Horror is a genre that can be a bit hit or miss for me, and it’s even harder to maintain a successful series book after book and still hold my interest. J.L. Bryan’s ninth book in the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series The Tower, mixes things up a bit by heading from Savannah to different Southern town–Atlanta–and investigating a haunted old high rise.
Filled with sarcastic humor and skin-prickling scares filled with ghostly danger, Ellie and her tech assistant Stacey are called in by the owners to investigate the hauntings in their apartment on the top floors and basement. But as Ellie and Stacey dig into the extensive, twisted, and tragic history of the tower and the family, what they find could be a curse or hauntings by so many long dead relatives. And it seems like they aren’t happy that this family is temporarily living in these apartments while the matriarch is in a coma upstairs, or with the potential sale of the building to pay off the debts of the recently deceased uncle.
I really love the working relationship and friendship between Ellie and Stacey. They’re polar opposites in so many ways, but they mesh so well together and always look out for each other. Their interactions are so much fun. When Stacey’s boyfriend/psychic Jacob comes into the investigation, things tend to ramp up a bit and he fits in just as well with Ellie. Their friendship and even work are keeping Ellie from dwelling on her broken relationship with her ex-boyfriend, and how her life really just revolves around ghost hunting.
I give The Tower a five out of five. J.L. Bryan finds refreshing new takes on hauntings and demented souls that refuse to move on for each book, and I really enjoy seeing what he comes up with next. Ellie’s character develops and grows throughout each book and over the course of the series, and she’s definitely closing in on the one ghost that has stolen so much from her. The books can be read as stand alones, but maximum enjoyment and sense will be had if you read them in order. All of J.L. Bryan’s books are page turners for me, and I love the humor, creepiness, and the character depth that are on each page.
The tenth book, The Monster Museum, is out now.
Find THE TOWER
Amazon | Kobo | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads
About J.L. Bryan
J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day serving the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.
Connect with J.L. Bryan
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
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This is one of my favorite series! I adored all of the characters and the author sure can write some chilling plots!
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I totally agree, Laura! This is one of my favorite series as well, and it’s certainly my favorite set of books that J.L. Bryan has written so far!
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