Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating Accounts
Review: No longer limited to the realm of professional mediums and psychics, stories of paranormal encounters are starting to be told by more people from all walks of life, and The Ghost Next Door is a collection of these unearthly experiences compiled from friends, family, and sometimes total strangers. Some of the stories are amusing, and some downright disturbing, but all are fascinating accounts from everyday people who have come into contact with otherworldly forces.
For instance, one story describes how, during one family's visit to the gravesite of their grandfather, his spirit appeared to them in photographs, superimposed over the figure of his least favorite nephew. Other tales include the story of a jogger whose morning run past a cemetery stopped short when an invisible assailant inexplicably held her in place. Other stories include a haunted hotel and a house that explodes with ghostly phenomena only when its owners make their annual pilgrimage to Gettysburg. One of the most terrifying stories, however, involves a sinister force that not only drove a married couple from their vacation cabin but also terrorized them once they had returned home.
While many ghost stories seem contrived, one of the most refreshing things about Morris' book is how genuine the stories seem. These are tales told by real people who have nothing to profit by describing their encounters, and the similarities between many of them are compelling. Members of the same family describe precise details about their experiences without ever having mentioned it to each other while characteristic odors, such as the scent of perfume or a particular brand of cigarette might indicate a spirit's presence in an intensely personal way.
Whether one believes in ghosts and wants to know more, is looking for validation of one's own spiritual encounters, or is simply looking for a spine-chilling read, The Ghost Next Door is a fine book for those interested in the supernatural.
-Richard Mackenzie, Mysteries Magazine - issue #5
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Summary: AuthorZone.Com Book Review
Review: No matter what your views on the Paranormal, this book is sure to shock and surprise you!Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Was it...? Or could it be...?
Review: Only about two of these stories were genuinely interesting/creepy -- the one with the old-fashioned-garbed maid who followed the guest around asking ominously, "You're sure everything's okay with your stay?", and the cabin with the evil spirit upstairs that seemed to stay with the renter and tried to get into her apartment through her dreams! But the rest seemed pretty rote and each was preceded or followed by totally useless "Was it...? Or could it be...?"-type commentary from the author/compiler.
Addendum, 9/23/04, in response to JT Gentry, aka "Jon," aka probable cousin of the author:
<<Just take a look at the other reviews of "The Ghost Next Door" on this page. You're way outnumbered.>>
Yeah, and "American Pie" made $100 million. Does the phrase mobile vulgus mean anything to you? [NB: That's not intended to disparage anyone who reviewed "The Ghost Next Door" positively; I respect your opinion and am glad you enjoyed it. I just disagree with the premise. By extension, should the top Nielsen-rated shows, which feature people scarfing down bugs and trying to out-Jerry Springer one another, be deemed masterworks?]
<<Frankly, after taking a look at the other book reviews that "Timeslipped" has written, I don't understand why he/she continues to read books, as he/she seems to hate everything.>>
Two four-star reviews, two three-star reviews, three two-star reviews and two one-star reviews = I hate everything? Your math is as questionable as your literature standards.
<<And the author's commentary is most certainly not "totally useless" as you say...anyone with an ounce of sensitivity would realize that. The author's commentary introduces each story in an engaging, mood-setting "Rod Serling"-type manner, then wraps up each story with touching prose or thought-provoking questions.>>
If your thoughts are provoked by statements like "Was it the spirit of the old buccaneer, returned to claim his gold? I guess we'll never know," I can only presume this is your first book ever.
<<This book is obviously over your head>>
It's a half-assed compilation of ghost stories, not the complete annotated works of Proust.
And I know that it's easy for you to place "helpful" votes for yourself (if you sign out) and "unhelpful" votes for people with whom you disagree an endless number of times, but try to control yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended Reading for Ghost Story Lovers!
Review: The Ghost Next Door is a great little book to curl up with in your favorite chair on a spooky night. It really pulls you in with the author's commentary and stories that are told from the first-person perspective. I found it refreshing, since all of the stories are new, and have never been told before. It really makes you wonder if there are any ghosts around you as you're reading it!
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Summary: A deliciously spooky collection . . . masterfully written
Review: THE GHOST NEXT DOOR is, to date, the best book of true ghostly accounts I've ever read...and I've read dozens of them. The writing is superb, the variety is wonderful and the overall tone is delightfully creepy. I enjoyed this book very much; it was worth every penny. I suppose the main reason for my writing this review is to directly refute "Shallard's" review (see below). While Shallard has a point in saying the book is thin, I like to think that Morris did us all a favor by cutting out all the irrelevant fluff usually found in books of this category. If I have to read one more ghost story in which 50 to 75 percent of the pages are dedicated to the "history" and "background" of the haunting with only a brief mention of the ghostly activity, I think I'll give up ghost books permanently. THE GHOST NEXT DOOR was truly a breath of fresh air. Yes, it IS a bit thin, but that's mainly because it contains only the "good stuff"--the "meat" of the story, which is all we're really interested in anyway. If Morris added the usual padding that his contemporaries are so fond of, you'd have a nice thick volume of watered-down stories--which, I guess, is what you're used to. And another thing--in my opinion, the "unnecessary postscripts" as you call them, add much to the stories and are in fact one of my favorite elements of this book. Morris' commentary truly enhances each story and leaves you thinking. And why, pray tell, would Mr. Morris need to investigate "The Thing in the Cabin" personally when the story came straight from his own sister? And why no photos, you ask? Obviously you know little about the publishing business. If Mr. Morris added photos to his book, he would have to raise the price considerably. Frankly, I would rather use my imagination...that's why most of us read books anyway, isn't it? Really, Shallard, your criticisms just seem quite petty to me. One more thing--the Antietam/Gettysburg location argument--you seem to think that two places within 50 miles of one another aren't in the same "area". The people in this particular story did a lot of traveling. I myself travel a lot--all over the U.S. Thousands of miles. I see nothing strange about referring to locations a mere 50 miles apart as being "in the same area". I guess you just don't get out much. This is a great book, folks. Five stars. See for yourself.
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Summary: Great Stories for Halloween
Review: This book makes for quite an interesting read, even if you're not a huge ghost story fan. If you are, well then it's even better.
The author is a highly effective and efficient writer; the stories flow so well that you tend to forget you're reading. It's actually more like you're listening to a great storyteller.
Lots of variety in the stories make this book a real page-turner. I read the whole thing in one afternoon/evening. It was almost midnight by the time I finished, which took me quite by surprise, and serves as an example of how engrossing the stories are. The introduction is perfectly suited for the stories that follow, and leads you right into the 'meat' of the book with a clever transition.
My favorite chapters include "The Haunted Hotel", "The Thing in the Cabin" and "The Phantom of Breazeale House".
If you are even remotely interested in ghosts/paranormal phenomena, it would be a mistake to pass this one up.
Rating:
Summary: Good Stories, Great Writing
Review: This book strikes me as a condensed version of what most books in this vein are. Not too much in the way of background information, but this makes for stories that keep your interest from beginning to end.
Mind you, the author presents all the information most readers would require to fully understand and enjoy the stories, but some of those diehard gotta-know-it-alls might be a tad disappointed. Personally, I was pleased to find that the amount of peripheral information was kept at a minimum. So many of these books are short on actual paranormal action and thus try to compensate with page after page of "history", much of which is more or less irrelevant to the story.
Overall, this book is well-presented with tales that span a spectrum of paranormal happenings, from the heartwarming to the hair-raising. Cheers to the author for an engaging and velvety-smooth writing style.
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