Ghostly Encounters - Richard Estep (Book Review)

As I move along with this fascinating book, I get to a story that I am very familiar with. Gef, the Talking Mongoose. If you don’t know anything about Gef, I strongly suggest you pick up this book and read about it. A very intriguing case that occurred in 1931. The Irvings who encountered this mongoose, thought it was a weasel. Gef snuck into their home and lived in the walls and ceiling of the home. Gef, was a hyper little mongoose and kept the Irvings awake all night. Gef was such a strange animal. He was actually able to talk. The Irvings first thought he was a spirit and when asked, Gef denied it, then later claimed he was a spirit. Gef was truly a mischievous creature. The story occurs at the Isle of Man. It is documented that Gef was able to speak, sing, steal objects, and even spy on locals. While some believe it was a real paranormal phenomenon, others consider it a hoax or a case of shared delusion.

There is so much paranormal themed information in this book. You even have the story of the Bell Witch. The Bell family dealt with people who believed their story and supported them, while other people ridiculed them and believe they made the whole story up. The Bell Witch story centers around a supernatural entity, often referred to as a “witch,” that tormented the Bell family in Adams, Tennessee, from 1817 to 1821. The entity, initially manifesting as strange noises and physical attacks, became known for its ability to speak, hurl insults, and even predict the future. The haunting intensified, particularly targeting John Bell and his daughter Betsy, with claims of physical abuse and the entity eventually taking credit for John Bell’s death.

This book is a smorgasbord of paranormal information. Some of the stories that you will find are: The Philip Experiment; The Enfield Poltergeist; Borley Rectory; The R101 Airship; Eastern Airlines Flight 401; Eastern State Penitentiary; Shepton Mallet Prison; Gettysburg Battlefield; The Stanley Hotel; The Sallie House; Alcatraz Island and a WHOLE LOT MORE!

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 is a strange tale. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011 that crashed into the Florida Everglades on December 29, 1972, due to a combination of pilot error and a faulty landing gear indicator light. The crash killed 101 people. Some parts from Flight 401 were salvageable and placed on other aircraft. Those aircraft became haunted. The apparitions of Captain Robert ‘Bob’ Loft and Flight Engineer Don Repo were sometimes seen by the crew members. Their purpose seemed to be a way of warning flight crews when their aircraft was in some kind of danger. The ghosts of Bob and Don were like angels watching over the crew members. Donald ‘Don’ Repo’s face was once reported reflected off an oven and staring at the flight attendant who was operating it.

This book has so much information in it, I suggest that every paranormal enthusiast pick up a copy for your personal library. Learn about the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre murder victim that haunted Al Capone. Find out about the pesky little girl ghost that haunts a house in Atchison, Kansas. Ghostly Encounters is paranormal brilliance. What once was dark, will come to the light with this book!