Sunset House (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #18) by J.L. Bryan

The old Heusinkveld mansion overlooks the mostly shuttered main street of the small town of Burdener’s Hill. Once a testament to local wealth and aspiration, the brooding edifice now clings to life as the Sunshine House, a retirement home inhabited by an eccentric collection of locals bound together by fond memories of their shrinking hometown.
When a newly arrived resident finds herself tormented by a threatening specter from her past, paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan is called in to confront it. The entity puts up a strong fight, resisting capture, and soon more residents are in danger. With nowhere else to go, they need Ellie to remove the ghost before it inflicts serious harm or death on those who have made the strange old house their home.

18 books in and the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series is still going strong. It seems that there is no limit to the spooky situations that Ellie and her crew can find themselves in and Sunset House was one of the spookiest.

The supporting characters in Sunset House added a lot to this story – mainly because they were “characters” in every sense of the term. They were full of charm, wit and spunk. Their varied personalities and past life experiences added another believable layer to the story. I also liked the way that the residents interacted with the owner’s son. Speaking of which, I wasn’t a fan of the owner in the beginning, but she grew on me. Of course it took some drastic and life threatening happenings to make her come around. It didn’t surprise me that Ellie refused to abandon the residents, even when she’s pretty much told her services aren’t needed. Ellie and Stacey ended up taking some drastic and stealthy measures themselves to get to the bottom of the dangerous situation the residents were in.

There were a couple of unexpected twists and turns in Sunset House that I (obviously) didn’t see coming – and not all of them were of the spooky variety. Just another reason to keep following Ellie and crew, you never know what kind of situation they’re going to find themselves in. It looks like The Funtime Show, the next installment in the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series is going to be extra spooky… I can’t wait!

Fallen Wishes (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #17) by J.L. Bryan

Canterbury Gardens is a centuries-old plantation outside Charleston, South Carolina. Its aristocratic founders once hosted lavish banquets and balls among fanciful pleasure gardens, canals, and large-scale follies resembling ancient and medieval ruins.
Over generations of neglect, the winding paths of the gardens have become overgrown, its marble statues and columned buildings abandoned to the wild.
Now a family recovering from tragedy have devoted themselves to restoring the estate, but the ghosts of the past remain strong. Shadowy figures walk the labyrinth of overgrown gardens. A strange wishing well steeped in local legend attracts trespassers who climb walls and gates in their eagerness to throw in a coin and make a wish.
Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan travels there to study and confront the dark entities who stalk the house and grounds by night, terrifying the family who now live there. The secret history of the plantation proves as shadowy and labyrinthine as its maze of gardens. Enchanting on the surface, Canterbury Gardens was founded on the darkest of wishes, and every wish that comes true has its price. 

I always look forward to a new Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper book and even though I’m behind in reviewing, Fallen Wishes came out just in time to be the perfect Halloween read.

As readers have come to expect, the location in this latest entry was not only sufficiently spooky, it was also totally unique. Part of the draw for me in this series is the strong sense of history attached to all the locations. It gives each story enough authenticity to make the impossible just a tad plausible. Which makes these stories even scarier – at least for me. The other thing that I love about the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series is the sense of family. Although Ellie is pretty much a loner, she’s come to depend on her makeshift family of friends and co-workers for much more than the cases they unravel.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this story, along with some secrets that were being kept by both the living and the long dead. It was up to Stacey and Ellie to unravel those secrets, which wasn’t an easy task – especially when some of them had been kept “buried” for years.

Basically, Fallen Wishes turned out to be cautionary tale that reinforces the old saying “be careful what you wish for…” Let’s just say, I don’t think I’ll be throwing any coins into any body of water to make even a well thought out wish any time soon.

Cabinet Jack (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #16) by J.L. Bryan

Close your doors and cabinets tight, or Jack will climb out to see you tonight.
The former railroad stop of Timbermill, Georgia has grown ever more quiet and empty since its boom era faded decades ago. Reduced to little more than a ghost town, it is suddenly revitalized by suburban sprawl from the city of Savannah, its long-vacant downtown storefronts gradually reopening as boutiques for weekend shoppers.
But Timbermill has a dark legend unknown to the newcomers. Stories whispered from one generation of children to the next warn of a supernatural figure who emerges from the doors of closets and cabinets left carelessly open at night. As the children grew up and moved away, the town shrank, windows were boarded over, and the old stories were almost lost.
One recently relocated couple is restoring an antique house for themselves and their children rather than buying into one of the new neighborhoods, but an unsettling figure from the local legend appears to be stalking them. They turn to Ellie and Stacey for help against an old evil that, while nearly forgotten, was never fully buried. 

You know you’re in for a crazy ride when the author warns you that the story is weird. For the record, the author wasn’t wrong because Cabinet Jack most definitely was weird, in the best kind of spooky, crazy, scary sort of way that I’ve come to expect from this series. ❤

This time around, Ellie and Stacey are tasked with finding out what’s going on in an old boarding house. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that there’s even more going on than the family suspects and a lot more dangerous than imaginary friends.

I really don’t want to give anything away, because there were a lot of twists and turns in Cabinet Jack. There were also a lot of secrets that more than one person intended to keep hidden. This is one that you definitely need to experience for yourself, but be warned, the creep factor is totally off the charts.

One of the things I like most about this series are the characters. They’re witty, honest and most of all, imperfectly real. The banter and dialog between the characters is fun – even when they’re in life and death situations, which seems to happen more often than not. Ellie goes above and beyond to fight the evil that terrorizes her clients and regardless of where she needs to go, she’s got a great group of friends that always have her back. I know that 16 books in a series seems daunting, but this is one series that just seems to get better with each new book. I can’t wait to see what J.L. Bryan has in store for Ellie and her loyal crew next.

Midnight Movie (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #14) by J.L. Bryan

Long ago, dreams glowed on the screen under the night sky at the old drive-in theater. Once an attraction drawing families and teenagers from miles around, the theater has sat dark and silent for years, its former bright, carnival-like atmosphere a distant memory.
A young family brings the forgotten theater to life with a new, modern vision for its future, but strange troubles plague them. Something from the past haunts the theater and won’t leave them, or their occasional customers, alone. The family is living in the old theater manager’s apartment located inside the drive-in’s screen tower, so they enjoy no peace even when they go home after work late at night.
With disturbing supernatural activity threatening their small business and their family, they turn to paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan for help—but the mythic world of the movies has its own dark magic, and Ellie may not be prepared to face what awaits her when the sun goes down, the lights go out, and the show begins.

Picking up a new Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper book is like visiting a good friend or friends – because the series wouldn’t be the same without her “found” family. I look forward to each new installment of this series and pretty much drop whatever I had decided was next in my never ending TBR pile to spend time with this crew – even though I know I’m in for some sort of dangerous terror between the pages. Crazy, right?

I also look forward to discovering whatever unique venue J.L. Bryan has decided to haunt next. There are so many deserted drive-in movie theaters across the country that Midnight Movie probably provided a familiar spot for a lot of readers. That familiarity definitely took scare factor up a notch – plus there was a bonus haunting at a nearby house. Yikes!

As with most mysteries, nothing is quite what it seems and there was more than one spooky being haunting the property. The real mystery was figuring out exactly who they were and more importantly, which one was in charge and the most dangerous.

Of course, Ellie found herself right in the middle of the danger while trying to protect her friends and the family that hired them. There was also a lot of witty banter and fun to break the growing tension. As a bonus, they also got to watch a lot of really old and some really bad movies while they were trying to figure out exactly who they were dealing with. Which brings me to an interesting side note…if J.L. Bryan ever decides to abandon his book writing, he may have a future in writing screen plays for campy, over the top “B” movie horror stories. 😉

The Trailwalker (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #13) by J.L. Bryan

The old campground in the mountains has a shrouded history wrapped in legend. Located by the mysterious mounds of a vanished people, it was once a popular summer destination for children, but closed long ago under tragic circumstances.
Josh and Allison Conner have moved out from the city, inspired to create a retreat for children in need, a place to build skills and character. They’ve brought their own children with them, and now they’re hurrying to rebuild and update the old camp in time for their first opening day.
But something lurks in the wilderness around the old summer camp, something that strikes against the Conners’ best efforts to revitalize it. They feel watched, then threatened, but after sinking their savings and their hopes into the place, they are unwilling to walk away.
Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan must sort history from legend to determine what haunts the camp and how to fight it, before it inflicts more harm on the well-meaning family attempting to bring life back to the remote abandoned campground.

Ellie and Stacy have their hands full in Trailwalker. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that they are probably dealing with more than one ghost and maybe even something else? J.L. Bryan didn’t pull any punches in this one. Yikes!

Their investigation might have gone a little smoother if they didn’t have the added obstacle of Josh. He wasn’t exactly a believer and although he had agreed to have them come, it was more to prove to Allison that she was letting her imagination get away with her.

As usual, Stacy and Ellie had to use more than their paranormal tools to solve the mystery of who their ghosts were and why they were still hanging around. Their research revealed more than they bargained for and made things even more interesting.

I was happy to see some of my favorite characters make brief appearances, especially my favorite part-time historian. 😉 There was more than enough spookiness, outright terror and danger to keep the pages turning. There was even an unexpected alliance that took everyone by surprise. In other words, Trailwalker had everything I’ve come to expect from an Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper book and more. As usual, J.L. Bryan succeeded in making me walk away wanting more.

The Necromancer’s Library (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #12) by J.L. Bryan

The antebellum mansion sits isolated in the overgrown countryside like a forgotten temple. Within it lie the dark, twisting paths of a private library possessing secrets from across the ages. The collection of ancient and medieval occult manuscripts tell of conjuring spirits and raising the dead, of making contact with supernatural realms and beings usually forbidden to living mortals.
The house’s recently deceased owner was a reclusive former professor who transformed his home into a great library, but his desire for hidden knowledge and arcane power may have led him into madness, even death.
Disturbing specters now haunt the new occupants of the house, who turn to paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan for help. Ellie must unravel the mysteries of the occult library before she can banish its ghosts and make the house safe again for the living.

Even though this is the 12th book in the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series, it’s not getting old… if anything, each book makes me want more. The stories and adventures are all fresh, the ghosts are terrifying, the locations are all unique and spooky and the characters are full of wit and their personalities are a perfect balance to each other. Yeah, it’s not hard to tell that I’m kinda in love with Ellie and her crew. 😉

The Necromancer’s Library was not what I expected, but that’s nothing new when it comes to this series. A library should be anything but evil, right? Well this one was a combination of impressive and terrifying. There were quite a few twists, turns and surprises, as well as secrets kept by more than one person. There were also unexpected allies thrown into the mix. In other words, JL Bryan held nothing back.

There were also some ominous hints of things to come, which is also nothing new. This series isn’t slowing down at all and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for Ellie and company next.

Fire Devil (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #11) by J.L. Bryan (Bout-of-Books 24 Review)

Ellie’s pursuit of a possessed friend and her own worst enemy takes her across the United States into forgotten corners of the countryside through haunted hotels, ghost towns, and strange highways, and toward the site of a horrific fire haunted by hundreds of spirits.
Together with her team, plus help from an eccentric exorcist from Texas, prepares for the fight of her life, a fight destined since her own childhood.
Ellie’s past and present collide in a final confrontation that will change the course of her life, giving her a chance to finally be rid of her most dangerous personal demon—if he doesn’t kill Ellie first, along with the people she cares about the most.

Eleven books in and I’m no where close to being tired of Ellie Jordan, her crew or their escapades. Fire Devil may be one of my favorites in this series so far.

Throughout the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series, readers have known about Clay. He’s only been front and center in a few books, but he’s always there. He’s the reason why she started hunting and trapping ghosts in the first place. In Fire Devil, things finally come to a head and she risks losing everything to take Clay down. Even her own life.

The action and danger didn’t slow down in this one at all. The whole crew was together, with a few additions. Their main goal was to release Michael’s sister from Clay’s clutches and destroy Clay in the process. Hopefully without anyone else getting hurt… or worse… in the process. Along the way they encounter even more restless spirits and solve a few mysteries, while opening up even more. Clay has a sinister plan, which they have to figure out and fast.

Ellie learns more than she expected and gains something that she thought was forever lost. Just one of the many reasons why I loved this one so much. I can’t wait to see what J.L. Bryan has in store next for Ellie Jordan. 😉

The Monster Museum (Ellie Jordan Ghost Trapper #10) by JL Bryan

Just outside the small but colorful mountain resort town of Foxboro, Tennessee lies Dr. Weirdman’s Mountain Museum of Monsters, Curiosities, and Ancient Mysteries. Once a major tourist attraction, it offers travelers the amusement of touring unusual underground caves and pseudo-scientific exhibits ranging from strange creatures to the supposed artifacts of lost civilizations.
Now the museum is a crumbling relic of an older age, fallen into disrepair. Its longtime owner has died, leaving it in the hands of a younger distant relative who knows nothing of how to run a failing tourist trap of a museum, but who is desperate to make a living and provide for his own children.
The museum has a serious ghost problem, though, and Ellie Jordan is called in from Savannah to help. An unexpected old friend joins Ellie at the last moment so that they can spend a snow-filled Christmas together in the mountains…if the ghosts of the restless dead don’t turn the holidays into a horrific tragedy.

Have you ever read a book and had the urge to jump in and warn the characters because you figured something out before they did? A life or death something? Something that they really, really needed to know? Yeah, that’s pretty much how I felt at least halfway through The Monster Museum and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. That realization was almost as terrifying as the monsters Ellie was attempting to protect her clients agains. *sigh*

Running head long into danger is nothing new to Ellie Jordan. She pretty much does it all the time, but this time was different. This time she had no back-up. At least no back-up that she felt comfortable taking advantage of. That “old friend” that is hinted at in the description is Michael. And before you get upset about me “spoiling” anything, it’s revealed in the first chapter. Those of you who have followed the series know that Michael and Ellie aren’t exactly on the best of terms, at least they haven’t been. I know that when things were good between them, he was good for Ellie. I’m still not sure how I feel about him though. He was pretty hard on Ellie, but there’s also no one who’s harder on her than Ellie herself.

There was a lot going on even beyond the ghost trapping in The Monster Museum. We get a lot of Ellie’s personal feelings in this story that readers don’t normally get. Ellie would be the first to tell anyone that she doesn’t do relationships. Her job is too dangerous and it’s not the kind of thing she can leave at the office. Her emotions are jumbled and she doesn’t even trust them most of the time. She spends a lot of time in this story doing some self analysis and readers got to see a whole different side to her.

Heart stopping danger and an atmosphere that was more than a little spooky kept the pages turning and then… well, you’ll just have to read The Monster Museum to find out. This series is not for the faint of heart, so consider yourself warned. And even though you can’t really call the ending of The Monster Museum a cliff hanger, the danger is far from over and there’s a lot more in store for Ellie and company. Although I liked the one on one time spent with her, I’m hoping that the rest of the cast of characters returns for the next installment. FYI, if you haven’t started this series yet, the first book, Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper is currently FREE at Amazon. 😉

The Tower (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #9) By J.L. Bryan

Ellie’s new case takes her far out of town, to an historic but crumbling nineteenth-century skyscraper in downtown Atlanta. The reclusive, once-prominent family living at the top of the tower are experiencing paranormal disturbances that grow more threatening by the day.
Ellie and Stacey must unravel the hidden history of the tower and the ancestors of the family who occupy it—a history full of crime, corruption, wealth, and power. With floor after floor of dark, haunted spaces, the labyrinthine antique tower presents one of the greatest ghost-trapping challenges that Ellie has ever faced.

Having Ellie and Stacey travel out of their ‘comfort zone’ made things interesting. It didn’t make a difference in how they operated though.

The tower included some of the most interesting ghosts in this series yet. The family that Ellie and Stacey were working for had a lot of history. Some of it even they didn’t know about.

Sometimes the intrigue behind who the ghosts are and why they are still hanging around is as interesting as the haunting itself. The ‘bad guy’ in The Tower was really bad. He had a lot of power and a lot of time to find ways to seek revenge – over and over and over again. You could almost kind of respect his tenacity, if he wasn’t so evil.

The thing about The Tower was that there were a lot of ghosts. Figuring out who the mastermind was wasn’t easy, but if any ghost hunter could figure it out, my money would be on Ellie and Stacey. It wasn’t easy and there was plenty of danger involved, but Ellie and her friends never back down, especially when people’s lives depend on it.

I kind of liked the change of venue and Ellie probably needed it, but I also kind of missed her being in familiar territory. She still has some things to deal with and I can’t wait to see what J.L. Bryan has in store for her next.

The Keeper (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #8) by J.L. Bryan – Bout-of-Books 18 Review

The South Channel lighthouse is a crumbling antique at the mouth of the Savannah River, abandoned and forgotten for generations. Local stories still tell of a mysterious woman in white who often stood at the old lighthouse, watching the sailors come into port…even long after she died.
Now the property by the lighthouse is owned by a famous movie star in search of a remote beach getaway on sleepy Tybee Island. Unfortunately, old ghosts haunt her new retreat, stirred up by the construction of a luxurious new mansion. Ellie, Stacey, and their team must remove the ghosts, who grow more dangerous and aggressive every night, threatening the lives of the client and her family and personal staff.
The lighthouse has a dark history, with many ghosts, and mysteries to unravel before Ellie can send them on to the other side.

Things didn’t end well for Ellie in Lullaby, the last book in the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series. The Keeper started where Lullaby left off and unfortunately, things hadn’t gotten much better. Ellie felt betrayed by more than one person and the list of people she felt she could count on was getting smaller and smaller. *sigh*

The danger was ramped up even more in The Keeper and the tension was even higher because Ellie had some personal history with the location. She kept that to herself though, which may have made it easier for her to tell that their client was doing the same. Add to the official ghost trapping drama on Tybee Island the fact that Kara is still a danger and Ellie & Stacey’s side ghost hunting endeavors, it’s no surprise that there was little or no down time in The Keeper.

There were more than a couple of mysteries solved, twists and turns that kept you wondering who the good guys were vs. the bad guys and more than just a little emotional drama. All in a day’s work for an evil author pro like J.L. Bryan. Not sure what he has planned next for Ellie, but there’s definitely more. Even though The Keeper didn’t end in a cliff hanger, there’s still a lot of loose ends that need tying. 😉