True Ghost Stories and Hauntings is a collection of short stories by Barb Shadow about paranormal phenomena. Witnesses to these phenomena tell their stories, and the author, who is a paranormal investigator and researcher, adds her commentary on some of them. The witnesses are senior and young, men and women, who encountered unexplained events while living or traveling in different places in the USA. The unexplained encounters include benevolent and malevolent ghosts and apparitions, doppelgangers mimicking the witnesses’ voices, UFOs, poltergeists, and disembodied voices or body parts. Some witnessed ghosts of their deceased relatives or pets. Others encountered ghosts of humans they had never met before. Some witnesses found these presences comforting, and others felt petrified. So what exactly happened in these stories?

True Ghost Stories and Hauntings is the fourth volume in Barb Shadow’s remarkable anthology that records paranormal manifestations. It felt like a perfect standalone read. I liked the succinct narratives and often marveled at how a story made up of just one paragraph could send shivers down my spine! The author’s commentary, reflecting on similarities between the occurrences, enhanced my reading experience. The variety of unexplained manifestations, such as ghosts of old-time nurses caring for patients at hospitals, flickering lights, ghostly children playing with real children, ghosts advising the right path and honesty, or simply proving their existence, made me look for similarities with what I have personally experienced. I liked all the stories, but really enjoyed A Trip Back in Time, about a town that once looked different to the visitor than it really was. If you like stories about ghosts and unexplained, supernatural, occult events, you will enjoy this book.

True Ghost Stories and Hauntings, Volume 4 by Barb Shadow is a scary journey into the unexplained. These stories are first-hand accounts of what ordinary people experienced during paranormal encounters. There are strange noises, objects moving, and ghostly appearances. These stories defy rational explanation, creating an atmosphere of growing unease. The book starts with a thirteen-year-old proving to his friends that he is brave. In the cemetery, the thirteen-year-old encounters a grandmotherly figure, but his friends only see something tall and terrifying standing next to him, growling at them. This is only the first story of the collection; there are many more. Some stories are fascinating, while others are genuinely disturbing. This is not a collection of conventional horror fiction. Every experience is personal and separate.

True Ghost Stories and Hauntings, Volume 4 by Barb Shadow is not fiction. The stories are divided into chapters and flow seamlessly into each other. I was hooked from the first page and could not turn the pages fast enough. I was biting my nails throughout the read and had a hard time putting the book down. The pacing changes throughout the narrative, and every experience develops in its own way. The writing is engaging, and it is easy to follow every story. The book was expertly written and held my attention throughout. After reading, I pondered what I had read and thought about what else exists out in the world. After everything that happened in the book, I was left looking twice at the shadows around me at night.