Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite
A young man discovers a chilling secret hidden within the grounds of the seminary he attends in the eerie paranormal short story, A Ghost for the Holy by Robert E. Kearns. Since he was eleven, Fergal Kane knew he wanted to serve humanity as a priest. While his school friends pursue careers in business, Fergal travels from his home in Dublin to attend a seminary located in the county of Wexford. During the drive from the station to the Cloisters, the taxi driver regales Fergal with the seminary's fascinating history. When the cabby reveals the monastery once housed a brothel that serviced the troops garrisoned on the property, Fergal is intrigued. At his first chance, Fergal explores the building that once housed the girls of ill-repute and, in doing so, unwittingly crosses the barrier of reality. Confronted with temptations he never before experienced, Fergal finds his faith may be weaker than he believed. Can he resist the temptation to waver in his life-long conviction? Or will he succumb to the lure of the forbidden?
Bathed in the glow of an eerie ambiance, A Ghost for the Holy by Robert E. Kearns is a haunting and unforgettable short story. From the start, a spooky aura suffuses the tale, creating an uneasy and apprehensive atmosphere that pervades throughout the plot. Brimming with contrast and conflict, the plot's suspense and drama build, ultimately coming to an abrupt and shocking conclusion. Fascinated by the shiver-inducing nature of the story, I couldn't put the book down until I came to the startling close. Reminiscent of a Guy de Maupassant horror story, it is a chilling tale that will delight everyone who relishes spine-tingling stories containing paranormal elements and supernatural escapades.