Tag Archives: Supernatural

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A House By The Sea

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A House by the Sea by Ambrose Ibsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book rates 3.75 stars from me. I liked some parts and really liked other parts while there were still other parts that I did not like at all. The lead-in is slow and it took me a while to get into the story fully. The characters were just what you would expect from those in the horror genre, stereotypes without a good fleshing out. You have the overwrought and hysterical mother, the unbelieving sarcastic father, the angst-ridden teenager who hides her knowledge, and finally the young and impressionable child who is led astray. Now that is not to say that it is a bad thing but it does make it hard to enjoy sometimes when you know what to expect.

The land on which Winthrop House sits has been shunned since before the settlers came to the area. The natives did not build or go to the area because it was said to be inhabited by some type of creature. When the house was eventually built on the land it was shunned by all the locals and bought by an out-of-town family who knew nothing of its history. Things did not get better with tenants and when they died it was left empty for years.

When Jack Ripley makes it big with a best-selling novel he wants to keep a promise to his wife, she wanted a house by the sea. They think Winthrop’s house is the perfect place for their family to settle and grow. For a few weeks, it is, then things start to happen that dampen his wife’s love of the house. When things start to escalate even Jack has to take notice and decide whether he wants the house more than to have his family safe.

This was not super scary but had some moments that caught me by surprise. This was the first book I have read by this author and while it gave me mixed feelings I want to explore other books they have written, including the second book about this house. The ending is what made it for me. I would recommend this to anyone who likes ghost stories or haunted house stories.



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“Abigail entered the room, leaving the door open behind her, and sat down at the foot of Amy’s bed. “I don’t like this,” she said with a sigh. “You don’t like what?” “Aunty Becca is here,” explained the girl. Amy shrugged. “Yeah? So, what? You love it when Becca comes to visit. She’s a lot of fun.” Abigail tugged at her bubblegum-colored pajama top and shook her head. “No, it’s not good. The man with the doggie-face doesn’t like her being here.” She looked up at her sister narrowly. “At least, that’s what Frankie says. He says that, if auntie Becca is here, we may not be able to play anymore.”
― Ambrose Ibsen, A House by the Sea

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Ghost Camera

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This is the first book I have read by this author and it has definitely made me want to read some more of their work. While it was not wildly scary or anything it was the type of story I would want to read during the month of October for Halloween. Things start off rather slowly and benign but start to take on a life of their own as you find out more about the camera which is the main focus of things. The characters are alright even if they are a little thin as far as who they are, you get some glimpses of personality which at least allow you to form an opinion about them. This is a relatively short piece and a fast read because it does hold your interest if you like ghost stories.

Jenine is attending a wedding and decides that she would like to create a photo album for the bride that has candid shots of the wedding party and not just the posed shots taken by the wedding photographer. In order to do this, she goes to the lighthouse located close by to take an overhead shot and stumbles across a Polaroid camera. She tries the camera out and finds that it still works but the picture does not only capture the guests who can be seen but some uninvited ghostly guests as well.

Jenine takes the camera to her friend Bree and shows her what it does putting her friend in jeopardy as well though she does not know it at the time. As ghosts seem to be coming closer and things seem to be getting scarier the women try to find help for their situation. But what can they do when they seem to have opened a door to the other side?

There is enough tension and suspense that you should enjoy this short look into the supernatural. I would give this a thumbs up and say go for it!

My rating: ✭✭✭

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Evil Entity

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I like my horror to be scary, even if it is not very long. This was not scary at all but I guess you have to understand since it was not very long. The characters were all straw men with no real substance since you did not even get much of a backstory on even the main. The town was just as superficial since it could have been anyplace it was so generic. Not to say that it was all bad but it really was nothing more than a morsel that I ran through in no time because it was not complicated in the least. Not sure if it was intentional or not but the character’s name made me smile, though I wonder if the author knew who she was.

Josephine Baker is a young alcoholic who is going to live in Hanover House while she continues her rehabilitation after giving up alcohol. Libby owns and runs Hanover House almost like a B&B instead of a halfway house for those recovering from addictions. Josephine finds out the secret of the house but may be too late to get out.

Nice premise but bare-bones horror and the minimal treatment of the supernatural. For a quick read, I would say you can give it a try.

My rating: 🌠🌠 of 5

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The Metaphysical Detective

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The Metaphysical Detective by Kirsten Weiss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I somehow managed to read the fourth book in this series and liked it so much that I decided to go back to the beginning and see how it got to where it was. I definitely liked the characters a lot or else I would not have bothered. Well, I am not liking the characters so much right now and am actually a little bored with the way things are going in this book. I am willing to give it a go because I know that things do get better as the series continues. Right now the characters are dull and their surroundings are dull and one-dimensional.

Riga’s new client, Helen Baro, says that her husband is trying to kill her. The thing about that is, her husband has been dead for the past year. Hence the need for a metaphysical detective rather than a conventional one. When Helen is found dead there is a haiku and tarot left behind as a clue as to what happened. Riga finds herself in an investigation that threatens not only her but those she loves as well.

Riga kind of annoyed me because she is so bland and the plot does not seem to be going anywhere. Riga is a strange detective/witch who is lost when it actually comes to the supernatural it seems, though maybe her back story will give more. There is a lot more than the original plot would lead you to believe but it is not all that exciting either. But as I said the books get better as time and characters evolve. So I would say to give it a look and decide for yourself. Lukewarm recommendation.



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“But why metaphysical?  Why not supernatural or psychic?” “Because metaphysics deals with first causes, not necessarily the supernatural.  I work in both worlds and I’m not a psychic.” “In other words, it works on a business card,” Lauren said shrewdly. “Guilty.”

Riga Hayworth
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Billy: A Tale of Terror

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The first thing I need to say is that I was drawn to the story by the blurb which promised something that it did not fully deliver on. I was expecting some real horror here but got luke warm horror and a bit character study, not to say that I did not enjoy any of it. The characters are never fully realized and they play out as shadows that you have to fill in the blanks for in order to understand them. None have a fully formed personality which makes it hard to really care about them one way or the other. The backstories for the majority of the characters are vague and do not give enough information to know their motivations. To top everything off things seem to jump around in a way that makes it all very unsettling.

A curse is brought to the home of the St. Pierre family for the transgressions of the patriarch. His daughter has a baby that is less human and more animal than anyone could have expected. The baby is unwanted and unwelcome especially when it takes a beloved member of the family. As Billy grows he is tormented by his siblings and father as they attempt to get rid of him. While they do their worse to him, they are sure that he will one day come for them if they do nothing. Billy becomes a legend in the deep Bayou country.

I basically enjoyed the story even though it was not as linear as I would have liked it to be. It did jump around a great deal leaving you somewhat confused about time. Still, it was worth a read and kept me going if for no other reason than that I wanted to know how things were going to end. Sorry to say the ending was not really very satisfying at all. I would still recommend it with the caveat not to expect any terror.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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The Cadaver of Gideon Cathcart

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The Cadaver of Gideon Cathcart

by Edison McDaniels

I don’t want to rate this because I did not finish it. While I found the premise interesting I could not find my way into the story long enough or far enough to really lose myself in it. The characters were alright but seemed bland and since the hospital was supposed to be a character I expected a lot more from it. To be perfectly honest it bored me. I started and stopped the book for almost a month before I just gave up. I may give it a go some other time.

My rating: 0 of 5 stars