One of my favorite genres is mystery. It's just lately that I started to like horror mysteries. I'd prefer reading them than watching horror movies. My imagination is too active for my liking and I'd end up imagining seeing those scary creatures in the room. But if I am familiar with the actors who are in the horror movie, it would seem like the movie would not be that scary anymore. I don't know if that's weird but that's how I see it.

I got this from the author. He reached out to me April of last year through this blog and asked if I would want to review his book. Yes. It seemed like that was a lifetime ago. Time flies too past and as always, I'm playing catch up with my reviews.

This mystery story at first seemed like not really ghost related. Like Mac McClellan, I too was skeptical at first. I too thought the mysterious deaths were done by someone alive and breathing and not by a ghost. How the events had turned out in the story was very interesting and curious. It's enough to make the hair on my arms stand on end.

The mix of a ghost story and a series of murders is very fantastic. The addition of the paranormal element into the story tends to draw me in ever more. Who can resist a ghost purported to be on a killing spree? Really curious, right? Good thing, we have Mac, as skeptical as any PI could be. Of course, in his line of work, he can't just accept or take anyone's word for it. Evidence is important and it had to be as tangible as possible. More so, it should stand scrutiny and probe.

Like the rest of the small towns where everybody tends to know everybody, that's what's going on in this story also. Everyone seems to be connected to one another. And that connection, that somehow contributed to how the case of the murders were solved. Of course, we can't discount Mac's PI prowess and skills.

I just really like how the murders were resolved. It wasn't predictable but yet you can't help but suspect that there's a connection between some of the characters in this story. Now, I am curious what the other previous books were about. What were the previous adventures of Mac? Did they all had a sprinkling of the supernatural?

I give the book 4/5 old school tape recorders. Like these old relics of the past, a good old detective work goes a long way. And that there are no secrets that will stay hidden. Eventually they all come out into the open. Just like the very old murder in this story, even if it was after three long decades, finally it was resolved. Even if closure was delayed, at least that body and mystery could now be put to rest. I really enjoyed this book. The suspense of how dead bodies just fall one after the other with no obvious reason or suspect. I was glued and I didn't let go of the book until the story was over. It's been a while since I last read mystery stories like this. I have missed this. Thank you again, E. Michael Helms for the book copy. What's next for Mac?

By the way, I love that Henry is part of this story. Having loyal and cute pets in a story always adds a certain element to the story. Plus, I love dogs. The love and hate relationship between Sheriff Pickron and Mac is also very amusing. It seems like Mac tests the sheriff's very limited patience and knows how to push the wrong buttons of the sheriff. I feel sorry for the sheriff, yet in a way felt he deserves it also.

And I just love this quote. I am hoping I could use this sentence in real life. But it would go like this. "What right has my asthmatic lungs have to tell your liver what to do?" I don't smoke and I don't drink, so my only right to claim for authenticity to the statement is my having hereditary asthma.

What right does my liver have to tell your lungs what to do?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive.
- E. Michael Helms, Deadly Spirits - ( )

Mac McClellan is a war veteran and practicing Private Investigator. He has recently been dragged along to do some investigating with the Palmetto Paranormal Society with his girlfriend Kate. When two subsequent paranormal investigations end with the mysterious death of two investigators, Mac knows something is up; these are more than unfortunate accidents. After he is officially hired to investigate one of the deaths, Mac begins to notice several things that aren't sitting right in town: a previous insurance fraud case that is continuously being harassed, generous donations to a local college from people who do not have the money to give, a separate PI that is tailing him, a ghostly recording that has gone missing, several more near-deaths and a woman in the Paranormal Society who isn't who she says she is. Now, it's up to Mac to piece the clues together before more people die and to decide whether the forces at play are of the normal or paranormal variety.

This book immediately starts with action and really does not stop until the end. After reading the first few pages, I realized that this book was part of a series, however; I was filled in pretty quickly and I didn't feel like I really needed the rest of the books in order to understand everything. It might have been helpful to understand a little more about Mac's history, but that's about it. I was really impressed with the layers of mystery and was wondering to the end about how they all fit together. I also really enjoyed the incorporation of the paranormal; the investigative techniques were really interesting and Mac's skepticism provided a nice contrast. Mac's character was intriguing as well, at first he seemed very typical and one dimensional, but as the story progressed, I learned more of his true character and really enjoyed his interaction with people and especially his dog. Overall, this seems like a great mystery series and I would love to read more of Mac!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

This series definitely is written from a man's point of view but that doesn't mean females won't be glued to the pages. It is one you'll want to read in one sitting, if possible, or return to quickly.
This is the first book I have read in this series but I have added the others to the top of my TBR pile.
I found the situations reminiscent of John W Mefford's series, and I was going to say they were less violent and bloody, but not to give anything away, the body count rises drastically as we get closer to the end.

This book has a complicated plot, as who is looking into what changes as you continue reading.
Holding it all together is a search for ghosts, or spirits, or some sort of paranormal connection.
Mac knows there is danger in snooping, usually among the living, but mother nature plays a role, as do some things beyond Mac's normal comprehension. And figuring out how women think is still beyond his understanding.

There is a current of sexual tension running beneath the plot, but overall this is a clean read.
The characters are developed enough that the reader can connect and cares about certain ones.
Although I figured out some of the motives and means, there was enough potential for doubt that I was never bored.

I accepted a copy of this book for honest review. ( )

Smooth storytelling, great voice, compelling characters, fascinating plot twists, evocative locations and a perfect balance between resolution and reality make E. Michael Helms’ Deadly Spirits a thoroughly absorbing and entertaining read. It’s the fourth mystery in a series, but it stands alone perfectly, with just enough backstory, naturally told, to create depth and sketch relationships without ever interfering with the story. Mac McClellan is an enjoyably flawed protagonist, loyal, tempted and human. Kate (girlfriend) and Henry (dog) give him much-needed anchors and assistance. Local cops inspire occasional reluctant loyalty. Local employer inspires amusing dialog. And local ghosts… well, Mac really doesn’t believe in ghosts.

The voices, whether serious or fun, are always pitch-perfect. A flask of Scotch offer Mac “spirits I could count on.” And the computer presents chances to study suspects online in a story that’s as thoroughly up-to-date as it is good traditional fiction. The setting is Florida, where a storm of characters and events might cause as much trouble as the weather. But a link to Oregon, and a very real sense of time’s passage, warfare’s scars, and love’s loyalties, make it a tale for all places and all readers who enjoy mystery. The Mac McClellan books are a great series (I’ve read two so far), and this one would be a great place to start.

Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review. ( )

Mac and Kate are back in Deadly Spirits and this time we will be hanging out with the Palmetto Paranormal Society investigating the haunted Navarro Hotel.

I haven’t met Mac in person…yet, but seeing as how he hangs around the Florida Panhandle, it may happen. His investigations lead to danger and mayhem. His personality and the fact that he lives in a trailer always makes me think of the Rockford Files and Magnum PI. He’s a bit old fashioned where it really matters, loyal and trustworthy. Even a bit of a prude…He even has a Dobie, my favorite breed of dog. So much is familiar to me, marinas, woods, fire towers, lighthouses, hauntings…

Action and mystery abound and Mac is on the case. E Michael Helms always includes some humor and I do love chuckles with my murder.

The downside to his job, he has a hard time collecting payment before his clients kick the bucket.

Mac has a hard time taking the whole ghost thing seriously, until…the scream. I am a skeptic too. As they walk around with their ghostly equipment and asking the spirits questions, I would be hard put not to crack up laughing.

I loved everything about Deadly Spirits by E Michael Helms. He has included a lot of extras besides the mystery…a critter to fall in love with, a dash of the psychotic and a pinch of the paranormal…a recipe for success.

I love Mac and this is my favorite adventure…so far. Michael has brought him a long way, making him more complex in his simplicity. I can hardly wait for more!

It’s New Year’s Eve 2016 and between football and the year end fireworks, I cannot quit reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Deadly Spirits by E Michael Helms. ( )