Paul Hope

This is an earnest, though somewhat plodding account of various purported hauntings in the buildings of Richmond's Capitol Square, including the Capitol itself, the Governor's Mansion, and the Supreme Court Building. Hope is a former Capitol Police officer, and he draws upon his own experiences and those of his colleagues, some of whom wish to remain anonymous. While the incidents described include the occasional apparition, mysterious light or smell, or disembodied footsteps, more often than not they are just feelings the officers have of being watched, or of someone standing behind them. There are also stories of drawers and doors opening by themselves. The unsensational nature of most of these reports certainly tends to make the book more believable, but no hard evidence is really presented. The author had experienced supernatural events during his youth in Wales, and perhaps the rigors and loneliness of the night shift have produced more. Nevertheless, this is a serious effort to document these unexplained events. Anyone interested in ghosts, especially Virginia ghosts, will find something of interest here.… (more)