Widow's Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard ChizmarMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
WIDOW'S POINT: THE COMPLETE HAUNTING is a dark, disturbing, haunted lighthouse found-footage thriller by Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar. The perfect read leading up to Halloween... or any time you're looking for a few sleepless nights. 100% recommended.
This is a bad place. Something is wrong with it. I don’t think people are meant to live here.
-- Diary entry from WIDOW'S POINT: THE COMPLETE HAUNTING
The Widow's Point Lighthouse is set on the coast of Nova Scotia in the small, idyllic village of Harper's Cove. Idyllic, that is, for those who are smart - or lucky - enough to remain clear of the lighthouse and its surroundings. The reader first encounters the reportedly haunted lighthouse, site of many deaths and accidents, as well as a number of unexplained disappearances and horrific murders over the years, in 2017, when paranormal author Thomas Livingston arrives to spend a weekend locked inside the abandoned structure. Through a series of video and audio recordings he recounts the tragic history of the lighthouse and documents his ... disturbing ... stay.
Fast-forward to 2025 and another, larger group of investigators enters the lighthouse, planning to stay for the week leading up to Halloween. The 6-member group is led by Trent Bell , a wealthy Youtube influencer known as T-Breeze. With him are his cameraman Steph, video editor Jeff and producer Phil. Also in the group is Professor Catherine Durand, a former resident of Harper's Cove and a respected anthropologist/historian proclaimed as “the world’s leading authority on haunted houses who doesn’t believe in ghosts”, and Rob Elliott, a famous paranormal investigator/ghost hunter and Twitch streamer. They come prepared with lots of high-tech video and audio recording devices, along with a variety of specialized ghost-hunting equipment, to document their stay and any supernatural events they experience.
Richard and W.H. Chizmar know how to tell a spooky tale. Their unique, shifting perspective, found-footage approach allows the story to unfold naturally and helps the reader share the tension and fear that grows within the group as they take up residence in the lighthouse and begin to experience odd sensations and unusual events. Also shared is the group's increasing anxiety as secrets are revealed and some begin to act oddly the longer they remain under the influence of the lighthouse and its other occupants.
WIDOW'S POINT: THE COMPLETE HAUNTING has many unexpected twists and surprises, a very high "creepiness" factor, and more than a few frightening revelations. The Widow's Point Lighthouse is tall, its pull is strong and its reach is long. It's best read as far away from the coast as possible, with all the lights on, the shades drawn and in the company of a large, calm dog.
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