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(More customer reviews)For most Americans, the Mayflower and its Pilgrims exemplify the beginning of the great American Dream. Victims of social and religious persecution, they were among the notable first to come to the New World and prosper from all it had to offer. In his novel "Mean Spirits", author Roger Chiocchi presents an opposite view. He introduces us to Charles Pennfield, a Pilgrim for whom the Mayflower was the beginning of an American nightmare; a nightmare that would span four centuries and plague multiple generations of the Pennfield family.
Set in New York City and New England during the mid 1990s, "Mean Spirits" focuses on the lives of two modern Pennfields: Jonathan and Christopher. Jonathan is the chief executive of an airline company in New York City and Christopher is a university professor in a quiet New England town. Both brothers begin to experience an increasing frequency of inexplicable hauntings and supernatural events. As the severity of these hauntings intensify, they are brought together in a quest to understand why this is happening to them.
From the beginning, the two brothers' personalities are in stark contrast of one another. Jonathan is growing unhappy with his life of privilege and is beginning to discover that his priorities are not set on what is truly important in this world. He is disinterested in maintaining his family ties and sees them as a burden to his freedom.
Christopher Pennfield, however, is quickly recognized as a preservationist of the Pennfield family name. He possesses a great pride in his family lineage that fuels his arrogance and sense of superiority. He regards the Pennfields as a virtuous clan and is committed to making the world aware of their accomplishments and contributions.
To aid in their search for answers, the brothers enlist the help of a New Jersey ghost hunter by the name of Ed Swann. Swann, a retired contractor, is interested in the scientific explanation and legitimization of hauntings and ghostly encounters. Through his scientific approach he begins to meticulously uncover the secrets behind the Pennfield's supernatural burden.
During his investigation, Swann also discovers that he has a weak psychic connection with a passed member of the Pennfield family. This spirit is an interesting addition to his search and proves to be helpful in uncovering important information that otherwise would have been overlooked.
Throughout the course of the story, the contradiction of ideologies between the two brothers creates an ongoing tension and rivalry. Although they are brought together in their desires to end the hauntings, at times their polarity proves to impede their search. Christopher's dedication to the family name, in particular, is a major hurdle. His desire to suppress anything that might tarnish the family name is complicated by the realization that the reason for these hauntings is directly related to the deeds of their ancestors. The process of investigating the hauntings leads both brothers to ultimately question their identities and forces them to face the truths of their origins.
Probably the most interesting aspect of "Mean Spirits" is that it covers a time period of almost four hundred years. While it seems that such a timeline might be cumbersome and difficult to follow, Chiocchi carefully reveals the story of the Pennfields in small fragments that prove to be effective in maintaining suspense and interest throughout the novel.
Also interesting is Chiocchi's method of melding a fictional tale with factual events and authentic ghost hunting procedures. In doing this, he successfully gives the overall story an air of authenticity and realism that probably could not have been achieved otherwise.
Energetic and quickly paced, "Mean Spirits" proves to be a fascinating and haunting narrative that cleverly follows the legacy of a single American family. Those who appreciate tales of ghosts and the supernatural will find "Mean Spirits" to be an entertaining and enjoyable story.
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The year is 1620. As the Mayflower tacks about to avoid the dangerous shoals of Pollock Rip off the Cape Cod coast, a young girl mysteriously jumps to her death.Almost four centuries later the psychic imprints of that incident-and a string of related incidents-begin to wreak havoc in the lives of two prominent Americans.A corporate executive sailing in Nantucket Sound is unexpectedly barraged by a violent storm at sea-which no other vessel even detects on radar. A highly respected college professor swears he can see the outline of two large figures hovering over the foot of his bed, one brandishing a knife. Both men have two things in common: They are scions of the privileged Pennfield clan-one of America's great families, claiming an unbroken line back to the Mayflower. And, unbeknownst to them, their strange bouts with the paranormal have just begun.The Pennfields soon realize these encounters are not isolated occurrences, but an orchestration of paranormal events haunting the entire family. Concerned, they enlist the aid of retired construction contractor turned ghost hunter, Ed Swann. In his methodical manner, Swann uncovers a mystery that unravels the dark underside of the Pennfields' cherished lineage-leading them all the way back to the incident on the Mayflower."Fascinating and haunting narrative entertaining and enjoyable story."-Tom Crawford, Ghostsource.com"A tantalizing blend of suspense and the paranormal."-Mary Jane Clark, New York Times Bestselling Author
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