I found myself enjoying this one a lot despite being much older than the target audience. Reminded me of some of the books I used to love reading as a kid. Will definitely seek out more of this author's work.

I really enjoyed this book it was well written and I kept turning the pages because the story keeps it's momentum throughout and the characters were likeable.

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A middle school story that's like an alternate universe similar to our own except ghosts, spirits, and the Unknown run rampant after an accident years earlier. Alex is an average kid until the fateful car accident that leaves him with psychic abilities, which is supposed to be *rare* in the first place!

I really devoured this in one sitting...it's really entertaining and I love the alternate universe concept. Imagine having to take a class on how to create proper sigils that keep spirits away! The characters were all fleshed out well and felt natural to the story. The dad will REALLY piss you off, though, he gets better.

I was also happy that Alex wasn't that frustrating of a protagonist, he felt very human and I appreciated that he was grieving in his own way and it felt realistic. His friend and cousin were entertaining and it'll be fun to see them fleshed out in later books. Will definitely be keeping up with this spooky series!

Even though it's got horror elements it's got the typical amount as any story with dead people, ha. No adult elements, just the concept of death and the afterlife, for any parents concerned. Typical macabre dark stuff, y'know.

For anyone who loves Cirque Du Freak as much as I do this is up your alley! (No vampires though, just spooky supernatural/horror elements)ley in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost Hunters: Bones in the Wall is an incredibly fun, spooky, perfect middle-grade horror/mystery story. The characters all felt very real and relatable, the story moved quickly and really kept me engaged.

4/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celtic Sea Publishing for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book through Net Galley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When sixth-grader Alex breaks his hip and loses his mother in an auto accident, he gains psychic abilities. In a world a lot like ours where ghosts and malevolent spirits threaten the peace on regular basis, but are often kept at bay by the frequent use of mystical wards and sigils. When the wards and sigils don’t work, the psychics get called in.


Alex is hesitant to acknowledge his new skills, but ends up drawing the attention of a malicious poltergeist and has to rely on his loyal best friend, his paranormal investigator cousin, and a few new acquaintances to help him learn how to use his newfound abilities.

I gave Bones in the Wall five stars on Goodreads. It’s well written, and provides an absolutely perfect amount of scares for its middle grade audience. I’m already well into the second volume of the Ghost Hunters series, Pirates’ Curse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celtic Sea Publishing for opening this book back up in promotion for the second!

The world this story takes place in is quite a far jump from ours. In the Victorian era, the veil between Here and There was ripped- and ghosts and spirits now wander the world and wreak havoc. Every child is tattooed with protection sigils, every home warded. Psychics do their best to put these ghosts to rest, but it's a losing battle and true psychics are few and far between.
This is the story of Alex, a boy known for being the top ghostball athlete at his middle school on the fast track to take his team to the championship. His entire world is turned upside down when he's in a fatal car accident with his mother- leaving her dead, and him with a shattered hip never to play ghostball again. Not only are his dreams shattered, but now he can.. see ghosts?

It's hard for him to come to terms with- the death of his mother, and the new label of psychic when his father thinks of them as criminals. Enter his aunt and cousin, a low class psychic and a budding paranormal investigator in turn, who seek to help Psychics put ghosts to rest. With the help of his best friend, Jason, and a retired class A Psychic, Frank, Alex has to come to terms with his new abilities- and responsibilities- and put to rest the spirit he's attracted.

This is a spooky little book and it's one I really would enjoy in my youth, and one I'll have on a list for my kids to read one day. There's some colorism I'm not fond of, but that's the only reason I'm docking a star. Highly recommend.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was so much fun. Spooky but not too spooky. I didn't walk into it expecting it to be urban fantasy, so that was a nice surprise. If you're wondering what the world set-up was like, think the Lockwood & Co. series but modern. And I loved that. A very unique and fun twist on a regular old ghost tale.

The characters, especially the protagonist, were likeable and compelling. And the dynamics between them all improved throughout the book. Really, it was a fantastic set up for the rest of the series which I can't wait to read!

Very original. I enjoyed this one alot. The main character I could really sympathize with. All in all a great book.

Bones in the Wall
(Ghost Hunters #1)
by Susan McCauley
This is a middle grade fantasy/paranormal book that adults will enjoy reading. No teen angst, no childish behavior either. This is a great story with heartfelt emotions, friendships, discovery of yourself after loss, making new connections, and then there is the ghost thing😉! After a terrifying accident, Alex is able to see and hear the dead. This isn't a world like we know it, spiritualist opened something they shouldn't have and in 1900, ghost now are everywhere. Only some can see and hear them and all kids are tested at age ten. Alex is older than that and he was negative before and no one has ever received powers after that!
He goes with his Aunt, cousin, and a Class A psychic to a house to test his cousin's ghost hunting equipment. He can hear and know where the woman is and the murderer in ghost form is there too! But that is not the last Alex sees of him!
It's suspenseful with the evil ghost but very touching with different ghosts. Alex grows in his belief in himself, meanwhile this reader was cheering him on and loving ever minute! Definitely want to read the next book! Yes, I am an adult but it's that good!
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read the book!

this was a great spooky read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading it. I look forward to more from the author.

Great plot, interesting mini stories and enjoyed the outcome to this book. Good start for a young paranormal reader.

It took me a while to get into sync with the story, but after that happened, wow. I really liked the story.
The characters are well written. It is a spooky and exciting plot. There are some nice twists and turns and a happy ending.
I hope that Susan McCauley ist going to make a series out of this stuff, because I would definitely read more about the Ghost Hunters.

Thanks for letting me read this great book.

To be honest this was my first horror read and I absolutely loved it. And now I'm eager to read more of her works.

The story revolves around Alex, a 12 year old who lived in the a city where living among ghosts was a normal thing. He was a champion in playing ghostball for his school team until he had a car accident, which changed his life forever. After the accident he suffered severe hip injuries but gained a rare power of seeing & hearing ghosts. Not believing in his new ability , he tried to ignore them. But after a malevolent ghost tried to hurt him, he had to accept his psychic powers. In order to get himself rid of the evil spirit, he with the help of his best friend, his cousin and his paranormal investigator Aunt went on the eerie path of solving the mystery behind the bones in the walls.

Will he be able to free the evil spirit?

" No matter what you've done or what you fear, spirit your place to stay is no longer here. Your life & time is now complete.Move into the light that shines before you, then in time you'll be cleansed."

I loved reading this book. Some of the parts were scary and gave me chills but the humour element was what I adored the most. The setup was amazing and I loved how the author explained all the symbols & words she used which pertains to the ghostly world. The characters were well developed and my favourite was Alex's best friend- Jason. He is the person everyone needs as a friend in life. The book is well paced and the narration is good too. The language is easy and understandable.

Definitely Recommended!

On his way to the championship game, Alex and his mother are in a terrible car accident, and he is severely injured. When he wakes up in the hospital, his mother is there holding his hand. They talk briefly, then she gives him her amulet and leaves the room. But later, his father tearfully explains that his mother was killed in the accident. Alex first dismisses it as a dream or delirium from the accident, but then later at home he sees a kindly ghost named Mrs. Wilson, and then the ghost of a former janitor at school. Eventually he is forced to admit that he has somehow gained psychic powers. But, that's not the worst of it! Somehow, he has managed to anger an evil spirit that has attached itself to Alex and neither Alex nor anyone around him is safe.

Set in an alternate reality where ghosts are commonplace and everyone relies on charms and amulets for protection, this is a fun and age-appropriate ghost story. A bit scary and suspenseful at times, but nothing too graphic or overwhelming for most kids aged 9-13. I could have done without the alternate reality, I didn't feel it added anything to the story, but that's probably just a matter of preference. I loved the kindly Mrs. Wilson, who provides somewhat of a surrogate mother figure for Alex. I suspect this may become a series, so look for future installments.

Alex is known for being a great ghost ball player until he is in a car wreck that takes his mother away. While trying to recover, he discovers his ability to see and talk to ghosts. It takes some getting use to but now there is a mean ghost trying to take him out. Alex has to find out how to get this ghost before it succeeds in harming him and others.

I will say the cover drew me to the book added with the description, which assured I would request it for review. This was a suspenseful book  where a young boy had to change and believe in himself in order to save others. Alex was trying to grief his mother but also trying to deal with what to do about his new ability and one he didn't want. 

His father really frustrated me because he wouldn't believe anything his son told him. It was great that Alex could turn to his aunt Elena, cousin Hannah and best friend Jason for help. I also liked that Frank kept holding out on training Alex even though he was the best suited for him to learn how to take control of being a psychic. My favorite part in this book is the ending. You will have to read the book to find out why. I recommend this book to those who like young adult horror, paranormal or fantasy.

I received a free copy of this book. I am leaving my honest opinion.

This is a well written paranormal story for middle school readers.

The characters are well drawn and relatable. In particular, the 12 year old protagonist, has depth and must handle several challenges, including the death of his mother.

All in all, a worthwhile read.

This was fantastic! I loved how the story and characters just grabbed you from page one. Definitely one of my new favorite authors ! Thank you

Thank you to NetGalley and author Susan McCauley for the ebook copy to read and review.

I really loved the concept of this book, that everyone was living in a world where ghosts are present constantly but only a few see them and that they have to use protective sigils around them so the spirits cannot get to them. It was so original and so innovative.

For me personally I didn’t care for the protagonist he really annoyed me, however I really liked what he could do I liked the speed he learnt it all and overcame everything in his own time. It was fascinating getting to read about him learning to deal with the ghost he’d never seen before and then becoming more powerful than he thought he would would be. It was really cool.

It was a very fun and fascinating horror book, it was written well, it had a lot of education in this field for anyone that’s interested in learning about spirits and ghost hunting. It wasn’t too scary, it had a fun element of mystery behind it having to solve what happened to the spirits and how to remove them.

Overall this book was good fun, and great to read something paranormal with a new take on it.

This book is so excellent. It’s a little sad at the start but over all it’s really wonderful. The characters are believable Alex acts exactly like you’d expect a preteen boy to act with everything happening to him. I seldom am lucky enough to find a book that’s this difficult to put down. The ghost lore and psychics are very well done. The occult references to protection are quite well researched. Over all a much better book than I’ve come to expect of this genre. I’m really hoping for a sequel.

Ghost Hunters: Bones in the Wall is a middle grade (aimed at roughly ages 10-14) novel. The story features a sort of alternate reality in which the spiritualists of world caused “The Great Unleashing” in the year 1900. Since then, ghosts have overrun the world. Children are tattooed with protective symbols at young ages, and parents worry over whether their kids will show psychic abilities (seen as bad, very bad) before their obligatory testing at age ten. School includes classes like Occult History and elementary students are taught to draw protective wards and sigils. Doors and windows and even all electronics are covered in these protective symbols. Because the ghosts must be kept out. Out of your home, out of your car, out of your head.

No kid has ever developed psychic powers after the age of ten…until Alex comes along. A horrible car accident, a painful injury, and a close brush with death leave him with the sudden ability to both see and talk to ghosts at the ripe old age of twelve.

Add to this the fact that his mother’s just died, his father hates psychics, his aunt and cousin who live next door are kooky wanna-be ghost hunters, and he’ll never play his favorite sport, ghostball, again. Things are rough for Alex.

An unexpected encounter with a trapped ghost and her vengeful tormentor cause even more problems for Alex, and when the evil ghost follows him home…well, now we’ve got trouble. Alex must come to terms with his new abilities, think fast, learn on the run, and realize the power of true friendship and self-acceptance in order to deal with the BONES IN THE WALL.

A good read, perfectly paced, with funny moments and scary ones. This book does include the use of real sigils, prayers, and objects in dealing with the ghosts so if parents are averse to that kind of thing then this book may not be a good fit for their kids. Otherwise clear of profanity, drug or alcohol use, and anything remotely sexual.

I know I would have devoured this book in middle school. For that matter, I devoured it as an adult. Four out of five stars.

I received a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review was posted to NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, and my personal blog.