A thinking person's ghost story, the novel Ghosts is almost more mystery than it is spooky (and it’s never frightening). It could have been scary, but the author tends to tell readers what is happening in those tense moments without ever letting them feel it.

Some might find this aspect of the story annoying, and it isn't the only annoying aspect of the story. Some characters, including the malevolent spirit, can be a but much at times (especially when he is mostly in detective Tim Brooks' head). The Lutheran minister and spiritualist George Osaro waffles too much on his willingness to help. The actress Annette Carlson drifts between having depth and coming across a bit shallow. And Tim Brooks breaks character on more than one occasion. There is also some inconsistent "refreshing" to make it a 2014 edition and the handling of character names is bothersome. Count them all among the many distractions.

At the same time, the bulk of the book outshines these inconsistencies and annoyances. Hynd makes the story interesting, giving a ghost hunter like flavor and some interesting insights into apparitions, haunts, ghosts, and poltergeists. It’s refreshing to see characters run to confront their fears rather than simply run away from them.

For people who truly enjoy a classic ghost story with the twist (Hynd proposes that is our very minds that can provide the conduit for spiritual encounters), Ghosts delivers on its ability to open up a convincing take on supernatural encounters. It’s a compelling read that makes more headway when it teeters toward a somber tone than a playful one.