Charleston. Ghost territory and home to the Gullah. In a city rife with supernatural phenomena and home to Miriam van Scott, she should not be surprised when a haint threatens her daughter’s life – an evil spirit that hitched a ride from the Bandun Gate, a place they were warned not to visit. When Miriam realizes that something is pretending to be her lovely 20-year-old daughter, she is reminded of words spoken to her before Abby’s birth. Miriam was writing a book about Hell at the time and was doing research into devils and spirits when she was warned to be wary of what she was getting involved with. As she fights a battle of wits with the spirit, she uncovers the dead woman’s past and her previous victims. Miriam also discovers a way of putting her back where she belongs – in Hell. To do this, she has to revisit some of her research that still gives her nightmares. It is true that once you have made yourself open to evil, it is much easier for it to find and use you. Faced with this raw evil in her home, Miriam has to stay sober and alert and find a way to appease the spirit. Will she succeed in saving her daughter? What toll will this take on her mental and spiritual health? Bandun Gate by Miriam van Scott is an intense work of fiction created by combining fact and fiction to write a dark horror novel.

Bandun Gate by Miriam van Scott is written in the first person, which gives the feeling of being there and seeing what is happening from the narrator’s point of view. Ms. Van Scott has a treasure trove full of information and knowledge that she has gained in her years as a journalist. Bandun Gate reminds me of The Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz, and the tension is built in such small increments that you do not realize you are tense until something scary happens. This is an excellent example of the horror genre and is also believable due to the intensive research and setting of the book in Charleston. This area is well known for its supernatural element. I was scared and glad the book was not longer. It is an engaging read from start to finish, really scary.