Boo(ks)!!

As I have gotten older I have become less and less of a reader. My preferred choice was a Marvel graphic novel because I could take my latest one and sit in a coffee shop and not get too many odd looks as I engrossed myself in the costumed heroes whilst sipping a large black Americano. The adage of if you can see the weirdo then its not you is difficult when your hot bean juice is sat next to a copy of Holzer’s Ghosts: True Encounters from The World Beyond.

Credit:SJP

The solution came in the guise of Kindle Unlimited (KU), a book subscription service from Amazon. Sharing the account with Mrs J it is not hard to see the differences in our reading material of choice. The covers lined up on the electronic shelf of graveyards and silent screams vs the never-ending collection of topless men who always appear to be searching for their shirt, are hidden from judgemental eyes behind the screen of your mobile phone. (Mrs J would like to add that romance novels are the bestselling genre worldwide thank you very much and since she writes this stuff she would know).

A library in your pocket (for a subscription charge) KU has really changed my reading habit causing the devouring of many a publication, in particular the works of Richard Estep.

Before I packed my bag and left the Shire, heading to Tonbridge Castle for my first investigation, I thought it would be best to research some of the techniques used by those that had gone before me. A simple search uncovered Estep, an ex-pat-brit-medic-paranormal-investigator who describes himself as as sensitive as a house brick, recounts his experiences in the field in an easy to follow, informative and entertaining way.

Credit:SJP

With Richard and his team I travelled to Gettysburg, Malvern Manor, Denver Botanic Gardens  and many, many hospitals in his home country of America. Although departing our shores he was not banished from the fair Isle with the spirits of Bodmin Jail, HMP Shepton Mallet and 30 East Drive calling to him from across the Atlantic.

It was from Mr Estep that I learnt the importance of preventing hitch-hiking phantoms from following you home after one incident that resulted in Mrs E setting up decontamination procedures after a particular pesky entity set up residence in their home and only being forced to leave after the remote intervention of his friend/Catholic priest/cellist Stephen Weidner. In fact the white-light and instruction ritual given to him by Weidner that he uses after this incident is the same process that I use after every paranormal investigation.

Richard’s work emphasises the importance of team work and the paranormal community, prompting interesting theories of links between locations and between his friends, whose list includes Johnny Houser, Brad and Barry Klinges and Katrina Weidman. He also introduced me to the concept of talking to ghosts, being respectful but there also being a place for confrontation when the circumstances demand it.

The investigative takeaway from his expansive works was the use of the Estes Method, and I was very excited to have the opportunity to try out this technique myself at East Gate House (see Are You Brave Enough?).

Estep through his accounts takes you on his journey as his friend, providing explanation and showing the passion for the paranormal in way that is addictive (and I have reread several of his books to get the fix.) His stance of believing in something, but what that something is is what drives his quest for answers.

I would definitely recommend any of his books, as once you have read one you will want to read them all. Richard Estep is one of my paranormal heroes and after a few chapters I am sure he will become one of yours.

KU has also opened my library to the works of renowned ghost hunter and parapsychologist Peter Underwood, who has been one of my go to sources of inspiration in writing this blog, especially his Ghosts of Kent which I would add to my must read list for anyone investigating in the South East. We will look at his work further in the future, in particular surrounding the mystery that is Borley Rectory.

Credit: William C. Grave

Skulking around some of the Facebook groups that I am member of I discovered The Lady in the Bay Window by William C. Grave, and a quick search of KU found me adding it to my reading list. This true story of a haunted home in Sheffield is absolutely captivating as Grave gives his account of his first brick and mortar purchase and the events that unfold over his time as occupier.

The profits from this work from the heart are being donated to Cavendish Cancer Care in memoriam of the author’s mum, so each swipe of the page (and the story compels you to do so) not only will satisfy your curiosity but also help support those in need of hope and comfort in facing the challenge of dealing with cancer.

William’s story starts in 2004, when having passed his apprenticeship at a car dealer, he and his fiancé decided to buy a house, their first home together. They found a property in Charnock, Sheffield and it is not long before our titular character appears.

I won’t spoil the next 18 years of accounts, but will say I could not put it down, so place this one on your TBR (To Be Read) shelf, get comfortable and enjoy every one of the 25 chapters that will be spilling from your fingertips (and that is not including the two investigations at the end).

Paranormal investigation can be an expensive enterprise. Equipment, ghost hunts and KU subscriptions cost money (and sometimes a lot of money). So how can we save a few pennies when it comes to our research and in particular books?

The once great free resource, the local library, has been eroded by the expansion of the internet (and by many councils turning them into community hubs). Once dusty and full of books, where you would have to leaf through index cards or be able to translate the Dewey Decimal System to find the right book for the job – the shelves have been replaced with desktop computers, and the locating system is also now digital.

The paranormal is a very niche subject for a Community Hub, I mean if you want a Dilly Court or Colin Dexter the few shelves that remain groan under their weight, but not so for ghosts. There is no roped off restricted section in these open planned spaces. So how do we access the spooky? The simple solution is Libby. This app contains libraries across the UK, all you need to do is sign up and at your finger tips you have access to 1000’s of books, magazines and even audio books. Searching for the right one can be tricky for just general searches but if you have a target in mind then the world is your lobster.

Through Libby I have been able to access the Fortean Times back catalogue, as well as fairly expensive local ghost books such as Haunted Rochester and Haunted Chatham by Neil Arnold, which have proved very useful in researching locations I have investigated (without the £9.99 price tag).

Although another electronic resource, it does mean that you are not having to hide the cover in a newspaper when out in public, most local library services still have some books that you can order for collection if they don’t have them on their shelves.

There is nothing like the feel of bound pages in your hand, especially in the paranormal investigator’s world where nothing is really tangible. Bookshops, and there are some really good ones that specialise in the weirder side of life, are our final stop on this research voyage.

New books are expensive, and unless you get a good deal on a new copy can really eat into your budget. Second hand books on the other hand can be a fraction of the price, and you can find some really interesting ones.

Credit: SJP

There is nothing better, in the little spare time I have, than going with Mrs J to a charity shop (or ten) and scouring the shelves for that tiny nugget of gold. I have managed to get some amazing bargains including Grant & Jane Soloman’s The Scole Exeriment and several Peter Ackroyd’s for only a few quid. The best bit is that the money you hand over goes to some really good causes and so not only do you leave the shop clutching your bag of goodies but also with a sense of doing something good.

The nice thing about a second hand book is finding the title page with some form of inscription. That the book had a life before you, and will continue to have a life when you become the subject of one of your own. Sometimes you may even find that the book has personally passed the authors hand leaving their signature for all eternity among the typed words from their brain.

Charity shops, however have become a bit more switched on to how valuable some of their donations can be and have moved their retailing from the musty, damp smelling shops (they all smell the same – except that one that just smelt of death) to the impersonal global retail space of Ebay.

I am not adverse to a little competition in trying to bag a bargain, and there is nothing like the sense of anticipation after you generate a random number in an effort to outbid your competitors. Finding a signed copy of an Estep book among the listings for a charity auction I was over the moon when  the email came through that I had won, and bagged the signature of one of my heroes.

Credit:SJP

There are many online second hand book shops, and one of my go to is World of Books (WOB). They usually have deals (and I can usually sneak one of my own choices into Mrs J’s order), but they also sell through Ebay and often at much cheaper prices than their website. Again you might get a nice little surprise as I did when Poltergeist Parallels and Contagion by Darren W. Ritson arrived signed by the man himself.   

Credit:SJP

So happy hunting, there is plenty out there. Research and knowledge are an important part of investigation so grab a book or an app and learn something new today.

If you would like to support William C. Grave then you can find his #1 Best Seller in Paranormal Activities here.