Good Morning Paranormal Investigators and Charming Casanovas,

This post is all about my book review of Jonathan Janz’s The Siren and the Specter.

A little bit of backstory. I’ve heard of Jonathan Janz for quite some time now (mainly on GoodReads and WordPress), so when Halloween started looming closer I just knew I had to give one of his books a chance.

The first one I actually heard of was this one, so this is what I purchased (my library didn’t have copies and its a travesty!).

Blurb:

When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in “the most haunted house in Virginia,” he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different. Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow. And David suspects she’s followed him to the Alexander House.

The Review:

Four and a half haunting stars for this book!

I truly enjoyed my first read of Jonathan Janz’s work.

David Caine has been a skeptic of the paranormal for years, making a living off of it.

His travels take him to the Alexander House, a famous location known for its hauntings. His longtime friend Chris and his wife Katherine are renovating the house, hoping to make it a tourist destination.

David arrives and is given a month to himself to validate the house’s haunted status.

The only thing is, strange things are happening, more so than he’s ever encountered before. Could this house really be haunted, or is this just some ploy of Chris’s to get back at him for his failings of the past?

This book had me hooked from the very start. David Caine’s character was extremely relatable. Though I’ve always personally been a believer in the paranormal, David’s past experiences have been less than fruitful, and it makes sense why he’s not a believer.

He’s a flawed character, not some white knight charging in, and I really enjoyed that. There’s plenty of progression with his character, as he starts off a real commitment phobe with a bad past.

The other characters were pretty unique and interesting as well, with their own quirks. The sheriff, Jessica, even the awful Honey and Michael Shelby.

The plot was unique and interesting with plenty of twists and turns. I went back and forth between ‘It’s the ghost’ and ‘This is a setup!’ until the final pages, and that sense of mystery kept me turning the pages. I had to know more.

The creep factor was also pretty strong as well. This wasn’t your typical ghost story. Oh no, it went above and beyond that.

If I had to pick at anything, I would say that sometimes the flow could’ve been a tad bit better in places, but honestly this book is near perfect. Chills, thrills, kills, and a haunted house. What more could you ask for, especially around this time of year?

Definitely give this book a chance people, you won’t regret it!

That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Have you read this book before? What did you think? Do you have a book recommendation similar to this one? Feel free to share in the comments!

If you’d like to see other reviews of mine, feel free to check out my blog homepage or my GoodReads. You can also follow my GoodReads reviews here. There are some great binge-worthy books on there!

Have a great day!

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