What lurks within Chaythe Asylum?College professor Stephen Barlow needs cash. Badly. When a student asks him to head a new campus organization that centers around paranormal research, he puts his skepticism aside and signs on in the hopes of scoring a fat bonus.Enter Chaythe Asylum—a long-shuttered and controversial institution where patients were allegedly subjected to unethical experiments. … subjected to unethical experiments. Closed in 1989 after a series of grisly murders, Stephen deems the old building as good a place as any to explore the possibility of the supernatural and arranges to take a tour with his students.
But it turns out that the asylum is not as abandoned as it seems. There is something sinister in the building. It has watched and waited for nearly three decades, and when Stephen and his students enter, they find themselves at the center of a nightmare 28 years in the making.
ASYLUM is the first novel in the Afterlife Investigations trilogy.
THE AFTERLIFE INVESTIGATIONS
Asylum
Forest
The Occupantmore
First Chapter was crazy following couple chapters it gets a little dry (it’s ok cause it is needed for build up but maybe too much un needed info as well) Ends strong. Overall I enjoyed very much and glad I did not give up during the dry moments.
I loved it. Really spooky!
If you are looking for a good ghost story, look no further than any of Ambrose Ibsen’s books. Great characters, great story, plenty of chills and just plain fun if you like to be scared.
In this tale, a lowly college adjunct is talked into sponsoring a ghost hunting club, not because he is a believer but because he needs money. Stephen Barlow is just trying to make ends meet when he witnesses a young man being killed by a hit and run driver. Then, when he is approached by Elizabeth and her boyfriend, Jake, to sponsor the club, he doesn’t really see a connection.
However, when he puts an ad in the local paper, asking for tips of haunted places to visit, the trio is led to the creepy Chaythe Asylum. The Asylum has been abandoned since a mass killing nearly 30 years ago and there is more to this event than known to the public.
This book is a slow starter but once the group goes to the Asylum to see if they can find evidence of ghosts/hauntings, it quickly become very, very creepy! Mr. Ibsen has a real talent for writing haunting stories without a lot of blood and gore. Just how I like my ghost stories to be! The characters are sometimes annoying and sometimes you feel sympathy for them…..just like real life people we all know.
This is the first of a series and there is a bit of a cliffhanger, but not enough to turn off the reader. I look forward to continuing this series because I really enjoyed this one. If you are looking for a creepy, old-fashioned scare, check out this book.
Joe Hempel continues to be one of my favorite audiobook narrators. His performance is always just right and adds a great deal to my enjoyment of the book.
I was given the opportunity to listen to this book through Audiobook Boom and chose to review it.
I’ve read a lot by this author and he never fails to deliver a creepy and thrilling story, and this one is no different.
Stephen Barlow is a professor and is hoping to become full time, but at the moment he needs money! When a student of his comes to him after class and asks him to head a new organisation that she is creating, he is hesitant because it’s to do with the paranormal. But once she tells him that just by being head of it, he is entitled to 1000$, he jumps at the chance. He finds out about a place called Chaythe Asylum and arranges a tour of it with his students. Little does he know that the Asylum isn’t as abandoned as he thinks!
I really liked Stephen. He is a no nonsense professor who puts aside his skepticism to help his students (well the money helps too ;)). He is used to facts but even he can tell that the Asylum isn’t a friendly place. He doesn’t want to go in but can’t let his students go without him. He was well written and developed and I look forward to more from him.
The plot was fast paced and creepy. An Asylum is an incredibly creepy place anyway, but add in a supernatural element and you have a home run. I know I wouldn’t willingly walk into an abandoned Asylum, but I do love reading about them! The ending left me wanting more!! I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
In all, an incredibly creepy read. I am so looking forward to book 2!
The ending was to simple for the the story being told, and only set you up to purchase the second book. The diversity has a lot of potential.
I was not overly impressed with the story or the writing. I finished this book, but struggled to do so. Very predictable. Probably won’t read this author again.
My first experience with an Ambrose Ibsen book. The build-up was slow, but it managed to keep my interest throughout. The ending was well-crafted and quite scary. I’m glad I discovered a new author and look forward to reading more!