Ghost Humor

Welcome to another kind of terror as Peter Straub leads us into the outer reaches of the psyche. Here the master of the macabre is at his absolute best in seven exquisite tales of living, dying, and the terror that lies in between.

When it comes to movie critics Violet Epps is a powerhouse voice. Equally unafraid of big Hollywood names and public opinion, her biting reviews are widely quoted. But when it comes to her own life, Violet finds herself unable to speak up - paralyzed by crippling social anxiety. When a chance encounter at the famous Algonquin Hotel unleashes the feisty spirit of the long-dead Dorothy Parker, the famous literary critic of the 1920’s, Violet thinks she is going crazy. But as the rematerialized Mrs. Parker helps her face her fears, Violet realizes how much she has been missing by keeping quiet.

One haunted orphanage + two types of ghosts + three freaked-out friends = plenty of trouble. Best friends Aldo, Pen, and Jasper are braced for a boring summer. And equally dull summer journal writing assignments. That is, until they see a slightly transparent boy with a bad haircut appear by the soccer field and then disappear into the woods beyond. The boys follow him and discover the long-abandoned Grauche Orphanage for Orphans, a house in the woods that is most definitely haunted. But the ghosts are not the problem.

Here is a meeting with George and Marion Kerby, a couple of free-wheeling ghosts, who meet up with respectable banker Cosmo Topper. This was noted by the New York Times, claiming: “Thorne Smith created the modern American ghost story, ghosts with style and wit; ghosts that haunt us still.” Others pointed out, “Smith was a master of urbane wit and sophisticated repartee.” The overall mood has a touch of silliness, but it provides lighthearted reading and listening, a matter of nonsensical escapism. For Topper it meant relief from a nagging wife with ongoing indigestion.

Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends-including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf-and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky! Plus: Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose! The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch! And the narrator's an 11-year-old ghost!

What is it with Olivia and ghosts? No matter where Olivia Kidney goes, they follow. Even when she and her klutzy handyman father start over in a new brownstone in New York City - owned by the mad, bad, and dangerous Ansel Plover - there is no escape from the weirdness that is Olivia's life. Their new living room is entirely submerged underwater, and Olivia needs a boat to navigate past the bobbing furniture and snapping turtles just to get to her bedroom. And then, there are the ghosts. The house holds secrets, lots of them - Olivia can feel it. Why, she wonders, was she invited to live there?

J.R. Rain's Silver Lake Book Two of the Medium Mysteries by Elizabeth Basque Hollywood’s most haunted psychic is back—and this time, the ghost has a knife in her back. Pauline Ocean is used to late-night visits from the dead, but when a famous socialite appears in her living room—dripping wet and very much deceased—Pauline realizes she’s about to dive into one of her strangest cases yet. The trail leads to Silver Lake, where the glitterati sip cocktails over dark secrets and the ghosts don’t rest easy. With her gift for seeing the dead—and her talent for getting into trouble...

She's never believed in ghosts... until now. As the owner of Sedona Bed and Breakfast, Bernadette Maxwell has always played up the rumors that her business was haunted. She’s never believed it herself, even though she can’t explain the odd odors that sometimes permeate the room or why a blast of cold air comes out of nowhere… until she has an accident and can suddenly see her resident ghost—her crazy, fun-loving, hippie grandmother, Ruby. When a guest is found dead, the police rule it a homicide. It becomes apparent Bernadette is not only a suspect, but also in the crosshairs of the...

A hellacious thunderstorm rages over the small tin mining town of Bleddington, waking reclusive teenager, Willard Jennings, from his sleep. As the fleeting flashes of light illuminate the room, he sees brief and taunting glimpses of a broken figure standing at the foot of his bed.

Lord Kotak seeks to usurp the throne of Arria and destroy King Womba with magic he inherited from the evil Doomba. He’s hired an assassin griffin to attack Lord Fobata, and sowed dissent among the royal guards. Secluded in the dungeon, the wizard Yaggee aids Kotak and teaches him how to use his powers in secret. Kotak has also hired the bandit Shama and his gang to steal Tau’s Cup, the grail of the gods, from Basha, the lion of light who destroyed Doomba. Years ago, Basha and his wife Monika survived a dangerous quest along with their allies to recover Tau's Cup. Everyone separated and ...

Kathryn Broussard has managed her life with dignity and an I-know-you-have-feelings-but-I'm-coming-through-anyway attitude. She exudes confidence and control over the land much as a reigning queen rules her court. Her main focus - Grace, her daughter. Although grown, Grace depends on her mother's razor-sharp decision-making ability for everything. All is well in the land of dysfunctional mother-daughterhood until the unthinkable happens. Kathryn dies.

When his friends aren’t successful at spooking the children who visit the haunted house, Gus must present his unique superpowers to give them a scare!

I’m Seymour…Parakeet Detective. My owner, Sharon, and I are on the Sasquatch watch! The creature stalking quiet Mountain Springs is nosy and newsworthy. We’ll find out more than we bargained for. This monster may hold the key to my human existence in a bird body. But I’ve got to survive to find out. Jump in with Sharon and Seymour for a cozy mystery with a paranormal twist.

When the existence of ghosts is finally proven, it’s also discovered they make an amazing renewable energy source and like all the gold rushes in history, the first real money is not made in mining the gold, but selling the supplies to mine the gold and related items or in this case to find and capture the ghosts. But when any new movement is formed there’s a counter movement like PLETS, People for the Legal Ethical Treatment of Specters composed of members enraged at the prospect that the ghost of dear uncle Bob, a life-long vegan might find its self powering a nearby burger franchise.

A Dead Body with Horns...What the What? Thea and Blaine were supposed to be on a date to the Harvest Festival. Instead they got a handful of murder! The victim? A smooth talking new restaurateur who just opened up shop in Ardensville. There’s something shady about him (maybe it's the horns). Thea couldn’t tell. All she knew is that she felt flustered when he met her eyes before he died. And it seems everyone the police talk to had a reason to kill him. There’s Eleanor DeWitt, the competing restaurant owner. Sandra, whose relationship with the victim visibly soured her. Not to mention ...

Ebenezer Scrooge - and his faithful greyhound, Carl - are visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. What follows is the story you know, but with a twist. With faithful Carl by his side, Scrooge experiences the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, taking away a lesson that will forever change his - and Carl’s - life forever.

With their fearless crime-fighting, good manners, and manly fashion sense, the Hardly boys are the pride of Feyport, Illinois. In A Ghost in the Closet, dark-haired, muscular Frank and his lovable kid brother, Joe, return from a gay trip to Europe to find that their parents - world-famous detective Fennel P. Hardly and his wife, Mrs. Hardly - have been kidnapped! Even worse, so have six poodles from the Lake Merrimen Dog Show! Pals Nancy Clue, Cherry Aimless, R.N., and Police Detective Jackie Jones help the Hardly boys track down the criminals.

Love thy neighbor… or kill them? When the house across the street sells and Sylvia moves in, Bernie’s quiet neighborhood is turned upside down. Demanding, rude and determined to have things her way, Sylvia threatens to have Bernie’s bed and breakfast shut down while also making life difficult for the other neighbors. Just as the residents come together to fight the offending newcomer, she’s found murdered. The suspect list is long, but since Bernie has the most to lose, the Sheriff has her in his sights. Can Bernie and her ghostly grandmother, Ruby, solve the killing before she’s ...

HALLOWEEN AT THE FARM unleashes hijinks, horror, happiness and heavenly memories. Dried cornstalks beneath a full yellow moon. Glowing jack o’lanterns. The smell of wood smoke trailing crisp autumn air. Witches riding broomsticks. Ghosts and skeletons dangling from trees. Mischief and mayhem. Pumpkins, pranks, phantoms, goblins, ghouls and other specters in the night. The often tranquil farm bursts alive with adventure, fun, fear and sometimes even a wandering devil each October. Revisit the “good old days” on the farm where those lucky enough to have lived in the country recall: 1. A...

Goldilocks' latest case takes her to the deserts of the southwest, home to gun-toting cowboys, sun-scorched caverns, and high-noon showdowns. Goldilocks has been given a fresh start, trading in the lush forests and Midwest plains for sandstone cliffs and desert cacti. This time around she’s determined to play it straight and show the higher-ups that she’s got what it takes. Easier said than done, especially when the Great Coyote Spirit Glooskap appears and charges her with finding the Dawn’s Blessing, a mythical flower that only blooms once per century. The race is on, and she’s not...