The story begins with an inside look at a once popular paranormal investigation TV series and how they "enhance" their investigations. If ratings don't improve, it could be the end of the road for the series and it's host, Dane Marshall. This is why the show's producer is big on the idea of having Dane convince his brother Henry to allow an investigation of the grounds at Hope House in the village of Oakwell.
The house, now a burned out shell, and surrounding woods, are purportedly home to spiritual forces which cause those who succumb to their influence to do terrible things.
Michael Bray has done a wonderful job of creating a fresh tale from the ashes of Hope House. I particularly liked the way he crafted this new story in such a way where he did not simply rehash the original book for readers, but instead would drop tidbits from that tale at appropriate times throughout Echoes.
The author deftly uses multiple story lines to tell his tale. There are the 5 teen-aged friends who sneak onto the property in an attempt to scare themselves silly and I got a genuine Richard Layman vibe when they were camping out, getting ready to have a seance on the property. Then there's the angle with the fake paranormal investigator show and the brother who wants to build a hotel on the site of Hope House.
Echoes is genuinely creepy at times, gruesome at others, and always engaging.
While it's not necessary to have read Whisper, book 1 in the trilogy, it's certainly recommended. I also found it refreshing that Echoes is a complete story in it's own right. Although there will be another volume in the series, Echoes does not leave the reader hanging.
From Horrific Tales Publishing. Echoes is available now as a paperback and ebook through Amazon.com.
Totally recommended.
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