Customer Reviews

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun (Thorndike Mystery)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

2:00 am deadtime. Drake Hotel. San Francisco.
Finished reading Victoria Laurie's Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun.
Instruments indicate a great deal of activity. If there are spirits here, make yourself known now. Repeat, knock, rap, drop something, but let us know you are here...
(My homage to my favorite of the genre, Paranormal State)
With all the amazing ghost hunting shows on the television, Victoria Laurie has taken an idea and hit it out of the park with her latest in the Ghost Hunter Mysteries Series. Gilley, M.J.'s business partner/techie, has booked her on a new show Haunted Possessions, hoping her gift will not only help those who need to cross over, but help her career in the financially stablility department. A number of psychic mediums have been asked to the Drake Hotel to film a pilot to see if this type of show and chemistry of cast can make it as a syndicated television show.
Turns out half of the professionals are losers and soon are gone. The other 'real deal' is Heath Whitefeather, and while there are some doubts about the project and the true motives of the production company, there is true paranormal activity in the hotel and they agree to help.
Only thing is, there are evil entities that apparently have opened a port, and these guys literally go for blood and murder.
Only thing M.J. and Heath can do is stay and fight and figure out what the heck is going on to conquer the evil forces.
Ms. Laurie has always been a favorite writer with several series running concurrently.
But she has travelled light years with this idea so timely and so perfect for her characters, it has nothing but hit written all over it. Ghouls is one of the first of the series that truly was scary and gave a look into the paranormal realm and it was not only exciting, but you cannot wait for the next in the series.
Victoria Laurie continues to excite and entertain with her ideas and characters and also inform John Q. Public in matters metaphysical.
Cannot wait for the next from Ms. Laurie!
Great read.

I have enjoyed every single book this author has written. I own all of the psychic eye series and this newer one as well. My annoyance with this book is not really over Ms. Laurie's style or ability to write - because I love those things and that's why I keep buying her books. It was in how much information was revealed on the back of the book.

First it mentions a character named Seth - but the main counterpart on this new adventure is named Heath. Second, the plot revealed on the back takes us all the way to page 150. I dislike reading a description of the book that reveals so much of the plot. I wasn't surprised when the knife was exposed as being a demon portal because the info was already out there for the world to see.

This latest installment wasn't as rewarding as the previous ones, perhaps because I knew what was going to happen based on the jacket copy.

Will it make me stop buying her books in the future? No. She spins a good tale and I'll gladly buy anything she writes.

this was another cute cozy from Laurie, but it did have some unresolved parts in it.
M.J. and gilley are going to a television shoot about the paranormal. Things start getting dicey when someone sneaks in a dagger that is hounted with a demon.
Things go from bad to worse, as bodies and ghosts sart piling up.
M.J. meets another psychic and Heath start investigating and get in over their heads with haunted mirrors and daggers.
The only thin I did not like was some of the story was unresolved with the mirrors. Did M.J. help the ghost in the mirror?? May be that is for another book.

I have to admit, I was really torn between giving this 2 stars or giving it three stars. This book is one of Laurie's worst so far & I know that she can put together a better read, yet I was able to actually finish the book with some effort. Since I did manage to finish it, I gave it three stars... but only after a LOT of thought.

This entry into the Ghost Hunter Mysteries has M.J. being conned into a tv show by her BFF Gilley- a show that is (as the character put it) a "Antiques Roadshow with ghosts". All M.J. has to do is show up, read if any of the items has a ghost attatched to it (the owners think the items are posessed), & collect some easy money. She even gets to stay at the most haunted hotel in the US- the Hotel Duke. Would've been great if not for the murders & a potential demon on the loose...

(sighs) Where do I begin with my critique? Like I said- I know that Laurie can do better than this. Most of the book seemed to focus around M.J. & another psychic sending on all of the ghosts in the hotel to the other realm. Murders do happen, but the main focus is on how many ghosts they can make "pass over" to the other side. If the actual mystery reveal & detecting had been better spread over the book (rather than at a few chunks at a time), it would have been a much better read.

I was also a bit irritated that the character of M.J. was always on & always right. Whenever there's a ghost around, M.J. always picks up on it & always manages to talk to the ghosts. At several points I really just wished that M.J. would get something wrong or run out of juice when it came to talking to the ghosts & be unable to pick up on anything. It would have been refreshing to read it. It would also be nice to have M.J. be a little more into the research part of the ghosts & mysteries. As it is now all of the info in the books are usually either given to her or researched by Gilley- but especially so in this book.

There just didn't seem to be any challenge for M.J. to really deal with in the book. Even the murderer seemed to be a little bit too easy to triumph over & the big reveal at the end fizzled rather than the big bang it should have been. This part I blame on the neverending stream of "pass overs" that M.J. & the other psychic did in the book. They practically cleaned out the whole hotel of ghosts- LITERALLY. In about 2-3 days. Am I crazy for wishing that Laurie had focused more on the mystery? And I'm not even going to start in on how unbelievable it was that the detective was willing to just believe that M.J. could talk to ghosts, even though she helped him ID an earlier case. If there had been some background on him (maybe a psychic granny or something to that extent) it would have been much more believable.

In any case, I know that Laurie can do better. I've read far better from her in this series & I hope that in the future books she can get back on track. It seems that lately her books seem to focus on how "great & infalliable" she can make her characters, a flaw that is fun at first but soon gets really old. Like I said though, I did manage to finish the book so I don't really have the heart to give it two stars. I save the 1 & 2 stars for the REALLY bad books that I can hardly finish or can't finish.

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun finds MJ, Gilley, and Stephen back on the prowl for ghosties and things that go bump in the night--this time in California, where Gilley has signed MJ up to participate in a haunted antiques show. The trio barely arrive before they stumble upon a dead body at the swanky hotel where they are staying, and that's just the beginning of their troubles. More than one former spectral guest is hanging around, there is an assortment of haunted items about, and a few more bodies are found. Oh, did I mention that there's a demon on the loose?

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun, while not breaking any new ground in the series, is still a fun ride as we find MJ using her medium powers to help stranded souls across and track down those who have chosen to remain grounded. The introduction of Heath, a fellow medium, adds a nice stir to the mix as well. The relationship between MJ and Stephen doesn't advance much in this installment, but it seems as strong as ever as it plays out in the background. The atmosphere is creepy, though I found the pace of the action to not be as quick as I wanted. And while I did enjoy the story, I felt the ending was told more than shown, particularly when it came to the demon aspect. I also felt the ultimate solution to the murders came a bit out of nowhere; while I didn't guess ahead of time who the culprit was, I was let down by the revelation. Still, I did enjoy my time spent with MJ and the gang, and will be picking up the next in the series when it becomes available. This one would actually rate 3.5 stars if given the option. Enjoyable.

Finally Laurie broke away from that whole Scooby Doo feel that these book have had in the past.

With business down, Gilley Gillespie decides to a add a bit of revenue by signing M.J. Holliday up as a psychic on the new Haunted Possessions show, filmed in a haunted hotel in San Francisco. All she has to do touch a family heirloom an tell a little something about the object. Easier said then done when a mysterious knife suddenly appears at the table and literally all hell breaks loose. Now not only the friendly spirits of the old hotel are coming to visit, but the very dark and very dangerous ones are making themselves known.

This book seems to be a bit darker then her previous ones, the actual murders and assaults are more descriptive and without the usual humor to off set them the feel is a bit heavier. Not to say that this book doesn't have humor. The interaction between M.J. and Gilley is and always has been very funny. I do hope that Heath, her co-psychic on the show, will make future appearances in this series, he is a very good balance to M.J.'s character without the whole sexual tension thing that writers seem to dwell on.

Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun is the third book in the Ghost Hunter Mystery Series. Very much in the psychic meets the TV series Ghost Hunters vein, which is a very interesting combination. Very different from her Psychic Eye books, but still just as good. If you are looking for a little bit more bite to you cozy mystery reading, check out this series.

Gilley Gillespie is always looking for ways to find business for his best friend, ghost buster M.J. Holliday, so he is quick to sign her up for a TV show that is a kind of haunted Antiques Road Show. M.J. agrees to go on the show thinking she would just be looking at haunted possessions, but before she knows it she is wrapped up in a murder investigation, staying at a haunted hotel, and trying to get rid of an evil knife that contains a demon. It is going to take all that M.J. and fellow medium Heath Whitefeather have to try and get rid of the ghosts and demons, but even that may not be enough.

"Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun" is the third book in Victoria Laurie's Ghost Hunter paranormal mystery series - a series that gets better with every book. By now the three main characters - M.J., Gil, and M.J.'s boyfriend Steven, feel like old friends and it's always fun to visit them. The plot line of having M.J. do a TV show is an inspired one and really moves the book along (as well as setting up endless possibilities for future books in the series). In the hands of a lesser author, the haunted hotel would be a cliché, but author Victoria Laurie takes it to a new, very scary level. There is a mystery in the book involving murder and theft, but what makes this book (and the other books in the series) so good are the paranormal aspects. The knife as a portal releasing a demon is a great concept that adds to some chilling moments. While there is real danger from humans, ghosts, and demons, it is the demon that will have readers turning the page to find out what happens next (while no doubt cringing at times). The end of the book nicely sets up the next book in the series - a book I look forward to reading.

"Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun" is a great paranormal mystery. Well done.

The other books in the series are:

What's a Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Book 1)
Demons Are a Ghoul's Best Friend (Ghost Hunter Mysteries, No. 2)
Enjoy!

I love the way Victoria Laurie writes.She is not only entertaining but once you start reading her books you'll have a hard time to put them down.The attention to detail lets the reader feel as if they are truly there,in this case a haunted hotel.If you are looking for a book with that has that fun homey feel of a Murder,She Wrote and are into the paranormal I highly suggest you try any one of Victoria Laurie's books.
In this particular story of Ghouls Just Haunt To Have Fun, M.J. is tricked by her ghost hunting partner,Gilley to be part of show that is said to be the haunted version of Antiques Roadshow.While Gilley sees this show opportunity as free advertizing and a good excuse for a vacation to San Francisco,MJ is afraid her psychic abilities will be exploited but after Gil explains that the contracts have been(unknowingly) signed already-- M.J. has no choice but to honor them. However,like with all contracts there is a catch, the show not only takes place in a very haunted hotel,The Duke Hotel, but this is where M.J.,Gil, and Steven (MJ's love interest and financial backer to the ghost hunting business) must stay.This does not sit well with Gil at all but soon they all will learn that sleeping in a haunted hotel is the least of their problems.With some paranormal writers their stories can become predictable and/or cliche not so with Victoria Laurie she has a fresh way of looking at the story line with a twist and turn here and there. I can honestly say there is a little something for everyone in Ghouls Just Haunt To Have Fun- murder,mystery,romance,paranormal,and humor (and not necessarily in that order).

I have enjoyed this series and it only gets better with each book. I have fallen in love with the charaters and the ghost. Well you don't get scarier ghost. I love ghost stories and this was over the top. I hope to see more of the same from this author in this series. My only problem is finding a book to follow this one that I could actually enjoy as well.

HOORAY!! Victoria Laurie has done it! Earlier Ghost Hunter Mysteries lacked fright-factor, but this book was spooky, chilling and downright scary! When Gilley signs MJ up to film a cable TV show doing readings on haunted household items, they show up to a San Francisco hotel for the shoot, and all hell breaks loose! M.J. is faced with a phantom unlike any she has yet encountered. Teaming up with another medium from the shoot, Heath Whitefeather, things heat up as MJ races to solve the mystery. Some of the most hilarious dialogue yet, great new characters to the series, an uncontrollable force that even gives MJ a run for her money and this book has brought the series beyond Scooby Doo and into the leagues of one of my favorite real-life ghost hunting shows, Most Haunted! A must-read!!