Sophia Rose Reviews - Ghost 19 by Simone St. James

Today Sophia Rose is back reviewing yet another spooky tale just perfect for the season. 
Enjoy!

Ghost 19 by Simone St. James, narrated by Brittany Pressley

Horror, Suspense

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published:  10.4.22

Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Rating: 5 stars

Narration Rating: 5 stars

Format: MP3

Source: Penguin Random House Audio

Buy from: Amazon 

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A woman moves to a town where she becomes obsessed with watching the lives of her neighbors while stuck in a house that refuses to let her leave in this first ever short story from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

Is there something wrong with Ginette Cox? It’s what everyone seems to think. When a doctor suggests that what she might need is less excitement, she packs up and moves from New York City to a house in suburban NY: 19 Howard Ave.

The town offers Ginette little in the way of entertainment in 1959, but at least she has interesting neighbors. Whether it’s the little girl with her doll or the couple and their mother-in-law, Ginette watches them from her window and makes up names and stories for them.

But it’s not all peaceful in suburbia. Ginette finds it hard to sleep in her new house. There are strange and scary noises coming from the basement, and she is trapped, either by a ghost or her own madness.

But when Ginette starts to think a murder has taken place and a mysterious man starts making terrifying appearances outside her window, it’s clear she must deal with whatever isn’t allowing her to escape this house…

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

For spooky season, I was looking for something atmospheric and just a wee bit horrific and I knew just what would fit the bill and I was not disappointed.  Between Simone St. James’ chilling tale of ghosts and murder and the talented telling by Brittany Pressley, I was feeling the hairs raise on the back of my neck in no time.

 

In 1959, a play actress leaves the bright lights of New York for a small town where she is supposed to take a complete break after falling apart and getting put in a mental hospital- no booze, no bennies, no men, no work- just rest.  So, Ginette settles in on the couch in front of the window to watch her neighbors.  Who knew that small town America would be so terrifying?  Something goes thump in the basement, heavy treads on the stairs, a voice, and ominous drops in temp make her understand quickly enough why this house was conveniently empty.  And, the house won’t let her leave…

 

This quick thrilling ghost tale is told in flashbacks for the first half of the book and all from Ginette’s perspective.  The listener is made to wonder with the police if she’s reliable or cracked.  Ginette’s history is related and she wryly shares her store warts and all.  Ginette’s well aware she’s not exactly respectable and owns her issues including the possibility that she’s crazy.  I liked her and was utterly engaged with her story and what mysterious happenings left her curled on the floor nearly catatonic with terror.

 

The description of setting, characters, dialogue, and the author’s writing all lead to a build in tension and atmosphere to the big money moment at the end and the truth of it all.

 

I’m very family with Brittany Pressley’s work and like how she voiced the characters, particularly Ginette, and caught the tone of the story.

 

All in all, this was horror light and suspenseful so hit just the right level of scary for me.  This was a fast listen and I can recommend it to ghost story lovers.

 

Author Bio:

Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE SUN DOWN MOTEL and THE BROKEN GIRLS.

After years of writing and collecting rejections, Simone’s debut novel, THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE, won two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. AN INQUIRY INTO LOVE AND DEATH was nominated for another Arthur Ellis Award.

Simone spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives just outside Toronto, Canada, with her husband and a spoiled rescue cat. She is addicted to sushi, rainy days, coffee, and My Favorite Murder. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Pinterest (though not all at once).

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

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