Skeleton Creek – Book 2 – Ghost In The Machine

Posted by Samuel Walters

ghost-in-the-machine

Patrick Carman’s innovative Skeleton Creek series concludes with its second book, titled Ghost In The Machine — a story which picks up from the suspenseful cliffhanger from the first book. Readers will find that the experience of the second book is very familiar to its predecessor. And, likewise, the story is just as successful – making good use of the established mystery elements. It’s possible that some readers may find the solution a bit too simple or straightforward, but I’m not afraid to admit, the ending was a surprise to me.

Just like the first book, Ghost In The Machine relies on web videos to augment the text found in “Ryan’s Journal.” Ryan’s best friend, Sarah Fincher, continues to sleuth her way in and out of various places in Skeleton Creek, and chronicling her exploits online for Ryan (and us) to see. As with the first book, the marriage between the text and video elements is very well done, providing for a unique and compelling experience. The book isn’t bogged down by overly descriptive passages just to get a few spooks out of the audience and, just as importantly, the sights and sounds provide a more visceral reaction to the events.

The story itself is wrapped in a secret society, secret messages, bizarre and ominous apparitions, and the bond of friendship. Perhaps the most enjoyable element to the story is how Sarah and Ryan relate to one another – despite the objections of their parents and the danger they sense around them. These character elements – such as the detail of the blue rock – ground the story and allow it to transcend just a spooky story. This is important because, if there is a criticism to the book, it’s in the “Scooby-Doo” like ending when the villain is literally thwarted by meddling kids.

Truth be told, a good mystery story is one that evokes suspense and eerie moods over the entire course of the story, while the solutions do not have to be especially profound (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes made a living out of showing how often bizarre mysteries had very simple answers). But readers who are expecting an open-ended resolution will have to be content with the fact that the villain gets away, while our heroes celebrate a golden discovery.

Overall Grade: B+

Ghost In The Machine is a fun, thrilling conclusion to Patrick Carman’s Skeleton Creek. From start to finish, it’s a story which does a very good job of both mixing text and video, and creating a sincerely suspenseful mood. I really enjoyed the “mythos” Carman created around the old dredge machine. Put simply, this was a good ghost story.

I hope the success Mr. Carman has experienced with these two Skeleton Creek books will encourage him to continue to find ways to use online media to augment his stories. If his company, PC Studios, is any indication – the future certainly looks bright!

Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Topics: Book Reviews, Mystery
Filed under: Skeleton Creek