Review--HAUNTED RICHMOND

Review For:
Haunted Richmond, by Pamela K. Kinney
ISBN: 9780764327124, Publisher: Schiffer Publishing

Haunted Richmond, by Pamela Kinney is a tour guide through Richmond, Virginia. It relays stories, legends, myths, and historical facts that dispatch supposed haunting or ghostly lore in the area.
Pamela Kinney is a published author of fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal romance, and science fiction- under the pen name Sapphire Phelan. She resides in Chesterfield, Virginia with her husband, Bill and pet cat and dog.
I didn’t find anything that would make this book stand apart from others in its genre. That’s not to say it wasn’t interesting, it was. However, it followed the path of others of its kind. It gave supposed accounts, tales, and sightings, along with pictures.
At times the wring could be a bit understated. It tended to jump around a bit, as well. If giving the history and then moving on to the myths or stories, I feel it best to stick to that format and not go from one to the other and back again. Some of the pictures left something to be desired, such as: The Haunts of Richmond Tour, The State Capitol, and the Coulters Theatre Seat. There were a few comma errors and typos throughout the book.
The book had some very strong elements to it. The pictures of: The Vampire Crypt, Confederate Granite Pyramid, The Dooley Mansion, and the Castle Thunder Prison were outstanding. The stories: Byrd Theatre, The Terrible Fire, The Catastrophe at the State Capitol, and Hollywood Cemetery were particularly interesting and well written. At times, the humor added was a delight, like in the story of the Berkley Plantation. I think the most interesting aspects to me were the historical facts that the author credits. This made the book stronger in a way that even if you do not believe in the paranormal, the tragedies and history behind some of the locations are fascinating to read about. She also gives specific addresses and websites in case you want to visit them. If you are going to be in the Richmond, Virginia area, I’d recommend taking this book along with you.

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer