Paranormal Ghost Fiction

Everyone’s favorite fifteen-year-old ghostalker, Ropa, arrives at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference just in time to be tied into a mystery—a locked room mystery, if an entire creepy haunted castle on lockdown counts. One of the magical attendees has stolen a valuable magical scroll. Caught between Qozmos, the high wizard of Ethiopian magic; the larger-than-life Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe; England’s Sorcerer Royal; and Scotland’s own Edmund MacLeod, it’s up to Ropa to sort through the dangerous secret politics and alliances to figure out what really happened.

After solving the mystery of who killed the woman who previously owned my cottage, I’m hoping my life in the small and quaint English village of Morley-on-Avon will quiet down. But no such luck. And I’m not just talking about ghosts. I don’t know how it happened, but for someone who promised herself she’d avoid all romantic entanglements, I now have two men vying for my attention—the handsome and kindhearted blacksmith of Morley, Leo Tanner, and Morley’s own resident lothario playboy, Bastian Chambon. And there’s no dating one and keeping the other as a friend. So, for now, ...

Cass (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob) is in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs. When Cass awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-developing skills as a ghost hunter - and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.

In the wake of their terrifying escape from Fairhaven Hall, sisters Jess and Hannah Ballard find themselves on the run, pursued by the two most powerful groups in the history of the spirit world. On one side, the Durupinen, determined to capture the girls and prevent their role in an ancient prophecy that promises to destroy them and unleash the spirit hordes on the earth. On the other side, the Necromancers, ancient enemies of the Durupinen, hell-bent on bringing the same prophecy to fruition. When the girls are betrayed and one of them falls into the Necromancers’ hands, both face decisions with cataclysmic consequences.

Divining the difference between reality and the fantastic may not be as simple as it seems. Because the world you think you know may not actually exist… STORIES is a collection of six short stories loosely based on legends and folklore. Each is set in a modern context, giving the reader an unusual take that yields interesting insight on these traditional tales. The Snow Woman: a spirit in Japanese folklore who traps people in snowstorms, then uses her icy breath to leave them frost-coated corpses. The Slit-Mouthed Woman: a figure from Japanese urban legends who, mutilated by her husband, ...

Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan faces a difficult new case. Her new clients are a family haunted by multiple ghosts and a poltergeist that wrecks their home at night. Their seven-year-old son's invisible friends may not be imaginary at all but the restless spirits of dead children.

Cash Fraser is planning revenge, and to get it he needs the perfect woman. So he hires her. Abigail Butler has lost nearly everything in her life and she's about to lose the home she loves. Cash meets Abby, who is posing as a paid escort, and the minute he does he knows he's willing to pay for more than Abby being his pretend girlfriend. A lot more. Abby needs the money or the last thing that links her to her dead family and husband will be gone. The deal is struck, but both Cash and Abby get more than they bargained for.

Dance of Death in the Crescent City* The sultry nights of New Orleans are darker than ever at The Big Easy Gentleman's Club. Several of its captivating dancers have met a chilling end, their lifeblood eerily drained. While legends of nocturnal predators haunt the city's alleys, Helga, with her witching prowess, can't dismiss the tales outright. But is this the work of age-old vampires, or is there a more modern ritual afoot—one that uses the blood of the young and radiant to preserve agelessness? Helga's past resurfaces in the form of an old schoolmate, who once was dismissed as a mere ...

Moving from the heart of the city to the Sussex countryside is a big undertaking for born townies, Ollie Harcourt, his wife, Caro, and their twelve-year-old daughter, Jade. But when they view Cold Hill House – a huge, dilapidated, Georgian mansion – they are filled with excitement. Despite the financial strain of the move, Ollie sees Cold Hill House as a paradise for his animal-loving daughter, a base for his web-design business and a terrific long-term investment.

What can you do when an enemy claims sanctuary in your home? Hester Johnson is no one's favorite person, but when she arrives at Proctor House begging to be hidden, the Proctor family takes her in. When something spooks Hester, she runs away - straight into her killer. Is it coincidence she's left on Isabella's door? The danger has never been greater for Detective Palmer and Isabella needs to protect him, find the murderer, and keep her family's secrets. For fans of Samantha Silver, Amanda M. Lee, and Leighann Dobbs, On a Larkspur is a clever, fast-paced cozy mystery that will keep you ...

What terrible secret is your grandfather hiding in the basement? If your grandfather is like almost everybody else's, probably nothing all that dangerous. It's likely pretty damn boring down there. But if he's anything like Paul's, it may be something you should avoid at all costs. WARNING: This series of stories contains strong language and graphic scenes. First published in Horror Lover (no longer available)

Everybody’s favorite over-the-top circus performers travel to Hemlock Cove, where they meet a group of witches they didn’t see coming, before heading to the Detroit area and visiting Poet Parker’s old stomping grounds. There, they come across a family of snarky reapers who challenge their world view...and a group of at-risk street kids who are in danger of being swallowed whole by a dark enemy. Finally, they stop at Mammoth Caves, where vampires (and something a little more sinister) seem to be taking over a small town and leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.

With the execution of a serial killer known as the Artiste, Cheyenne Donegal thinks a grim part of her past is finally put to rest. Her cousin had been the twisted killer’s final victim, and then-teenage Cheyenne was integral in bringing him to justice. That tragedy drove her to become an FBI agent. And now she’s back in Louisiana because someone is murdering young women in the same manner as the Artiste.

Ever since she was a child, Stacey Hanson has had strange dreams - and sometimes they come true. Her skills and experience led her straight to the FBI's Krewe of Hunters. Now a serial killer is stalking Washington, DC, and people are scared. And it will be Stacey's first case. Special Agent Keenan Wallace isn't exactly thrilled to be teamed up with a rookie, but they're going to have to get past their mutual friction if they want to stop a brutal killer.

Where is Lara Mayhew? Lara, a congressman's media assistant, suddenly quits her job - and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment. Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara's, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she's disillusioned and "going home." To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara's description are showing up in nearby rivers....

They call me irreparable. A feral omega who can't be tamed. And I've bitten every alpha who's tried. Before they can either put me down or send me to a breeding facility, fate intervenes in the form of a masked spec-ops team that deals in death and destruction. The Ghosts.

How would you feel if your child could see the undead? Claire Mumford is just coming to terms with it when tragedy strikes her. Now she is trapped at home recovering and can't escape the very ghosts that haunt her six year old. Ghosts that don't rest easily. Can she uncover the mystery of the plague that struck over twenty citizens in the tiny hamlet of Woodland, Delaware in 1903? Can the spirits that are haunting their lives finally be put to rest? Can she find where the smallpox riddled bodies were buried and give them peace before they they run out of patience?

Starring in a cult TV show was a blessing for Marnie Davante, especially now that her former fame could support her future dream of starting a children’s theater. So she’ll work the convention circuit. But then a costar is brazenly murdered in front of her. With a killer who vanishes into thin air with seemingly inhuman skill, and strange events plaguing Marnie, she feels she can’t even trust her own senses.

A cemetery tour goes horribly wrong - one of the guests is scared to death! A concerned tour guide calls Midas for help, and the Gulf Coast Paranormal team prepares to investigate the potentially paranormal happenings at a cemetery in rural Eight Mile, Alabama. The GCP crew members spend a few nights getting to know the local ghosts and find themselves doing battle with the spirit of the notorious voodoo queen, Ettawa Maybee.

For more than 30 years, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror fans crave. Now, with the 11th volume of the series, Daltow's back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. This light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows.