Other Worlds Book

I picked up the book because of the cover (looked like gothic suspense) and flipped open the jacket to read that the characters included Nandor Fodor, Frank Podmore, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, et al. That sparked my interest because it's very rare to pick up any fiction book that has psychical researchers as characters.

However, it was a disappointment. The premise is of two ghost stories, told within the framework of skeptics and believers lounging in a gentlemen's club. I'm not fond of "framed" stories, but if it is done well, it can be enlightening. In this book, the various characters then analyze the first ghost story according to each of their particular perspectives, which was somewhat interesting, but not very entertaining. They didn't even bother beyond a few paragraphs for the second story, which already had a very weak ending.

So, even though the Bell Witch (Tennessee) and Connecticut poltergeists were fascinating tales, they were not particularly well done in this book. I haven't read very many Barbara Michaels books, but this one was disappointing.