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Jan 17, 2012

Pikachu rated it:

All boarding schools have their fair share of secrets but Northelm takes the cake. A sinister phantom named Hatchet Jack haunts the premises, terrorizing the students and chasing after them with a giant axe and crazy eyes... But nobody recognizes the names, and the students he allegedly killed seem to have come out of nowhere. Definitely creepy. M.J. Holliday is called on the scene to take care of business before the renovations start, but she might not have enough time. The dean is oddly oppose More...

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Jul 01, 2011

Lura rated it:

Every school has its bullies, but Northelm Boarding School near Lake Placid, New York, houses a real whopper: a lean, mean, and deadly demonic ghost named Hatchet Jack. M.J.'s good friend Karen has asked her- along with partners Gilley and handsome Dr. Steven Sable- to send Hatchet Jack back to the portal he came from.

With renovations at the school starting in a week, there isn't much time for ghost hunting. Plus M.J. has to deal with an uncooperative dean, Gilley being paranormally More...

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Feb 21, 2011

Babs rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Oct 29, 2010

Chibineko rated it:

I picked this book up after reading the first book in the series & was eager to learn more about my favorite characters. While I enjoyed this book thoroughly, there were a few parts to the book that had my eyes rolling at times.

This current book finds MJ being recruited by Teeko to hunt down a psychotic ghost by the name of "Hatchet Jack" that haunts the ultra priviledged school that her niece attends. Along for the ride are her teammates Gilley (old friend) & Steven (the More...

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Oct 26, 2011

Ariel rated it:

I liked the first book in the series enough to want to pick up the second. This is a good series to read in the month of October since there are all kinds of paranormal hijinks about. In this installment M.J. travels to a boarding school in upstate New York to attend to the diabolical haunting of a really evil spirit named Hatchet Jack. I was kind of surprised at how intense the story of Hatchet Jack got at the end. Young boys being chained up and then let out to be hacked to death is definitely More...

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Sep 01, 2009

DeAnne rated it:

Who doesn't love a good axe-wielding marauding ghost who roams the hall ways of exclusive boarding schools? Toss in a smart-alec psychic detective, a swishy business partner and a millionaire boyfriend...and I think you might explode if you tossed any more cliques.

High art? Not by far. Toss-away poolside reading? Absolutely. I'm unlikely to read any more of the series, despite the hilarious punny titles, just because the characters are beyond predictable, and I'm so tired of gay More...

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Mar 03, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

I was dissatisfied with the first novel in this series, "What's a Ghoul to Do" because our heroine, MJ Holliday, medium and psychic, got into lots of should-be scary situations, yet never managed to be in any danger. It's pointless to read a "ghost hunter" mystery when it's got less "scare" than the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland! With "Demons are a Ghoul's Best Friend", MJ is faced with a hatchet-wielding ghoul who has terrified children and adults al More...

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Jul 27, 2011

Kristal added it

In the Acknowledgements, the author admits that she put absolutely no fore-thought into this book - a fact that is painfully obvious as you read on. It's a very thin story with lots of filler. The bits where she's actually interacting with the spirits are somewhat interesting - inspired by Laurie's professional experience as a psychic. Dr. D's mis-attempts at American colloquialisms remain an annoyance to this reader, since idioms are some of the easier and most interesting parts of a foreign More...

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Aug 31, 2010

Myhotstylist rated it:

oooh what a wild ride, 2nd in the series, this was even better than the first. MJ Holliday goes after Hatchet Jack in this installment. This book is fast paced and kept me guessing till the very end. A real page turner; you can expect to lose sleep on this one as you wont be able to put it down. This book has it all, Lot of mystery, ghosts, ghost hunting, murder, action , humor, and a little fluffy romance with Dr. Delicious. The ending had a huge twist that i wasnt expecting! What a great book. More...

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Sep 25, 2009

Jazzie rated it:

This is an awesome book if you like a good mystery/suspense/thriller/supernatural story. It follows protagonist M.J. Holiday and her colleagues Gilley and steven in teir ghostbusting business. M.J. is called on job by her best friend on a business in which her neice's school is haunted by a sinister demon named Hatchet Jack. The Malicios polterigiest terrorizes the kids in the school as well as M.J. and her friends.

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Jul 14, 2010

Julie H. rated it:

Teeko (as in T.K.O. or total knockout), ghost hunter M.J. Holliday's best friend, hires the Scooby Gang to investigate a supernatural attack on her beloved niece at the girl's boarding school. M.J. and crew depart Boston for Northelm Boarding School, just outside Lake Placid, NY, where they take on their most vicious poltergeist yet. As you can well imagine, the administrators of this $40k+/year boarding school are not keen to have word get out that an entity known as "Hatchet Jack" More...

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May 06, 2009

Robin rated it:

Second in the series, and it was still pretty good. We do, indeed, get to see more of the doctor (not nearly enough, but still more), and the mystery was entertaining. I still get the feeling these books are like Sweet Valley High meets, idk, the illegitemate child of Sookie Stackhouse and Rachel Morgan. But don't let that stop you reading the book. I recommend it, just not as highly as some other books I've read lately.

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Jul 08, 2010

Yodamom rated it:

The Ghost busting team goes into the woods to hunt a very nasty ghost with a taste for young boys and terror. Steven has joined the team bringing a new look on the hunt process and a soul searching of feelings involved. Things get dangerous and the relationship gets heated. Doc the parrot is full of great snarky comments at all the wrong times. A great fun mystery, I found myself laughing out-loud several times.

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Jan 18, 2012

♡ Half Blood Prince ♡ added it

A kerfuffle quite a long time ago, but appalling behaviour is timeless.

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Nov 14, 2009

Ann Marie rated it:

This was a quick read of Laurie's second in her Ghost Hunter Mysteries. I really like her main characters MJ and Gilley. MJ is a medium and her business partner Gilley is afraid of ghosts. It makes for great interactions. Hatchet Jack, the ghost in this adventure is pretty creepy and his story as its told even creepier. I'll look forward to the next book in this series.

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Aug 17, 2010

Laura rated it:

Teeko comes to MJ and asks for help after Teeko's niece was attacked by a ghost, Hatchet Jack. MJ, Gilly and Steven go to the boarding school where the event happened and try to figure out who the ghost is. This is Book 2 in the Ghost Hunter Mystery series. I liked it better than the first book. I really like MJ and Gilly and hope to read the 3rd book.

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Jan 20, 2012

Sandie rated it:

I really want to give this more stars, its exactly the kind of book that I would normally love. Don't get me wrong....its a fun story but it just hasn't grabbed me and held me.

I still love the whole ghostbusting angle and I like the series enough to move onto to book 3 when I get through this other stack of books I have sitting here.

I thought the mystery and ghosts in this second book were much, much better then the first book. The ghost and story behind it was actua More...

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May 12, 2009

Doris rated it:

There were a few spots which showed this was not written with a serious audience in mind, but still an excellent read. Somewhat predictable (the villian turned out to be exactly who I thought) but not totally (the overall ghost hauntings were not for the exact reason I thought, and there was a personality surprise at the end.)

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Oct 02, 2011

Paula rated it:

The things going bump in the night are at an all time high. A friend of MJ's desperately needs her assistance. Her niece Evie is being haunted at her private school by Hatchet Jack who haunts the local elementary wing of the campus.

MJ, Doc, Gilley and the hunky Doctor Steven Sable head to Lake Placid NY, to get to the bottom of things. They encounter many ghosts while there and one nasty spirit out to scare everyone. While there MJ and Steven find themselves having a hard time comm More...

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Jan 29, 2010

Melissa rated it:

She did it again...I LOVED this book! M.J. Holliday has become my favorite medium and Victoria Laurie is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Such a good book, funny, mysterious and even a teeny bit scary...never a dull moment with M.J., Gil and Steven!

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Jul 28, 2011

Stacy rated it:

Love, love, loved it. Can't wait for the next one in the series! I'll have to pick up some of the books from Laurie's other series to hold me over until the next M.J. Holliday mystery makes its way to the shelves. Laurie's books are totally my guilty pleasure!

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Oct 26, 2008

Melissa rated it:

Man, this one was much better in my opinion than What's a Ghoul to Do?. We joined Ghost Hunters M.J. Holliday and Gilley Gillespie and their new partner Dr. Steven Sable as they head up to Lake Placid to help rid a boarding school of a hatchet-wielding poltergiest. This one creeped me out a lot more than the other. I felt the mystery was a little more developed than the first book in the series. Laurie redeemed herself by not really repeating a lot of the situations that occurred in the first bo More...

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Jun 19, 2009

Leslie aka hugbandit7 rated it:

This is the 2nd in the series and I am really digging this series. I'm usually not into paranormal but I have enjoyed the books I have read by Victoria Laurie.

I had suspicions about one of the characters but didn't really expect the ending.

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Jan 30, 2012

Mark rated it:

Probably better than the first in the Ghost Hunter series. Be warned, the next isn't as well written. If you don't just love the series, stop after this book, or skip the next three altogether.

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Jan 08, 2012

Jennifer rated it:

Another quick read from Victori Laurie. As usual, MJ and Gil provide ongoing antics and frights. This book was much darker and more cruel than some of her later books and certainly not one you'll one to be reading at midnight.

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Sep 17, 2011

Vincy rated it:

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this book was much better. I really enjoyed it and was a little sad when it ended. I honestly am excited about the next one in this series.

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Feb 20, 2011

Amanda rated it:

This book is a fun and quick read. Although I had the mystery solved before the end I still enjoyed the character interaction. The author did dumb things down a few too many times for my liking though. I am not sure that the everyday person in her story wouldn't understand the terms she was using to describe her skills as a medium.

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Feb 05, 2009

Megan rated it:

I was originally going to rate it lower, because I didn't really care for any of the characters--at all. But I found that the mystery and ghost story aspect of it made up for that.

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Dec 20, 2009

Candace rated it:

Funny and scare-the-shit-out-of you all at the same time. I really enjoyed this book, but I'd recommend reading it during the daytime unless you're up for sleeping with the lights on.

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Jan 15, 2012

Isis rated it:

Really good and scary read. Granted, I know that the events in this book are unrealistic, but with my fear of horror flicks and the like, as well as the fact that I read this at night, I was deeply terrified by Hatchet Jack.

The ending came with a sigh of relief, especially since everything was given a good ending. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

However, I plan on reading that one during the daytime, rather than when I'm dead tired.

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