Ghost Hunter VI: Occultus
by Martin J. Best
Review by S. S. Bazinet

Description:
A predatory entity from religious mythology has attached itself to hapless Seth Bowden, leading his terrified sister to contact the ghost hunters. They agree to investigate, and uncover a disturbing history of mental illness, suicide, and an intelligent haunting.As the team seek to resolve Seth’s problem, their leader, Malachi Hunter, becomes involved with the police investigation into a horrific ritual murder, finding himself pitted against a member of the Order of Nine Angles, the most dangerous occult organisation in existence, and a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.The scene is set, and the ghost hunters face the most difficult and dangerous challenges of their lives. Will their courage and determination be enough to see them through, or is victory beyond their reach?

My Review:
This is another amazing book in the Ghost Hunter series. It certainly informs the reader when it comes to ghost hunting, but it’s so much more. Martin Best’s story begins with a mother who leaves a religious cult with hopes of saving her two youngest children from the cult’s controlling ways. What I found fascinating was the author’s ability to thoroughly describe the effects of indoctrination and thought control on a human being’s mind. Through two of the characters, the mother and her son, we come to understand how the mind becomes a torment and a prison that’s almost impossible to escape. Thankfully, the daughter has retained some ability to question what she’s been taught, while the mother and son become helpless victims of their beliefs.

There is also plenty of scary interaction with ghosts and the paranormal. All of it is well described and haunting. A tremendous amount of captivating knowledge and history, including a secondary story about the Celtic Gods, is also threaded into the overall tale. Needless to say, it kept me turning pages. I also enjoyed how Malachi Hunter and his ghost hunter friends interacted. Along with Malachi’s wife and daughter, they came together like a family. It gives the reader a warm feeling of support and caring throughout the book. It helps to balance out the horror and mayhem that plagues our heroes, the ghost hunters. Each time that Malachi returned home to his lovely wife, Teena, after an encounter with some horrendous entity or deranged human, I felt a sense of relief. I was ready to relax and have a cup of tea with the two of them. Excellent story! Highly recommended.