Haunted!: A Paranormal Mystery [Paperback]

Darlene Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2003

Ghost hunter Grace Heathfield is furious when rival psychic Eric Magidan is also hired to settle the ghosts of a serial murder, a murder Grace is dead certain has never been solved.Romanced by the town's newspaper owner, Grace may be falling in love with a killer. Unknown to her, Eric methodically works in the background to bring that killer to justice as his admiration and love for Grace grows.When the wrong person confesses to the murders and an injured child comes out of hiding, Grace and Eric must stop the real killer before Grace becomes the next target.But the ghosts of Ten Oaks decide to take matters into their own hands...Come along on a ghost-hunt in this paranormal mystery and enjoy every surprising turn of events as the line between ghosts and mortals grows thin!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

I've been writing for years and have sold thirty-something short stories and articles to national magazines. Writing is the big passion of my life.Haunted! is based on my own experience with the paranormal. This interest began with my grandmother's seances and continued to more encounters with lively ghosts.I live in the Southwest states with my cats, books, family, and friends, who are not haunted. My computers, however, are another story!

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (May 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595276644
• ISBN-13: 978-0595276646
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,568,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunted: A Paranormal Mystery, June 17, 2003

By 

Milly McCloskey (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Haunted!: A Paranormal Mystery (Paperback)

In Haunted, Darlene Wilson weaves a story filled with intrigue, excitement and danger. Grace Heathfield, a professional ghost hunter, accepts an assignment to clear a house which appears to be haunted. A family of three had been brutally murdered, so the records say, but the daughter's body had never been found. While working her case, Grace is often reminded of her daughter, Jenny Gray Eyes, who disappeared so many years ago.

Some of the chief characters are veterans of the Viet Nam war. They provide an aura of mystery laced with sinister undercurrents. Carter Stanton, owner of the local newspaper, takes a personal interest in Grace after she consults him about the murders. Eric Madigan, a disliked rival, appears in town hired by someone to investigate the haunting. As the story unfolds, Grace's involvement with the two men takes a startling turn.

Ms. Wilson has painted her characters with a bold brush, allowing them to draw the reader into their lives, thus moving the story along to its exciting conclusion.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where was the editing?, June 21, 2007

By 

HSK (Hesperus, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Haunted!: A Paranormal Mystery (Paperback)

I must agree with Sandy S. that this was a poorly written book. The book needed thorough editing and the author needs to be reminded that good fiction writing consists of showing, not telling. Furthermore, it doesn't feel like a mystery if you know who the killer is early on in the book.

I purchased this book because it covered a subject matter that I enjoy, but rarely find in fiction form. Unfortunately, although I think the author knows her ghost hunting, I think she forgot that the fun of a ghost story is in the ghosts. She had one or two creepy moments that I applauded her for, but I would have enjoyed more haunting. I realize that this might not depict a real or typical haunting, but this is fiction afterall.

Overall, if you really want to read this, I would suggest trying to find a copy you didn't have to pay for.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunted: A Paranormal Mystery, September 10, 2005

By 

Jim Tasker II - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Haunted!: A Paranormal Mystery (Paperback)

A suspenseful thriller, "Haunted" successfully sets forth the requisite elements of this genre-a brilliant pursuer of justice versus a mastermind murderer interwoven with romance, vivid descriptions, and engaging dialogue.

Mind games are played by ghost hunter Grace Heathfield and others as this middle-aged widow who lives alone pursues a psychic detective profession following the mysterious murder of her own husband and disappearance of their daughter, Jenny.

Several chief characters are Vietnam veterans, a factor very integral to the plot. "I knew a little about the horrors seen on active duty," heroine Grace relates on page 46, "these men carry their ghosts with them."

While I chose "Haunted" partly as vicarious escapism for this time of the year, author Wilson caused me to think, and to reflect on some elements that linger:

* The author's clearly profound personal insight into the workings of the human mind...

* Confronted with a real-life killer, clairvoyant Grace Heathfield's thought is "I wish I carried a gun, or maybe had a concealed weapons permit."...

* Effect of Vietnam War experience on minds and lives continuing over 30 years after...

I have added Darlene J. Wilson's "Haunted" to my collection of treasured books penned by Mensan authors.