I love history, I love ghost hunters, so this should have been a slam dunk.

I was just so bored. Rarely am I almost put into a reading slump but just one book, but I fought tooth and nail to get out of this book and be able to keep reading.

This book has a lot of detail, including historical details about each investigation. It would have been interesting to see more pictures of the places being investigated. Maybe I would have liked it more if I ever watched the TV show, but the book just didn't draw me in how other books on paranormal investigations have. The book is well written and had a nice balance between historical information and the parts about the actual investigations.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Difficult to read--some interesting stories, but many times I couldn't tell which of two authors were talking. Don't know if this is the result of poor formatting or less than stellar editing, but too much work to try to complete. DNF

I received an advance copy of, Elements of a Haunting, by Brandon Alvis and Mustafa Gatollani. This is a really great read, I learned a lot. There was a lot of ghost stories, history's of hauntings, and such. There is a lot of information on hauntings. I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Elements of a Haunting.

I'm not a fan of reality shows, whether it's about a crew looking for ghosts or a bunch of privileged ladies with Botoxed faces gossiping about each other over a martini lunch, but I do love reading about ghosts and hauntings.

I really enjoyed Elements of a Haunting and the passion and dedication the authors, the lead investigators of Ghost Hunters, have for their work.

First, the authors describe what led to their current professions; the both of them suffered personal tragedies that led them to wonder about the possibility of life after death.

As a result, this pursuit for answers about life beyond death had led them to paranormal investigations, but significantly, their desire to elevate their profession to a more respectable status.

Using research, science, technology and third party industry professionals, Mr. Alvis and Mr. Gatollari outline their rules, the scientific equipment and the protocol they've established as professional paranormal investigators for nearly two decades.

What I especially love was their honesty, their forthrightness, and the utmost respect for each location they visit during their investigations.

The authors also bust many myths about their work; it's not easy.

It's a lot of work, and not just the heavy equipment they lug and all the data they track. Before they visit each location, copious research is done on the location and background of the place they're investigating; they need to take into account the historical context, the locals, the atmosphere, the weather....it's a long list and just demonstrates how serious Mr. Alvis and Mr. Gatollari are about their work.

The style and tone of the writing is never too serious or too jokey; there's some light humor, but never rude or disrespectful.

The writing sounds like how Mr. Alvis and Mr. Gatollari may sound in real life. I've never seen Ghost Hunters but I can imagine it.

My only caveat was I wished there were more photos, especially of the locations they investigated. Of course, I'm reading an ARC and that might change in the final product.

I actually Googled each of the locations in the book as I was reading.

This was a fascinating read; I wasn't scared but I did get chills. It almost made me want to be a paranormal investigator myself....maybe not. It's a lot of work. I'd rather read about it instead.

The authors, who host the TV show, Ghost Hunters, take readers on an in depth tour of some of their most unusual cases. From Madison Seminary in Ohio to the Worley Hotel in Texas, readers will have a chance to learn the historical significance of each location and details that were not included in the television broadcasts. This is by no means a scientific investigation into the existence of the afterlife, rather a fun and spooky way to while away an afternoon