Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing me with the ARC!

This one was an interesting read and had a lot of potential with the plot and its twists. I went in expecting the usual haunted house story, but this book offered a lot more than that. I didn't enjoy the writing style or voice of David's character as it all seemed a bit rushed - at times, I felt like I was reading a bulleted list of everything the characters were doing without much description.
That being said, the concept really made up for everything I didn't quite like. Strange things start happening right from the start, and before long it's clear that something more than a regular haunting is going on. After about thirty percent of the way into the story, it got really difficult to put the book down. I wanted to know what was actually going on with David's character and the house, and I wasn't disappointed with the twists at the end.
Overall, I thought that the concept was well thought-out, but the book needed a different take on the writing style and voice of David's character.

A fun haunted house story with a twist!

I love haunted house stories and this one was so good! I wasn’t expecting the twists but they were what made this story so unique. As things got scarier I kept wondering why David just didn’t leave?! It was creepy and atmospheric. I loved it!

After surviving a near death experience David finds himself haunted by ghosts while renovating his Victorian house. They are desperate for David to protect them from the evil presence that wants David dead for something he can’t remember. Is what David experiencing real or is he going crazy?

A Man Among Ghosts is available March 7, 2023

Thank you netgalley and flameteepress for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A Man Among Ghosts by Steven Hopstaken is an enjoyable read that combines elements of horror and mystery.
Soon after buying a new house, David starts to experience some strange events. Following this, he receives some devastating news which leads the events to increase and become more vivid.
The story has some standard horror tropes but what Steven Hopstaken does with these is very interesting. The writing style is engaging, and I found myself wanting to read the next page until I had read it all in two sittings.

This book is a fantastic twist on the classic haunted house story. A guy buys a somewhat rundown property for an unbelievably low price then receives some devastating news regarding his health. A really clever story with some great characters and wry wit. Highly recommended.

Thank you to @randomthingstours for my copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Where to start! This book follows David, a young man who buys a house that is haunted, who finds out he has a brain tumour and only a short time to live, and who is tasked with killing “Fitz”.

There’s a lot going on throughout, there are ghosts on every page and there are mad times! David thinks he’s going mad, his friend Gary thinks he’s being set up by someone who wants to buy the house and his dad thinks there are demons trying to possess him. Honestly, it sounds mad but it’s really well written and, in places, a bit too much but I enjoyed it. The end wasn’t what I expected after everything that had happened, but most things were tied up.

I’m hoping there will be a sequel as I don’t think it should be left as it was.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 (3.5 rounded up for Goodreads/Amazon/NetGalley)

This is a unique haunted house story. David buys a Victorian house in San Francisco and starts having ghostly encounters. Are these real ghosts, hallucinations due to recently-diagnosed brain tumor, or is someone messing with him? I was kept on my toes trying to figure out what was going. The novel seesaws between moments of humor and horror and overall I really enjoyed it.

Firstly I have to state that I am a stickler for a haunted house story.
Luckily this book delivers that but with some extreme twists on the way. It's like Amityville crossed with Back to the Future and then with a light sprinkling of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter.
I have to say I really enjoyed this story. I have to say that I did have some issues with the writing style being a little matter of fact but the story itself did enough to negate this and made for a pleasant reading experience.
This one is worth checking out if you are a fan of haunted house stories.

What an interesting take on the haunted story. David thinks he is living in a haunted house but soon finds out it is he who is haunted. The story was very intriguing and I was wholeheartedly involved trying to discover what David was going to do with the information he learned. The ending was definitely not expected. I highly recommend this book to those who like a different type of tale.

Thank you to Netgallery and Flame Tree Press for this ARC.

This book gives me more of a creepy horror/ thriller vibe more than anything else. It’s definitely different than any haunted house book I’ve read thus far.

A Man Among Ghosts follows a man named David and the old Victorian house he has bought. David is a thirty year old man who has been depressed for awhile, he feels alone. We learn that David has a brain tumor and not long to live. He starts seeing ghosts and hearing voices almost right away, even before his diagnosis. He tries to rationalize all the weird things happening, he doesn’t believe in ghosts. David bought a camera doorbell, and even saw them on that. We aren’t quite sure if it’s the house or his brain playing tricks. He sees good ghosts, a little girl warning him not to let “him” in, and evil ghosts. David’s tumor miraculously is gone, but he keeps hearing and seeing the name Fitz Kang and all the ghosts.
I enjoyed this book and this take on the haunted house.

DNF - The premise for this book is what grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, I struggled with the flow of the writing & the approach to the story. This is very subjective. I recognize that I am in the minority & so, I am therefore stepping out of the reading race.

A Man Among Ghosts is a great book, one that is fast paced, full of wit, and the sense of paranoia that Hopstaken builds into this novel feels natural until you're left wondering what the truth actually is!

Okay first and foremost a warning about this book - DO NOT READ IT AFTER DARK!! Unless of course you are brave and stomach some of the creepy and dark language that Hopstaken wove intricately into this story. I'm serious, this book I genuinely terrifying at times.

This book centers around David, our main character, who finds his life lacking. His best friends are moving, his relationships have failed, and he might only have a few months left to live. However, upon purchasing his new Victorian home, he begins to experience the paranormal and this is where everything hits the fan.


Hear me out - I'm a major fan of Flame Tree Press. I genuinely think that the horror stories that they tell are terrifying. You might call me biased based on that. But I think that this book has a lot for readers across genres and of all ages. Check it out!

Great supernatural mystery that sets its ghosts out from early on and rapidly builds, throwing in allusions - and similarities - to Jacob’s Ladder. Genuinely rather chilling at time - I’m not sure if you can have a jump scare in a book, but it does have a good crack. Ghosts, hallucinations, both… or something else more disturbing… or all of the above?

Some of the characterisation is a little woolly, and some of the narrative is a bit he said she did… but it didn’t detract from the central plot. Really very much enjoyed the escalation of events

This book was bananas. My expectations weren't super high, just because I tend not to always vibe with stories that use the paranormal as an overarching explanation for shenanigans. This was different though, and definitely the best ghost-related horror book I've read by far.

It might be weird to start by saying this book was hysterically funny, and if you don't like gallows humor you will probably not be into it, but I was cackling the entire time. If you will find jokes about terminal illnesses, politics, religion, racism, sex, or drug use offensive, maybe steer clear. But good humor in horror brings levity and plays off of creepy so well, and this was an amazing example of that, IMO.

This book follows David, a 30-ish bachelor who buys and moves into his first house, which obviously turns out to be haunted. It's in the title. My biggest gripe with the haunted house trope is always wondering why the person doesn't just LEAVE. I won't spoil it, but David actually has a very good reason for not leaving and trying to just ignore his undead roommates. He explores every possible explanation for what he's seeing, and tries everything to get rid of them: police, ghost hunters, exorcisms, ouija boards, cameras, medication, hypnotism, etc. All create some eerie and snort-worthy situations.

I was really nervous about how this was going to wrap up--the ending is usually where paranormal books lose me a little, but this one got as close to sticking the landing as was possible, I think. It was wild, and I was glued to my kindle for the last 15% of the book, and may or may not have gasped and laughed out loud. This book was more creepy than scary, and it's only around 240 pages, so if you're curious but horror makes you nervous this might be a good option for you. It was just really fun and different, and I'll definitely read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review of "A Man Among Ghosts".

A Man Among Ghosts knows that at this stage ghosts are so commonplace within the genre that there is no point in trying to hide them.
In Steven Hopstaken's novel, we follow David, a young bachelor who is finally moving into his own home but little does he know it comes with its fair share of spooks.
The novel certainly hits the ground running with our main character attempting to take his own life and get brain cancer all within the first half of the book.
A lot of this development doesn't feel really earned as we haven't invested enough time into David and his story.
After this, it does find its feet and also draws comparisons with something like the Dead Zone in terms of its overarching plot.
Sadly David is not that interesting a central character which makes A Man Among Ghosts a bit of a slog at times.

As far as horror premises go, this one had an original (enough) one that I was somewhat pleasantly surprised. That didn't really make up for the fact that I could not abide main character David, though.

This is not your Grandma's haunted house....

Steven Hopstaken has taken the old standby of a haunted house and turned it upside down and inside out. What is real? What is a dream? What is inside of the mind?

This is beyond terrifying and original and I can not wait to see what Hopstaken has up next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book held so much promise but unfortunately for me it did not deliver. The three authors mentioned in the blurb would have been outraged. Personally I think that I am in the minority as other readers are raving about this book. A really good story with some fantastic characters but the ending left me feeling flat and so many unanswered questions. I know other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

David buys an old house in San Francisco and immediately begins having strange visions and experiences. Are these ghosts? Hallucinations due to his recent brain tumor? Or is someone messing with him to try to get him to sell the house? David is a likable character who does the best he can to get through this bizarre situation. He is surrounded by a slew of interesting characters, ranging from neighbors, friends, girlfriends, ghost hunters, his fundamentalist dad, and a Berkely professor, who propose various explanations for what is happening. Hopstaken keeps the reader guessing up until he puts all the pieces together in a surprising and rather terrifying conclusion.

So, I started out this book thinking it was a typical haunted house story. It was seriously creepy, I loved our MC, and I occasionally muttered under my breath about a few things that didn’t make sense to me. #1 was why David didn’t just nope on out of there. Because, straight up, I would have left that house long before most of the things in this book happened.

However (and a big however), it soon became clear that this wasn’t just an ordinary haunted house story! All the little things that confused me suddenly made sense and I loved, loved, loved the reasons behind everything.

While the author does give a nod to a pretty famous Stephen King novel, it’s simply a nod and this one stands on its own.

A very unique story that kept me guessing!

• ARC via Publisher

I love a good horror story, the kind that makes you want to sleep with the light on. This is that, but it is an amazingly well written ghost story.

Well written and very thought provoking this non traditional ghost story will make you think about messages from the beyond. Filled with a fantastic group of characters you wont want to put this book down until you know just how it ends.
Or does it? With a possible cliff hanger I'm certainly interested in book 2. Don't worry though it does offer an ending to the story and a teasing of more.

This isn't a before bed read. So grab it for a weekend read, keep the lights on and the coffee hot.