Per Matt
The Nashville Haunted Handbook is basically a must-have guidebook for any paranormal investigator within the Nashville area. It gives 100 spooky locations, included with a picture, directions to get get there, the location history, a ghost story and visiting guidelines (often with business hours, if available, and locations for viewings). All of this is listed within two pages per each site.
Some locations seem to have little, if any activity, while being closed to the general public. Others are featured historic buildings with current, operating businesses held within, and have frequent activity. It’s hit or miss if you’ll actually get any evidence, but by visiting locations of the Nashville Haunted Handbook, you too, can have a creepy ghost story for bragging rights to all your friends and family members.
Some locations have vague histories, while others have no backstory at all, and truly remain a mystery. Ultimately, the best haunted locations are centered around the local battles of The Civil War, while others pre-date the conflict, back to the early 1800s. A few more are recent, focusing on grisly murders that occurred within the last 15 years. The book is an easy read. I truly enjoyed reading about all locations tied to The Civil War, whether they’re tied to battlefields, makeshift hospitals, morgues or anything else. It’s too bad these stories couldn’t have been extended past the mandatory two-page limit. Other locations have little, if any, backstory, and could’ve been limited to only one page.
Growing up in Middle Tennessee, I’ve been to more than a few of these locations, already. However, the ultimate, spooky location to visit on my Bucket List has got to be The Bell Witch Cave, which is listed in detail. I’ve read tons of books about it and its backstory, yet never visited, for some reason. That shall change very soon!
All of this is included within the book, not to mention a checklist in the back, for ghost hunters to highlight the haunted locations they’ve already visited!
Authors Jeff Morris, Donna Marsh and Garett Merk have researched tons of locations in order to publish this book. And this is just one of the many books in America’s Haunted Road Trip series. Other books include: Cincinnati Haunted Handbook, Haunted Hoosier Trails, Spooked in Seattle, Ghosthunting Florida, Ghosthunting Texas and more.
Strength: Great stories and a quick read!
Weakness: Stories of The Civil War need more that two pages each!
WTF Moment: Ghost hunting at a fast-food restaurant where multiple, grisly murders happened is more than a little creepy.
Review: 4/5