Review: Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman #murdermonstersmayhem

Erin's on-again, off-again boyfriend from college, Silas, has always lived life dangerously.  Erin has tried to set boundaries with Silas; he always calls on her to get him out of his latest stunt.    She's ready to embark on a new life, with new friends, and a great guy who won't use her like Silas does.  She's ready to cut Silas out of her life.  After agreeing to help him escape from his latest rehab stint, a intervention is in order.  Unfortunately, Silas flees before they can even get started.

Her frustration with Silas spirals into grief when she learns Silas has died from an overdose.  Sure, he was always looking for the next big high, but she can't fathom Silas losing control enough to overdose.  His last message to her begs her to find him...but where?

More questions than answers come to light when Erin learns Silas discovered a drug, Ghost, that allowed him to see the dead  Grieving and guilt-ridden, she reluctantly agrees to take part in this drug-induced séance.  The experience changes her more than she could have imagined; she starts to see ghosts everywhere. Living in the historical hotspot of Richmond, VA, it's impossible to escape them.  Is this a temporary side-effect of the drug, or is something more terrifying responsible?

If you’ve read Chapman’s previous two books, The Remaking or A Whisper Down the Lane,  you know he can weave a completely terrifying horror novel.  This one may be the darkest, not just due to the horror aspect, but the added weight of addiction and grief.

It doesn’t take long to discover that Silas’ addiction isn’t the only one we’re dealing with in this book.  Erin’s addiction to Silas is just as strong, with very similar symptoms.  She vows she’s going to stop, to put an end to their relationship but caves the moment Silas calls or texts her.  Her friends are aware of it, they point it out to her. Even after he’s died, she continues to follow his demands.  She takes a drug she knows nothing about, just for one last chance to see him again.   If we take it at face value, yes, Erin’s character seems extremely weak.  Viewing her as an addict, however, garners a bit more sympathy.

Chapman gives readers a more visceral, more graphic view of the afterlife as well.  If you believe, you understand the concept of us being constantly surrounded by the dead, particularly in a city like Richmond.  The manner in which Chapman executes this, however, is completely terrifying!

When I started reading this book, I posed the question on my social media accounts: Would you take a drug if it meant you could see the dead?  Before reading this book, I would have contemplated it.  After? No way!

I didn’t intend to share my review of this title until near the end of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem.  Once I finished, it bumped up to the top of my list.  Highly, highly recommended.

Trigger Warning: Drug addiction.