPTERS. AS I GET FURTHER INTO THE BOOK, THE STORY GETS BETTER & BETTER. IT KEPT ME GUESSING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BOOK.
Profile Image for Hilary.
3 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2013
I love ghost stories and this one is a dandy. The author sweeps you along with mystery and police procedural and above all creepy things that keep you on the edge of your seat. Got this as a 99c bargain and I'm looking forward to reading more of Barlog's books.
Profile Image for Lizzy.
107 reviews8 followers
April 9, 2015
I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.

This book about Jenny jumps from thrill to thrill.

Definitely ignore the cover, jump right in along with her as she tries to find out what has happened.
Profile Image for Rachael.
35 reviews28 followers
August 1, 2013
I won this book as part of Goodreads First Reads and upon receiving it I started it the same day. I finished it the next day. It was a very easy read but the ending felt a bit rushed and predictable.
Profile Image for Chris.
2 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2013
Bought it. Read it. Loved it. What a deal! Only a buck for one of the most suspenseful ghost stories I've read in years. If you like ghost stories that are more than your run-of-the-mill haunted houses, you will not be disappointed by this one.
2 reviews
August 14, 2013
It's been a while since a paranormal book held my interest like this one. The creepy factor alone makes this a fantastic read. The bonus is the mystery of who wants Jenny dead. I recommend this one to anyone who likes reading more than just the run-of-the-mill ghost story.
Profile Image for Nancy.
2 reviews
August 30, 2013
I love a good haunted house thriller and this one delivers over the top. The pacing and tension builds smoothly and effectively right up to the big climax. The characters were sufficiently developed to keep me interested in their dilemma. Definitely worth reading in my opinion.
Profile Image for Brittany.
119 reviews
March 20, 2014
Interesting however it did not keep me as captivated as I would have liked. I'd say more of a 3.5. The cover isn't exactly appealing either so I probably wouldn't just pick this up on a bookshelf to buy.
Profile Image for Joan.
2 reviews
September 4, 2013
This one is a good, creepy, haunting tale absent the same old haunted house cliches. I finished it in a day and it fully deserves 5 stars.
Profile Image for Callie.
67 reviews28 followers
October 20, 2013
Just finished this book. It was a good story and easy to follow. Somewhat predictable, but still intriguing. I wished they would have gone forward at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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