Nick Beron isn't initially happy when his girlfriend suggests they need a change. Hannah Rempe is captivated by a potential job offer in Hibernia, NY, offering her a chance to oversee the Edmund Wright Historical House. Nick has become complacent with their current lifestyle, but he soon recognizes that they've both fallen into a rut as even his own musical dreams have stagnated. Nick hopes that the job at the museum will reignite their passions, both for their careers as well as each other. But will a haunting presence overwhelm them instead?

Atmosphere is crucial to the success of THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS and Ben Dolnick does a marvelous job at making it work! Told through the eyes of Nick, we see the hopefulness as they make the change and move to Hibernia. We also see the slow but gradual decline in Hannah as she begins hearing voices and starts acting oddly. The action isn't quick paced by any means. Instead, the story meanders slowly but purposefully towards a very startling conclusion.

I love how Ben Dolnick intersperses the notion of ghosts amongst the all too realistic scenario of mental illness. Is Hannah's decline a result of something supernatural? Or has she simply stopped taking her medication? Nick's unreliability as a narrator makes the story all the more fascinating as we try to unravel exactly what is happening to this seemingly normal couple.

THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS is the kind of book you savor slowly, as the tension builds gradually with each page turned. I wasn't sure what to expect from THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS when I started, but I'm more than pleasantly surprised by this cerebral take on the horror genre. THE GHOST NOTEBOOKS won't appeal to all readers, but its unique approach to ghosts makes it distinctive and well worth the read. I only wish that Edmund Wright was a real person so I could read more about his fascinating research. And yes, I'll definitely be reading more by Ben Dolnick in the future!