I chose to review Palace Of Ghosts because I’ve always loved a good haunted house story and good is what I got. This is an engaging and terrifying story reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House but with its own unique voice. The house in question is Amon Palace, where Doctor Peter has gathered four Iraq War veterans as part of a group study on PTSD. And as expected something very unexpected has come to join them.

The book opens with the good doc being interrogated by the police after the disappearance of not only the soldiers but his two assistants as well. He tries in vain to convince the officer he’s innocent and that is how we get to the main plot. The jumping back and forth from past to present is a little jarring but doesn’t hinder it too much.

One of the most enjoyable things about this book is the character development. Palace of Ghosts is only 210 pages long but manages to flesh out each character, even minor ones such as Peters sleazy assistant Dexter or the creepy caretakers, Marge and John.

As for main characters, my favorites are Marcus and Sam. Marcus starts off as the obligatory horror movie asshole and is pretty unlikable. Throughout the novel the reader gets to explore his past and the survivor’s guilt that he carries with him. I found myself going from hating this character to considering him a favorite. He’s got some funny one liners as well.

Sam’s backstory, which centers on her bond with her IUD tracking dog and her subsequent loss, is honestly sweet and sad at the same time. I confess that I was brought to tears reading her tale and not just because of my usual dislike of animal deaths.

Seriously horror writers, can we let Fido live for once?

Normally I turn my nose up at books with less than 400 pages (size queen), but I am so happy to have stumbled across this work. Thomas S. Flowers is an engaging writer who really knows how to pull on the heartstrings before ripping them out. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for his other projects.

The only thing I don’t like about the Palace of Ghosts is the abrupt ending. I feel like the readers should have some kind of closure, but for all we know there might hopefully be a sequel in the works because I’m not ready to let go of these characters just yet.

If you’re looking for an excuse to sleep with the lights on, this palace is the place to be.