I'm...speechless. I wasn't crazy about book one, but knew I liked a later book in the series, but expected to see the writing and quality of the story evolve as the series went on - instead I've been completely blown away by the difference between book one and this one. The story grabs you from the start, and sends chills racing down your spine just in the opening chapter. The story moves along smoothly, the dialogue is natural, and I feel like I know Clarisse better now than I did after book one, somehow. After reading this, I can't wait to dive into book three. ( )

This was a great ghost story!

I was pleasantly surprised by this ghost story as this was a new author to me and the story just captured the haunting atmosphere that made me stay entranced through the storyline.

A little backstory:

An Australian town of Hartley is home to some restless spirits that have taken over not only the cemetery but also the town including a presbytery. When Harry gets a job in the town of Hartley him and his girlfriend Clarisse end up moving into the renovated presbytery which is suppose to be haunted.

Harry is a big skeptic and he just does not believe in ghosts, but Clarisse on the other hand is curious about the hauntings. Harry has access to almost all the rooms in the presbytery except for certain rooms in the basement that no one is allowed to enter. This proves to be a mistake later when Clarisse gets curious about the rooms and goes exploring as "something" lies behind one of the doors which will lead to mysteries being solved but it comes at a great price.

What happens to Harry and Clarisse at the presbytery? What is the "something" that is behind the door in the basement? What does Clarisse find out about what the hauntings? No spoilers here as you will have to read the book!

This story to me is considered to be a classic ghost story as the more I became involved in the storyline the quicker I wanted to see what would happen next.

There is quite a bit of spooky atmosphere that gave me chills and thrills as I read this book!

The characters were just right for me along with the quick pacing of the book. From one chapter to the next I just didn't know when the next twist would be coming as the ghostly suspense stayed at a momentum through most of the story. Giving this book four "spooky" stars.


My thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for letting me review this ARC. ( )

In the 1930s, in a small town in the Australian bush, Father Grimaldi is sent to the basement of the church to retrieve an old cross. While down there, he encounters a malevolent spirit who offers him a deal with the devil- literally. Decades later, Harry and Clarisse are sent to the ghost town so Harry can do some research. Upon arrival, they find that the town subsists mainly upon weddings taking place in the old church, and tours by Paranormal Jack, a ghost hunter.

Intrigued by- but skeptical of- the ghost tour, Harry signs up for an extra tour after the main one. This one involves spending the night in the cemetery. Clarisse refuses- she’s had one run in with the paranormal (in the previsious book, The Girl in the Scarlet Chair) and doesn’t want another. The next day, Paranormal Jack is killed and his belongings- including many boxes of the papers he’s collected in his ghost hunting- are stored in the church basement- the basement where Harry has been assigned a room as his office. This gives Clarisse a reason to enter the basement- and puts her in range of the spirit.

The plot thickens at this point, flashing back to the 30s and back again to present day. A lot of crimes from the past emerge. What starts out as a regular ghost story turns into something more. In the end, it reminded me of a fairy tale- a deal with a devil, three tests to be faced. It has a decent structure, although some things could have used more explanation- to say which things would be spoilers. Auto-correct seems to have had its way with alarming frequency. Four stars.