A fast-paced paranormal mystery from Kat Martin. The book has all the hallmarks of a Kat Martin book: protective alpha males, strong intelligent females, and a few life-or-death experiences. This time we’re adding in paranormal ghost hunters. It’s an exciting, quick, but sad read. The historical tragedy actually happened, and it’s heartbreaking.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book. From spooky old England with bad weather and all, to the HEA at the end. I especially enjoyed how each character is portrayed. This team of paranormal investigators treats the mission seriously. From the videographer to security, each team members personalities and skills drive the plot forward. I think you will really enjoy this book as much as I did

An inherited family house in England seems like the perfect solution to start her life anew…..but someone, or something, disagrees.

Having ended her failing marriage, psychologist Eve St. Clair decided to move to England and make a new life in the family home she inherited from her recently deceased uncle. Although she hasn’t spent much time there of late, she spent many summers and holidays there growing up and had happy memories of those visits. But once she moved in, she felt very uneasy. Noises that sounded like two men whispering, others like small feet running upstairs,,,,Eve is a rational woman who believes in science, not ghosts, after all. But her unease is creeping into fear, she’s not sleeping well, and does what anyone would do….she does some Google searching. She finds a group of paranormal investigators who offer to help people in a situation like the one she finds herself in, in a strange place with no one else to whom she can turn. The group was founded by Seattle billionaire Ransom King, who lost his wife and daughter in a tragic car accident for which he blames himself, in his search for answers to what happened next to his lost family. When Ran gets Eve’s email requesting help, he feels compelled to help her. He and his team fly to England, and head to Sunderland where Eve lives. They quickly determine that Eve is not imagining things; there is definitely a presence in the house, and it isn’t a harmless, happy one. Ran’ s team and Eve work together to find out just who is haunting her house, why they are there, and how best to move them along to the afterlife. The spirit has no intending of leaving however, and the more research the group does the more frightening the entity turns out to be. Ran and Eve are battling an attraction to one another that is not what either wants, and Ran is determined to keep Eve safe. But even calling in his friend Luke, a former priest who is adept at exorcisms, may not be enough to keep everyone safe from a spirit who wants them gone.
Romance, a billionaire, a mystery that has roots in the area’s Victorian past, and an evil presence are just a few of the elements to be found in The Ghost Illusion. Ms Martin has created an interesting group of characters in the paranormal outfit, as well as a billionaire struggling to overcome the tragedy that ripped his life apart and a smart, determined, empathetic woman who starting a new life. The more Eve thinks back to her childhood experiences, the more she suspects that the spirits were here all along….her imaginary playmate Wally may have been more than the run-of-the-mill “friend” to a lonely child. Throw in some sex traffickers and the Victoria Hall Disaster of 1883, a real event where close to 200 children were crushed to death at a holiday magic show in a rush for free toys, and you have an action-packed thriller with elements of the supernatural. Will good conquer evil? Will love heal all wounds? And will everyone involved survive an encounter with a spirit that can only be described as demonic? Pick up a copy of The Ghost Illusion and find out….you won’t regret it. Fans of Kat Martin will find this a little different than some of her past series, but enjoyable nonetheless. Fans of the Arcane Society books of Jayne Ann Krentx and her alter ego Amanda Quick will also find this right up their alley. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy of The Ghost Illusion….I hope there will be future outings of Paranormal Investigations, Inc.

The Ghost Illusion by K. Martin, published by Kensington Books, is a full-length, stand-alone, mystery thriller. A giving the reader goosebumps story full of unexpected twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat, made me read the whole book, cover to cover in one sitting. Literally unputdownable.

If you are a fan of Heather Graham's Krew Hunters or Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, you are going to love this book. Kat Martin is a master in creating engaging characters and intriguing stories, but this is completely different from her usual alpha male protecters.

Dr. Eve St. Clair moved from Boston to Sunderland, England after her divorce, to a house she inherited from her uncle, whom she used to visit. While she recalls having an imaginary friend, she did not remember it being haunted. But after two months of hearing whispers, moans, and the sound of running feet, she needs help, so turns to Paranormal Investigations. While already wealthy and successful, Ransom King founded Paranormal Investigations, Inc after losing his wife and three year old daughter in an auto accident. He still blames himself for it and is not willing to allow himself to come close to anyone again. He and his team come to England and find more than they bargained for, with a force of evil that requires a priest to exorcize it.. Ransom finds he can open his heart to Eve and Eve learns that she has a sensitivity to the spirit world. Zane could have come from any of the Brody books. A gripping and haunting, hard to put down read with appealing characters.

I read an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary read.

When Eve St. Clair inherited her uncle’s old Victorian house in England, she decides to make a new start in life and move to the small England village and live in the house. She has fond memories of visiting her uncle there, including a playmate that only Eve could see. But after she moves in, she is frightened by spirits. That is when she contacts a group of paranormal investigators who agree to come to her house.

I liked the team; everyone was so different but they all meshed. Ransom King, the wealthy financing the team, accompanies the them to help set up and doesn’t plan on staying, until he meets Eve and visits the dangerous house.

At times this story was unsettling, the battle between good and evil was intense. The story was based on a true event that happened in the 19th century, which made it even more evil.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this eARC; this is my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When you can’t explain what’s going on and you can’t determine what’s real or imagined, who can you turn to for help? This is the situation Eve St. Clair finds herself in. After uprooting her life in the states she finds herself in Sunderland and in a house that might just want to kill her. Here is where she researches online and finds a group led by Ransom King that offers to investigate. You will find yourself immersed in a page turning thriller of a ghost story. I hope this turns into a series.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." eARC provided NetGalley and Kensington Books

Just like watching a episode of my favorite ghost show with a romance on the side. Lots going on in this storyline that keeps you on edge from start to finish.

Ransom King organized a Paranormal Team after the death of his wife and daughter. When “Dr. Eve St. Clair contacts him for help he feels drawn to help her.

There was something about Eve St. Clair that drew him, an inner light that seemed to shine through the darkness around her.

Eve moved to England two months ago when her Uncle passed away. Strange things have been happening and she’s at her whit's end.

Ransom King was a man who made no effort to hide his intentions, not when there was something he wanted.

This is an intense ghost story. So incredibly sad it makes you want to cry. If your a fan of ghost shows like I am grab this book now.

This is such a fantastic book and I couldn’t put it down. I live Kat Martin books and this is her best. I will be re reading it. Eve hires Ransom (Ran) and his team when she thinks the house she inherited from her uncle could be haunted. I loved the instant heat between them. He fights his attraction and can’t seem to commit due to issues of feeling guilty his wife and child died years ago. I loved the suspense level, could it be ghosts, evil spirits, or a demon? So much paranormal happenings and the author did a great job describing, that I felt I was experiencing everything. Loved going through so many emotions and even had happy tears in their happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I highly recommend this book. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

In a twisty, page-turning thriller with a touch of horror, New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin draws from the real history of a Victorian disaster – as an American psychologist tests the line between life and death, reality and perception, after inheriting an old house in Suderland, England.

Eve St. Clair asks for help from Seattle billionaire Ransom King, who has put together a team to investigate paranormal events. The home she inherited from her uncle is full of ghostly voices and strange happenings. Although both Eve and Ransom are born skeptics, neither can deny what's happening right in front of them.

King is determined, with the help of his researchers, to get to the bottom of this mystery, and to protect the woman he is coming to love. Kat Martin does a great job of weaving this story around the actual history of this English port town. Recommended. #THeGhostIllusion #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

Based on the summary, I thought I'd really enjoy this. However, it fell a bit flat for me. The dialogue was stilted. I never really connected with any of the characters, who weren't as developed as I expected. The romance angle seemed forced and unnecessary. The writing was overly descriptive, which was a bit too much at times.

This is a good love story wrapped up in a pretty decent ghost story. Ran and Eve are just what each other needs and that is good because there are some pretty evil ghosts out to get Eve as she tries to help her childhood friend Wally. Though not all the danger is supernatural and when you add in gangs and other evil men, it made for a pretty exciting and fast read.

This was an enjoyable book and I had a lot of fun reading it as I am always up for a good spooky read with a dash of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Wow, this book just blew me away, I was totally engrossed from page one!! Kat Martin outdid herself this time!! It’s part psychological thriller, paranormal ghost story & romance with such detailed writing you will actually get the chills in some parts. Eve St. Clair inherited a house in Sunderland, England that is haunted so she calls Ransom King & his team of paranormal investigators to come check it out. Ransom doesn’t usually stick around for the entire investigation letting his team handle it but he stays for Eve & the story goes from there. Their romance develops during the investigation despite them not looking for any type of relationship. She’s recovering from a divorce & he’s still recovering from the death of his wife & daughter. It’s a crazy, creepy, scary, emotional & entertaining adventure with such wonderful secondary characters as well that I can’t wait to read about in future books!! I can’t say enough, you just need to read it, incredible writing by the author!! I received an arc from Netgalley & the publisher for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. Release 26th September 2023.

Featuring Ransom King, a self-made billionaire and Paranormal Investigator, and Eve St Clair, a psychologist living in a haunted English mansion.

This book features ghosts and the paranormal. What I wasn’t expecting was a bit of Romance thrown in. The history behind this storyline also gripped me.

The characters were developed well and I was thrown into a page turner that I I couldn’t put down. I always feel a bit wary when reading anything that has harm to kids thrown in the mix but this was done really well.

I enjoyed all of the little sub-stories bubbling away in the background - could lead to a potential series ahead around the paranormal investigations team maybe??

Overall, a really good read that I recommend.

The Ghost Illusion
Kat Martin
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
Kensington
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This story mixes romance, mystery and ghosts with an interesting plot.
The romance part left me a bit indifferent. It was just an ok book for me.
3 stars

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Eve is now living in England after her uncle has passed away. She starts hearing voices and noises. She meets Ransom who she likes. Digging into the rich history of the area, they learn more about the townspeople. I enjoyed this book.

This paranormal psychological thriller was absolutely spellbinding! I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved this book! 6 stars if I could.
I just reviewed The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin. #TheGhostIllusion #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This one was an edge of your seat, can’t wait to see what happens next Read.. I loved every minute of it.
Eve calls on Ran and his group of paranormal experts for help. She has no clue what is going on in her house but it doesn’t feel natural. Once Ran and his team arrive, things go from bad to worse.
Eve and Ran work so well together. Both very likeable characters.
This was a keep your lights on read that I devoured.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the chance to read and review this one.

This is a kind of "ghostbusters," paranormal romp through an old castle and old residence in England, complete with a priest that does exorcisms and researchers and psychics with different "gifts." i was interested but also not really a fan of the storyline although it had some interestingt aspects.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

A story that mixes mystery, romance and ghosts and Kat Martin's writing style.
The plot is interesting, particularly the part based on real events that I had not heard of. The story certainly holds the attention however the romance part left me a bit indifferent. The main characters Ran and Eve, have not reached me and I found myself more interested in the secondary characters of which I'm sure we will have the opportunity to know more in the next books.
Recommended especially for fans of Kat Martin.