Review: The Tower (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #9) by J.L. Bryan

Title: The Tower

Series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #9

Previous books in this series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (#1) | Cold Shadows (#2) | The Crawling Darkness (#3) | Terminal (#4) | House of Whispers #5 | Maze of Souls #6 | Lullaby (#7) | The Keeper (#8)

Author: J.L. Bryan

Publication date: October 2017

Published by: J.L. Bryan

Source: Review copy

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Synopsis:

Ellie's new case takes her far out of town, to an historic but crumbling nineteenth-century skyscraper in downtown Atlanta. The reclusive, once-prominent family living at the top of the tower are experiencing paranormal disturbances that grow more threatening by the day.

Ellie and Stacey must unravel the hidden history of the tower and the ancestors of the family who occupy it—a history full of crime, corruption, wealth, and power. With floor after floor of dark, haunted spaces, the labyrinthine antique tower presents one of the greatest ghost-trapping challenges that Ellie has ever faced.

My rating: ★★★★☆
In this installment of Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper, we have a case outside of town, and it's a haunted skyscraper! How cool is that?

Ellie: “We don’t even know if there’s a real ghost involved yet, or just creaky floorboards and groaning pipes.”
“Well, I sure hope something’s haunted, because I had to wake up at headache o’clock today,” Stacey said.

Me every morning😂😭
I really loved the setting! Anyway, in this case, we have a seemingly cursed family that has been dying in mysterious ways for over 100 years! But is it actually a curse, or just a coincidence?

I found this case very interesting, and I really enjoyed going through their history and unraveling this family mystery and (possibly) curse. I was very surprised by the end, with the insane plot twist... just—

One thing about this book though, was the huge family tree and all the names that came along with it. It was insane and I had a hard time keeping track of all the family members. And this would normally bother me in a book, but it was actually acknowledged! I'm glad Stacey mentioned being overwhelmed by all the names and it wasn't just me. Lol.

So in this book, we have only Ellie and Stacey investigating (and of course, Jacob later on) the haunting. It was actually nice only having the girls doing the investigating, like in the good ole days, without Paranormal Solutions Inc. immediately there. I did miss Hayden though. He's pretty much the only new team member I actually liked after the company was bought.

One thing I really enjoyed that I already mentioned before was the different scenery! We get to see a different city and explore a skyscraper! We normally see the girls investigating houses, which don't get me wrong, I love! But it was just really cool to explore a freaking building! The girls did do some ghost hunting in a hotel once, and that was cool too, but that had a different feel than this.

And it was also nice to get away from all the drama of the new workplace and coworkers. But I'm also looking forward to going back to town and seeing what Ellie will have to deal with re: Anton (Ellie's personal demon/ghost), Paranormal Solutions, and especially Kara...

As always, I love all the characters in this series! Ellie is so likable and relatable and just—real. And I love Stacey! She is so cute and lovable and really funny! I really like Ellie and Stacey’s relationship—they’re so different, but that dynamic works so great!

“I let [Stacey] handle situations where “warm and perky” is the way to go. If you need sarcastic and a little prickly, that’s more my department. It’s not intentional on my part. It just comes naturally.”

And of course, Jacob made an appearance. Not only does he have a cool power, but he's also really funny, and he and Stacey are just so cute together! I love them!

Ellie: “I said ‘no,’ Stacey. Don’t make me repeat it in German. I know how much that language scares you.”
“Okay, okay.” Stacey held her hands in surrender.

Jacob sighed. “Well, at least we got in a nice last meal together. Should we head down to the basement and die now, or prolong things a bit?”

“Ooh, do you think the linen closet’s haunted?” Stacey asked, shining the light in there. “Because that would be a pretty convenient spot to haunt, if you were a ghost. You’d always have a fresh supply of clean sheets!”
Ellie: “Ha ha.”

I also really love the actual ghost hunting in this series—it's always fun! But there are actually also some really creepy moments with these ghosts. Speaking of, I loved the nicknames they gave the ghosts...

Stacey: “... Culty McBombface Hippie Roberts.”
Ellie: “That Nickname is way too long to stick.”
Stacey: “Whatever, it’s a good one.”

Stacey: “Old Concrete-Face down in the basement?”

Jacob: “What are you calling that ghost, anyway? Hotty McBurnface?”

“I still think you should’ve gone with Hotty McBombface.” Jacob looked over her shoulder.

I've mentioned it before, but this is definitely one of my most favorite series ever! I just love it and am looking forward to seeing what's in store for Ellie and her friends.

“I hoped they’d be able to pay our bill, but my motives for this job ran deeper than getting a paycheck, anyway. Protecting the living from the dead is what I do, especially when there’s kids involved.”

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! :)