Nick Beron isn't initially happy when his girlfriend suggests they need a change. Hannah Rempe is captivated by a potential job offer in Hibernia, NY, offering her a chance to oversee the Edmund Wright Historical House. Nick has become complacent with their current lifestyle, but he soon recognizes that they've both fallen into a rut as even his own musical dreams have stagnated. Nick hopes that the job at the museum will reignite their passions, both for their careers as well as each other. But will a haunting presence overwhelm them instead?

Atmosphere is crucial to the success of THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS and Ben Dolnick does a marvelous job at making it work! Told through the eyes of Nick, we see the hopefulness as they make the change and move to Hibernia. We also see the slow but gradual decline in Hannah as she begins hearing voices and starts acting oddly. The action isn't quick paced by any means. Instead, the story meanders slowly but purposefully towards a very startling conclusion.

I love how Ben Dolnick intersperses the notion of ghosts amongst the all too realistic scenario of mental illness. Is Hannah's decline a result of something supernatural? Or has she simply stopped taking her medication? Nick's unreliability as a narrator makes the story all the more fascinating as we try to unravel exactly what is happening to this seemingly normal couple.

THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS is the kind of book you savor slowly, as the tension builds gradually with each page turned. I wasn't sure what to expect from THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS when I started, but I'm more than pleasantly surprised by this cerebral take on the horror genre. THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS won't appeal to all readers, but its unique approach to ghosts makes it distinctive and well worth the read. I only wish that Edmund Wright was a real person so I could read more about his fascinating research. And yes, I'll definitely be reading more by Ben Dolnick in the future!

Book Summary

A supernatural story of love, ghosts, and madness as a young couple, newly engaged, become caretakers of a historic museum.

When Nick Beron and Hannah Rampe decide to move from New York City to the tiny upstate town of Hibernia, they aren't exactly running away, but they need a change. Their careers have flatlined, the city is exhausting, and they've reached a relationship stalemate. Hannah takes a job as live-in director of the Wright Historic House, a museum dedicated to an obscure nineteenth-century philosopher, and she and Nick swiftly move into their new home. The town’s remoteness, the speed with which Hannah is offered the job, and the lack of museum visitors barely a blip in their consideration.

At first, life in this old, creaky house feels cozy—they speak in Masterpiece Theater accents and take bottles of wine to the swimming hole. But as summer turns to fall, Hannah begins to have trouble sleeping and she hears whispers in the night. One morning, Nick wakes up to find Hannah gone. In his frantic search for her, Nick will discover the hidden legacy of Wright House: a man driven wild with grief, and a spirit aching for home.