Book Review: On the Hunt for the Haunted by Robin Strom @LlewellynBooks

On the Hunt for the Haunted
Robin Strom
Llewellyn Publications, April 2019
ISBN 978-0-7387-5841-1
Trade Paperback

On the Hunt for the Haunted is a non-fiction narrative highlighting processes and tools often employed in meta-physical investigations. Written by part-time paranormal researcher, founder and director of the Delaware Paranormal Research Group, it features odd experiences of a few (self-professed) normal people; along with the findings of Ms. Strom and her team.

It is difficult to doubt the author’s sincerity in simply seeking answers. To satisfy her own curiosity, certainly, but also for the opportunity to assist people with potential paranormal problems. She happily shares findings of concrete reasons for seemingly inexplicable reactions.

A particular room that adversely affects everyone who enters, must be haunted. Headaches, feelings of fatigue and general sickness are commonly reported. But the investigation team’s equipment identified a breaker box giving off extremely high electromagnetic fields, creating very the real symptoms.

On the eerie side, however; recording equipment captures voices and statements that are not so easily explained. Ms. Strom’s personal-use dowsing rods exhibit sporadic, unique and somewhat wild, behavior. Everyday folks relaying their unusual episodes in an almost-embarrassed way is as sweet as it is scary.

I truly enjoyed this neat little book’s intriguing stories as I learned the categories of equipment and how everything works together.

Reviewed by jv poore, August 2020.

Book Review: Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss

Pressed to Death
A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery #2
Kirsten Weiss
Midnight Ink, March 2017
ISBN 978-0-7387-5031-6
Trade Paperback

Maddie Kosloski, the owner of the paranormal museum, displays items with a history, usually a bloody history, in her small shop that also sell ouija boards, spooky T-shirts, and other touristy stuff. Oddly enough, she seems to make a living at it, even as she participates in the celebrations and festivals in the California wine country where she lives. As this story opens, she is being accused of stealing an antique grape press–reportedly haunted–from a local winery. Thankfully, she has a receipt signed by the winery owner’s wife, but that doesn’t stop Detective Laurel Hammer’s accusations. Only because the Halloween/autumn festival is in the offing does Maddie escape arrest. Unfortunately, as she’s setting up the display for her paranormal museum, she stumbles upon the body of–who else–the man who owned the wine press.

Trouble, as you might expect, ensues.

Somehow, the Ladies Aid Society, a lively bunch of do-gooders with a lot of influence in the community, persuade Maddie to investigate the death, which of course, turns out to be murder. At the Ladies Aid forefront is Maddie’s own mother.

Maddie’s poking and prying manages to stir up a hornet’s nest, some of which puts her in a peck of trouble, not to mention danger. It takes a lot of help from her friends to put this haunting to rest. Worse, as Maddie’s investigation winds down, she discovers why the wine press is haunted. Should she tell? Because once revealed, an unhaunted wine press isn’t much of a draw to her museum.

I wouldn’t say as this is a strong mystery, but the writing is good, the characters are engaging, the setting is warm and friendly (hauntings aside) and the story, with all it’s twists and turns, has a really good cat character.

Reviewed by Carol Crigger, December 2017.
Author of Three Seconds to Thunder, Four Furlongs and Hometown Homicide.