Other Worlds
by Barbara Michaels
Severely Edited Blurb:
In a London Club, Houdini, Conan Doyle, and other psychic investigators and debunkers gather to tell ghost stories. Their purpose is to tell the tale, and then each will pick it apart to try to find an explanation for the phenomenon in question. The first story is one of the most famous historical hauntings in U.S. history: the Bell Witch in Tennessee. The second is a moderately well-known haunting in Stratford, Connecticut, called, appropriately, the Stratford Haunting. Each tale is told, and then the guests gather around the club describe their understanding of whether the hauntings are either fake or very real.
My Reaction:
Well, the title (Other Worlds) certainly sounds like it could be creepy and interesting and typical of a Barbara Michaels gothic thriller. The reality, unfortunately, is nothing like her usual tales. I'm sorry, but I found it dry and dull. I recognize the Bell Witch, so I don't expect a satisfying conclusion-- or indeed, anything from this retelling to be worth this slog... I just can't. Not right now. Maybe I'll pick it up again at a later date, but for now, it's a DNF! I stopped 15% of the way through. On to greener pastures!
(Incidentally, this is the second DNF I have for this author. With the other one, Smoke and Mirrors, I think I quit after the first page or two, because something annoyed me, I peeked at a few reviews, and I had my suspicions confirmed. Political plot? Heavy on the "Democrats are good, Republicans are evil"? Oh, good grief! No, thanks. Life's too short.)
