Nightmare by Robin Parrish

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe in the supernatural? Whether you believe or not, reports of so-called happenings happen frequently. As one of the characters in this “ghost story” questions, “ You think there are pit stops along the way?”

I like books with mystery and sometimes an edge. In the past few years, a number of inspirational writers have risen who write in the style of authors like Stephen King, albeit with a Christian touch. This book definitely had an edge and almost knocked me over the precipice. Added to that, it was a dark and stormy night when I read it. So the stage was set, as they say.

The main character, Maia, is the child of a Christian and an agnostic who are paranormal investigators that experience “hours of tedium, punctuated with seconds of skin-peeling terror”. Looking to escape this way of life, she enters college preparing to go in a new direction. In her senior year, she is approached by a fellow student, Jordin, an heiress who has an unhealthy thirst for the supernatural who hires Maia to show her the supernatural world. The hunt takes a turn for the worst as they traipse through scores of famously “haunted” sites, stirring up the spirit realm. Jordin disappears and Maia, with the aid of Jordin’s fiancée and soon-to-be pastor, Derek, has to use her investigative skills to bring her back to the physical world. They soon are in a battle for not only Jordin’s but Maia’s soul.

Interestingly, my husband and I have actually visited several of the sites mentioned in the book, the U.S.S. North Carolina battleship and Gettysburg battleground. While we never experienced any of the events mentioned in the book, we did tour during the daytime and not at nighttime when most experiences seem to occur. At the conclusion of the book, the author shares that the kind of events depicted in the book actually have happened. He explains that each site has had countless reports of paranormal activity. In conclusion, he stresses that touching the paranormal is inherently dangerous and compares it to swimming with sharks or sword swallowing.

Sooooo…would I recommend reading this book? Hmmm…if you want a challenging read, this is definitely one that will test your nerves and your beliefs. If you’re prone to having nightmares or have to sleep with the lights on, maybe not.


Kathy Stutzman
Public Relations Manager