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Howard Hopkins is by far my favorite horror e-book author. His characters are exceptionally well drawn and downright entertaining. With lots of chilling moments and a bit of comedy relief, his plots pull me in until I’m unaware of the passage of time. And he’s proven his talent once again with Ashes to Ashes, the first book in his series The Chloe Files.
After becoming engaged to Detective Sergeant Arlo Grimm, Chloe Everson gave up her career as a stripper at the Red Lagoon in New Salem, Maine. But when Grimm suddenly disappears, she returns to dancing because the flexible hours allow her to spend time searching for her fiancé. But things aren’t exactly normal in New Salem—it seems to be a breeding ground for supernatural activity. Now an evil that Chloe thought was vanquished has returned, and it’s got her man.
A ghost girl—who appears to be Chloe’s long-lost sister, Patricia—haunts Chloe, seemingly trying to point her in the right direction to find Arlo. But another entity has its roots dug deep into the apparition—and it doesn’t want her to help.
After a 600-year-old monkey leaves a silver locket—rumored to have belonged to Joan of Arc—on Chloe’s coffee table, she heads to the New Salem Museum of Natural History to talk to the director, Genie Lansing. But all she gets from Genie is a whole lot of mumbo-jumbo. The museum’s director turns out to be more than a little mysterious, and Chloe can’t figure out if she’s friend or foe—but she needs Genie’s help if she wants to find Arlo alive.
The Chloe Files: Ashes to Ashes is Ghost Whisperer on steroids. It’s a heck of a lot darker but with less tear-jerking drama. Also, unlike Melinda Gordon, Chloe isn’t really out to help ghosts—mainly because, more often than not, the ghosts are out to do her harm. She just needs to find out why they’re haunting her, so she can get rid of them.
Chloe is a likable, spunky heroine who finds herself in situations she’d rather not encounter, but she handles them with a heaping helping of bravery—while trying to ignore the fact that she’s scared out of her wits. She goes the extra mile to protect the ones she loves—so evil ghosts had better stay out of her way.
Gripping and unnerving, Ashes to Ashes pulls readers into a dark room, where something scary is hiding in the corner. You won’t get out without chills running down your spine and your blood running cold. Mr. Hopkins does an excellent job of creating a spooky atmosphere that’ll have you jumping at every sound and glancing out your window to make sure no one is staring back in at you.
Ashes to Ashes is the first book in the new Chloe Files series, so pick up your copy and get in on some seriously frightening fun.
