This was a great mysterious ghostly read!

This was my first time reading this author and I was impressed how I was drawn into the story so quickly. The book is not scary as it leans more toward mystery and suspense.

A little backstory for you readers:

The story centers around Rosalind who has become branch manager at the local library. When she lands the job she finds out the library is supposedly haunted, but she doesn't really believe in ghosts, so she figures that the only way she will believe in them is by seeing actual proof that they exist. The previous branch manager passed away which seemed suspicious to local authorities.

Rosalind is basically homeless at the time and ends up living in a secret room at the library with her dog, Tofu, her trusty companion. She has been told that she cannot live at the library, but she doesn't pay attention to the rules and ends up staying there anyway.

Two male characters in the book make her life miserable:

Olen, her boss, the man that hired her for the library position is a ruthless sleazeball and he will do anything to catch Rosalind "living" there plus he would to have his way with her.

Mason, the librarian custodian, seems out to get her into trouble with Olen along with not following any orders that she hands his way.

When the haunting begins, Rosalind finally realizes that ghosts do exist and she sets out to find why the library is haunted along with her employees that work there as they try to solve the mystery.

The book itself was mild for a haunting and though it wasn't "creep out horror", there was still enough mystery surrounding the story that kept me reading. I have the rest of the series of books so I will continue on with them to see where the story of Rosalind takes me. Four stars for this one. 2020-read-books horror-books kindle-owned-horror-read14 s Irene Well Worth A Read926 95

Rosalind is a young woman who has recently moved away from her friends and in with her boyfriend. With no money and homeless after a break up she and her faithful pup Tofu move into a secret room in the building where she has been made branch manager by the creepy and dirty old man who interviewed several applicants before her but could never find anyone willing to take the job. Strange occurrences and bumps in the night follow as Rosalind gets closer to untangling the mystery of what really happened to the branch manager before her.
This story was a bit more tame than what I would normally expect from a book I found in the horror section. It's more a mystery/ghost story than horror and at first I thought it was geared towards a young adult audience until some of the language, and a journal describing one character's sexual proclivities changed my mind on that notion.

I received a complimentary copy for review 7 s Bonnie Andrews26

Wish my Library was Haunted!

This book was full of so many unexpected situations, it kept me riveted to the end! The combined efforts of the characters (and the ghosts too) made an excellent blend of belief vs fact. The dog and the lead character's homelessness added a bonus to the mix. I wish my library was haunted !5 s Erin Ballance51 9

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

What book lover wouldn’t be excited to read about a haunted library? The beginning of the story slowly drew me in as I got to know a little about Rosalind as she painfully navigates the waters as a new graduate with her Masters of Science in Library and Information Science. Rosalind starts off a little timid but by the end of the story she is bold and easily holds her own. We are given little snippets of Rosalind’s childhood and upbringing which have contributed to her personality and characteristics as an adult. The author doesn’t dive deeper into this and so I was left slightly confused and needed to know more on the matter or wishing that I knew nothing of her childhood. Eloise is such an interesting character, one of my favorites in the book! I found myself craving to learn more about her and her talents and looked forward to any scene she was in. Both of the leading males in this novel are misogynistic and seem to think of women as little more than a means to a “happy ending” if you get my meaning. The blatant unsolicited sexual advances from one character easily turned him into the villain.

After the first half of the book I began to loose interest as the story took a different turn. Instead of focusing on the 100 year old “mostly original” library and what ghosts may have been around because of the age of the building, the story took an unexpectedly dark turn. The 2 main male characters become obsessively determined to catch Rosalind in the library after hours since she was told not to be there after closing. One mans determination turns into rage and hatred while the other man’s turns him into a perverted peeping-Tom who won’t take no for answer.

In the midst of all the chaos, we learn who the ghosts are and we get a glimpse into one of their personalities as Rosalind reads her journal entries. I will admit that the language used in the journal turned me off. I understand that this character is supposed to be obnoxious and cold-hearted but I just couldn’t believe that a woman would write the things she did. It wasn’t what she was trying to say (as I have read my fair share of smut), it was the way she described it (written it) in her journal. (Ex- How many women would call a penis a “python”, or say that “he could put it on a hot dog bun and it would run a few inches out on either side”).

I was disappointed that Officer Mateo didn’t have more appearances in the book and felt the connection he had with Rosalind was genuine and further exploring a potential relationship between them would have helped me connect with them on a deeper level.

The ending of the book had quite a lot happening at once: a physical fight and a supernatural fight. At times I felt the jumping between the events of both fights left it feeling a little anticlimactic. The ending was good because it tied things up while leaving the possibility open for a sequel.

Overall I gave this book 2 stars. I thought it was interesting but it fell short for me. The premise caught my attention & Rosalind and Eloise’s easy connection helped me connect with the characters; but the lack of diversity in the 2 male characters, some of the “man ” descriptions of the sexual harassment and attempted rape, and the way the storyline branches in so many ways turned me off. I wanted to love this book.
1 Travis Poole96 1 follower

This is the third book I have read by this author and he has yet to disappoint. Mr. Kilgrave is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is a ghost story mystery that takes place in a small town library. The main character, Rosalind, gets a job at a small library and her boss is a creep. One of her employees is a creep too and seems to hate her for some unknown reason. Rosalind learns the reason she got the job is because the previous employee died under questionable circumstances. The more she learns about the place the more she thinks she has made a really bad decision. Odd things keep happening at the library and people are acting strange. Rosalind has to figure out what is going on before she becomes a new victim of whatever is going on in the library. The book is relatively clean, I don't recall any profanity. There is no nudity but there is a hint of a possible romance. It is a supernatural thriller so there are a few scary parts so I would not recommend it to children. The book ends, there is no cliffhanger. This is book one in a series about spirits. I have read book five, four, and now one. They all seem to be standalone so order does not seem to be important. This is a fun and interesting story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.1 Shane Crick22

You enter the life of Rosalind and events that occur within her personal life. She ends up landing the job of Branch Manager at a local library. This library Is rumored to be haunted and harbors some Interesting characters that Rosalind has to endure at her workplace. Finding herself suddenly homeless and armed with her furry friend Tofu, Rosalind finds herself engulfed In an supernatural adventure that will forever change her life and those around her.

I really wanted to this book, but found myself dredging on and couldn't wait to finish. For me, I found It was quite slow at arriving upon any action that started to make the book more Interesting. I generally enjoy mystery, supernatural books, but this one was a tough cookie overall. I truly wished the Author added a bit more drama within the first chapters to keep It Interesting, Instead of slowly, Increasing to a dismal climax, to be drug back down the hill to reach another one. There are some good plots within the book that kept me reading and wanting to find out what the final outcome would be. However, predictable most times, I persevered on to the finish line.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and In return, this Is my personal, unbiased review of this particular book.
1 Tammy646 8

First time reading from the author. I thought the story had a good pace.
Characters were well developed. Story was very interesting to keep me wanting to read and not stop.
The story starts us off on following Rosalind around, while she got interviewed. She gets home, and Liam her so called boyfriend kicks her out after only living with each other for a week. Strange things start happening around the library. I am don’t stay, run, get out of dodge. No way, no how, am I staying in there. What an ending to the story. I got chills and tears. Wow! Very good indeed.

Thank you for sharing your book with us.
Got from Hidden Gems for an honest review.giveaway-arc-asked-to-read1 Chelsea Skinner174 6

2.5/5 stars

For a series titled Sinister Spirits the spirits are not very sinister.

It starts out with the protagonist, Rosalind, interviewing for the Branch Manager position with the perviest of librarians named Olen. If that isn't bad enough, Rosalind then runs into the maintenance man, Mason, who hates Rosalind there is no tomorrow, seemingly because Rosalind is a woman (who is also living in the library).

Rosalind has what seems would be an interesting backstory, yet we only get snippets that don't really explain why she's in the position she is in where she and Tofu, her dog, are living out of her car, and then in a secret room in the library.

A secret room you say? That must be the lair of the bad spirit haunting the library! Wrong. We are given absolutely no explanation of why there is a fully developed living room and bathroom hidden through a secret door in the storage room of the library. At literally no point in the story are any of the spirits attached to that room, nor does anyone actually question the room being there. In fact, other than Rosalind using it as a living quarter, the only use the room has is to trap Olen in the door so he can't rape Rosalind while Mason also tries to kill her. Yeah, I didn't really follow all of that either.

So please, unless you're so bored and have literally nothing else on your e-reader, please, please, please don't read this book. Unfortunately, I am going to read #2 in the series, The Possessed, and I have not-so-high-hopes for that book either. angela69 2

Dialogue was read a stereotypical cheesy tv sitcom

The dialogue come off as being very cheesy and unbelievable. Reactions of characters seem very unrealistic. Characters were also such stereotypes: pervy boss, dark and brooding young man, empathetic young woman, grumpy old man with heart of gold. The constant dialogue between the character and the dog seemed more a Lassie episode.
There was too much dialogue and not enough atmosphere.
Additional Notes: If someone tells you that they are a psychic and that they can read your aura, the majority of people are going to be skeptical of that rather than just immediately believing it. The exception to that rule would someone who already believes in those kind of things, which is not the case with the main character.
You’re also not going to believe someone immediately when they say that an angry ghost has attached them self to a living person. You’re going to think they’re a little bit nutty. Normalcy Bias is a real thing, folks.
Also the dialogue between the main character and the police office......give me a break! That was the point where I had to stop reading. She wasn’t good at flirting but for the first time in her life, with this particular man, it came easy. Romance novel cheesy.
The premise was neat but the execution was extremely sloppy.

Brandon116 1 follower

I had heard about this Author (and his/her other pen name Sydney Bristow) for a while now. I had read one by Sydney Bristow (or Kirk Kilgrave before becoming Kirk Kilgrave) in the past called "Nightwish" and should have taken that book as the warning shot before reading this one. However, after hearing rumors that this author had written a book with a setting that pretty much described my local library, I felt I needed to read this one despite how much I did not enjoy Nightwish, I had to power through this one regardless.

Not only was the setting modeled completely off the library in my neighborhood down to a T as it operated pre-covid, but there was also the same cranky janitor (who has since retired), the same old people running the friends of the library, and the same old town setup I knew (with a "strip mall in front", "a restaurant *McDonalds* across the street", and "houses that border the staff entrance").

The book was marketed as a "Thriller/Paranormal Fiction", but feels more a mystery (science) soap opera throughout sprinkled with a ghostly bump in the night here and there. It takes place in a haunted library, after the events of the previous Branch Manager (Claire)'s mysterious death. Rosalind the main character, lands a job as the new branch manager, after being majorly sexually harassed by the head library director not even 6 paragraphs in to the book. After landing the job, Rosalind is now broke and homeless (after being kicked out of her living arrangement with her boyfriend of 3 months *yeah I thought it too*). Rosalind has to find a place to stay, however with her horrible credit score and no money, the only place she has to live in is in the library itself. She soon discovers the history of the past manager Claire and starts to unravel what had happened to her in her grisly past. Soon ghostly visitors and creepy coworkers start to unwind the mystery for her. With the help of her trusty sidekick and live in companion Tofu (described he's a FIERCE Rottweiler/Doberman despite being a tiny Shih Tzu), will Rosalind solve the mystery and bring the library back to its peaceful state?

As I mentioned about the first chapter, sexual exploitation of women becomes a VERY common theme throughout the book, as there is a lot of sexual harassment type situations, stories about the "ghost" character (when she was alive) being sexually provocative, and notebook entries written by "women" that no woman on the face of this Earth would ever write to describe very specific situations. It's easy to tell this is a woman describing her experiences, as written by a man. I mean there are pages that sound those cheap harlequin romance novels, talking about male anatomy in ways it should never be described and sexual situations no woman would describe in this fashion. That being said, I also had to wonder why there was the fascination with "piss", "boners" and crotches in general throughout this book. I mean he kept talking about male members being stiff or hard, grabbing (or wanting to grab) or staring at crotches, and I think even one part had something about how the dog's "piss ran down his shirt to his crotch". It was just odd and very off putting. Paired with all the sexual rape vibes given off throughout, it was enough to turn me off, but I knew I had to power through.

Despite feeling an adult version Scooby Doo soap opera throughout the entire book, with the main character talking to her dog she was Dora the explorer, I definitely got comedic entertainment from it (why I gave it a second star). The comedic value probably won't translate to others reading it it did for me because I said, the setting and some of the characters in this book were easily modeled off my local library, so the comedy is more inside knowledge and jokes to me. I mean the custodian in this book had the same attitude in real life as the one that worked in my local library at the time of this books release, (however I doubt the real janitor did half the things he does later on in the book, because he would have been fired aeons ago if he had), but just his mannerisms and attitude were SPOT ON! The friends of the library at my library are also ancient (many people in their 70's, 80's or older), and the leader can be kind of arrogant at times, so his description was very similar as well. I also loved the descriptions of the locations in the library, because I could easily put myself in the exact spots he wrote about (down to the furniture), and picture the scene unfolding. However the "secret room" does not exist, sorry to ruin the element of surprise there. I started wondering if the author has served as a "Branch Manager" themselves or knew one as reference as is the position of Ms. Rosalind, because a lot of the knowledge of Ms. Rosalind seems very uncanny to that position, they knew that position well. I wonder if they were the real life director at the time of this release, because I believe the manager now is a woman.

The secret room itself in the book, felt very lazy and super convenient to the plot. I mean the author describes how the main character is broke and needs to a place to stay, and has to settle on living in the library. The secret room comes in to play only because there is no where in the library that has a PLACE TO SLEEP or a working SHOWER. Amazing that conveniently this "secret room" has both of those amenities, so that poor Rosalind doesn't have to take a sink bath or sleep on the tables.

Descriptions constantly fall short, describing how things work, when in retrospect they would/could never happen the way they do in the book. Incontinuities to various situations appear in every other chapter such as the main plot point. The book appears as though it was never edited (much Nightwish). Many run-on sentences, often going nowhere nor adding anything to the situations are common. Again lots of sexual exploitation, and graphic non-needed imagery throughout, cheesy high school aged romance flirting and joking throughout, and just very gross descriptions.

This book would have gotten one star, but since it made me giggle here and there because of the absurdity of it, it gets another. Vanessa207 13

Title: The Presence (Sinister Spirits, #1)
Author: Kirk Kilgrave
Format: ebook

Description: During a job interview for a branch manager position, Rosalind Lanners learns that some think the library is haunted. But with a horrible credit score, a mountain of school debt, and less than three figures in her bank account, Rosalind takes the job and hides out there at night until she can find an affordable apartment.

When cold spots precede unsettling, seemingly impossible events, Rosalind begins to wonder if the stories are true. These strange occurrences soon take on a more sinister edge, but circumstances outside her control force her to stay in the one place she'd to escape at all costs.

As she discovers clues about what might be lurking inside the library, Rosalind realizes that those who work in the library...may be just as evil as what lives inside it.

Thoughts: The Presence was a pretty decent book and was an okay start to a series. Rosalind was a able enough character but Olen and Mason definitely had what was coming to them. The book was a quick read but it did seem it lagged a bit in some places, especially for this to be a supernatural thriller. It wasn't scary enough but it did have its creepy moments. But overall, while I didn't love it, I didn't hate it so I'll read the rest of the series to see how I feel about the author (because I haven't read anything from him before.)

Ratings: 3 out of 5 Starsadult adult-fiction ebook ...more John1,062 11

And we thought we had bad days at work. OMG. Nothing can compare to the days at work author Kirk Kilgrave puts his characters through in his book about a haunted library and the people who work there. I d how the suspense and mystery was kept at a high level, while at the same time there was just enough light comedic moments to keep the book from being tooooo far on the dark side. All the questions the reader had (How many ghosts? Are they good or bad? Are they even ghosts? How did the last librarian die?) will all be answered by the time you turn to the last page in this exciting read. This is a somewhat late voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.paranormal Roseann449 6

I received an e-copy of this book as an advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
Rosalind was very surprised when she secured a Manager position at a library having just graduated with her MLIS. Very quickly she realizes that there is much more to just the regular patrons in this branch.

While I enjoyed the book, I found a couple of the male characters pretty hard to take as the misogyny was very harsh. Otherwise, I enjoyed the female lead and Eloise, her psychic co-worker, who is open to the "others" who inhabit the library. A very quick read, with an abrupt ending which leaves the potential for a sequel.
Margaret89 2

Not scary enough!

This ebook could have been good if not for it seeming more a session with a therapist! Whilst the characters were strong, I kept waiting for something exciting to happen between them.
There was little 'haunting' and, try as I might, I could not get a picture of the library. Another confusing part was the struggle at the end who was fighting who , how moves were made, etc. It seemed that the fight would never end. It was a good story idea but more could have been made of the ghost/s and the isolation of a library at night. Karel 201 3

Wow what a Thriller!!

This book was fast paced and full of ghosts and two really evil quirky men! What a ride! Rosalind just graduated with her Master's in Library Science and is eager to achieve her first job! She's not so sure about her boss, Olen, who seems to be a leech, UGH!! Then there's the creepy custodian, Mason. She is hired as the head assistant at the branch but is warned it is haunted!! What a mess and a hassle to unravel the truth along with her intrepid sidekick, Tofu, her dog. Follow the adventures and see if they solve the mystery!! Pat Eroh2,612 29

This book has all of my favorite ideas and creatures. I love this. It can be spooky and creepy but it also has a lighter fun side to it that makes it irresistible. It is short enough that I read it in one sitting and long enough that the story felt complete, even if I do want more from this author! I am looking forward to book 2 of course!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Tanya14k 74

She is in desperate needs so when she learns the library may be haunted, it sends the shivers up her back. She has to take the job and she even has to stay there at night as she has no place to live. Strange things start to happen but she cannot leave. Can she find out what is going on? How will she cope? See how she gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Lois56 18

Spooky with a bit of humor

The Presence is written well enough that I was physically tensed while reading...that's talent! It isn't a super dark thriller, so I didn't have to take a break to avoid therapy from thriller induced anxiety and depression. The characters are real and relatable, and dialogue is smooth. I don't recall any typographical or grammatical errors. I recommend this book to lovers of supernatural and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Diana McDowell7

Storyline takes place in a library supposedly haunted by the residue of a love triangle gone tragically bad. Cast of characters are all linked into the mystery one way another, until vengeance prevails, and the truth behind the haunting unfolds. Good ghost story, good plot...but not as spine-chilling as I had anticipated. Sarah Coleman167 2

Reading this story I felt it was more ghost story than horror. I enjoyed it for sure. I love a good ghost story, but I was never really scared as each page turned or on the edge of my seat wondering what was next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Jen LowryAuthor 37 books57

5 star ghost story book! A haunted library? A new librarian and her dog, Tofu, find themselves in a mess of supernatural catastrophe! Is it a ghost? Is it a mean-spirited person lurking through the library and causing havoc? I loved Rosalind and Eloise! A fast-paced, quick read for those who a little scare and a twist! Marilyn50 3

An engaging story of ghosts in the library.

mjholt@holtcapital.com a quick paste enjoyable book about a new librarian who is faced with angry ghosts and angrier men. The good engaging story. The author could do a little work on his description of women's impressions of men, but all in all it's a good read that I enjoyed. Kimberly13

Cute

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I found this book to be interesting and fun to read. It is not your typical horror book. I will follow him and read more of his work. Margaret Staggs40 1 follower

The Presence

A well written story. Full of twists and turns. Rosalind is a very strong character. She at first lacks self esteem but as the book goes on she gains her power. The supernatural parts are good and keeps a person guessing. I enjoyed it. janet turner1 review1 follower

Totally Engrossing

Once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down! I enjoyed watching the main character become more confident with herself. I will be recommending this book to my friends! gail47

The presence could be more than 1

I d the flow of this book. I d Tofu, Eloise and Rosalind of course. This book is nice and interesting, not scary. I would read more books from 5his author. Julie Johnson19

Julie Johnson

It was a tremendous book!!! I loved the library scene with ghosts and even bad guys that worked at the library!! I would recommend this book to everyone who s the paranormal!! Great job!! Betsy Byrd206 9

Loved it!!

Omg!! I absolutely loved this book! I can't wait to start the next! This is a different series than the last one I read and I love how it has the same main characters!! I hope they all are this!! Love this author!! Karen Sebeika204

this was a creepy ghost story with a bit of mystery thrown in took a bit to get into it but was well worth it Jacqueline Ellison2,447 6

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