Elly's Ghost

by John R. Kess

Jay Tessier returns home from Afghanistan yearning for the solitude of his beloved Montana forests. Suddenly, he finds himself on the run when he disrupts the attempted kidnapping of pop star Elly Wittenbel. Jay's survival and combat skills as a Force Recon Marine, or "Ghost," are tested as Elly and Jay flee through the vast wilderness while the FBI investigates her disappearance. The two must learn to trust each other despite their completely different backgrounds. Jay and Elly’s relationship grows as he deals with the effects of war and losing his best friend, and she strives to overcome a drug addiction and to regain control of her chaotic life.

Genres: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 22, 2012

About the author

John R Kess is a thriller and young adults author from Minneapolis Minnesota. Finding Hannah is a young adults novel and is his first. Elly's Ghost is a thriller and is his second novel. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and holds a B.S in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering. John admits to being a writer with an engineering problem.

Reviews

[Jeannie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corporal Jay Tessier was a tough & dedicated marine who fought bravely in Afghanistan. Because of the war he did things he didn't want to do during combat, like shooting to kill. Jay has a lot of stress to deal with and no parents to help him, as they died in a car accident before he joined the Marines. When he gets a leave, he plans a week in the mountains by flying his dad's float-plane. He is at the small
airport waiting to take off when a private plane lands. He sees a dark van pull up next to the plane. Immediately masked and armed men jump out and start shooting. Jay sees the men pull a woman out of the plane. She is in handcuffs but breaks away and runs toward the float-plane. Jay takes off with the woman on board as shots are hitting his plane. The young lady whom Jay has rescued is a twenty-two-year-old brunette who has been featured on the cover of several top magazines. This is how Jay meets Elly (on the fly, so to speak). They don't stay airborne for long as the plane is damaged from the bullets forcing Jay to make an emergency landing. Jay & Elly soon learn they are being hunted. Who is hunting them and why? I hope you read this very intriguing and well-written novel by a very talented author.

Jeannie Walker Award Winning Author - "Fighting the Devil" - A True Story of Consuming Passion, Deadly Poison and Murder

[Will Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the story even if it seemed as if written for a younger audience. Which, after reading the author's bio, I see he writes 'YA', my bad. If I had known that before embarking on the story, I may not have started it at all and it would have been my loss. The 2 main charcters could have used a tad more depth, and the peripheral characters required a lot of reader imagination to flesh out. But if you think of them in stereotypical fashion, they are what they are. It is 'YA' after all and not a very deep read. Don't look for hidden sub-plots or meanings, you won't find any. It is what it is.

[J Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mission – protect the pop star!

Elly, the lead singer for System Override, is the victim of a kidnapping attempt while her plane is refueling at a small airport. The kidnappers are foiled when they are spotted by Jason, a Marine home on leave. H shoots several kidnappers and escapes with Elly in his float plane only to crash land on a lake later when the plane catches fire from earlier bullets in the runway gunfire exchange.

Jason was hoping to heal from his war experiences before having to interact with anyone but Elly’s safety becomes his mission. Elly was burnt out from her heavy concert tour schedule but being with Jason, even under these circumstances, gives her a feeling of peace and safety.

Their battle to elude their pursuers and find their way home makes an exciting story. The writing was very descriptive and the characters were likable and relatable. Five stars!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elly’s Ghost is a captivating book that had me hooked from the beginning. A story delivered with so much heart and soul that that I fell in love with the characters and their journey with each turn of the page. A beautiful, strong, and resilient heroine and a reserved, fiercely protective and very determined hero. The storyline is very-well written with twists and turns that had me anxiously waiting to see what happens next. The dialogue is witty and the humor had me laughing often. The emotions radiated from the pages. I enjoyed every second of this incredible story and didn’t want it to end. I recommend reading this book!

[Roger Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

An entertaining read that is really hard to put down. This my second reading after several years and I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first.

[Kathleen Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was very enjoyable.

[Thomas \Pawlak · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was better than expected.

At first, I thought it would be a slow read but it quickly picked up the pace and didn’t disappoint.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.5 stars for this book. It wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst either.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly enjoyable read. New author for me and not my usual genre, but I liked it. I rate it 5 stars.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent light read

The character development lacks a bit, but it's overall a fun and fast moving story. Perfect light reading. If you are going on a trip or the like, it would be nice.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book written by Author John R. Kess. His first novel, "Finding Hannah" was so moving and well written I wanted to give it 10 stars. Likewise, "Elly's Ghost" deserves the same star-rating as I could not set it down. I spent my Saturday relishing every sentence I read. The story involves Corporal Jay Tessier, a Marine returning home to Montana on leave from Afghanistan. He is dealing with much stress in remembering the tragedies of the war, as well remembering the loss of his parents in a horrendous auto accident before he entered the U.S. Marines. He's looking forward to a week of recovery and solitude in the family's mountain cabin, isolated in the woods. As he gets his dad's old float-plane warmed up at the small town's airport, another aircraft is landing. Aboard is the very successful and popular singer of the Override Band, Elly Wittenbel, being transported by private plane from Maryland to Seattle for a concert. As her plane lands, a dark van pulls up, with masked and armed men intent on kidnapping Elly. Jay hears shots fired and realizes what their mission is as Elly in handcuffs is pulled from the plane. Jay grabs his gun. Elly in handcuffs manages to break away and runs toward the float-plane. Even though several shots hit their plane, Jay and Elly manage to get into the air ... but not for very long. The plane catches fire and an emergency landing on a nearby lake is made successfully. They escape into the woods, but they are being hunted. Why is the U.S. President assigning FBI agents secretly to investigate the loss of Elly Wittenbel? I loved this story, and when you read it, you won't be able to put it down. And if you haven't read John Kess' first book, "Finding Hannah," I suggest you read that one, too. John is an outstanding author and I look forward to his next book. I'm very impressed with his talent.

[Julie Treanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Keith Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

I'm not a great reviewer, but I really like this book. It's almost embarrassing to confess to having read this book at least 3X in the last year. Having served overseas and stateside, it still impresses me whenever someone gives positive strokes to the men and women of our military; especially when they get the picture so right regarding their selflessness and readiness to give their all. I really liked the fact that the hero was portrayed as just such a young man. He saw a tough situation developing and didn't hesitate. He gave the best he could even though he had already given in very trying circumstances.

I would recommend this book to my friends, family members and especially to young teenagers. Yes, there are some moments of violence, but they are necessary. The acts are not done for the thrill, or just for sport, but because they are necessary. The young man in this story stood up for what was right and he made tough decisions that came with consequences. He is a good role model for all of us.

I'm happy to say that there is a happy ending. I hope that you enjoy reading this book as much as I have.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as I know, this is the first book I've read by author John Kess. I have to say, I really enjoyed it!

Maybe it was the day I spent at the beach yesterday. Or maybe it was the fact that my furniture FINALLY got delivered today. Or maybe it was the glass of wine I was enjoying on my new sofa while I finished. But, this book had almost everything for me.

It was an easy read. It was well-written. It was pretty well-paced. And, I actually got misty-eyed at the end! I would definitely recommend this book, and I will look for more work from John Kess.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has an interesting plot line, good characters, and is well told by John R. Kess. It's always fun to read a 'love story' from a man's perspective. I found this story very enjoyable. It is more a 'young adult' novel, and because of that, there is an innocence to the characters which was sweet and that I found quite refreshing. It is suspenseful and there is some violence that some might find disturbing [the leading man is a combat Marine back from Afghanistan]. I liked him and the leading lady, Elly, very much. I recommend this story as a good read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, if that was an option.

I don't usually read "thriller" or adventure-type books, but this one was free on kindle, so I tried it. I ended up really liking it, found the story exciting and interesting, the characters likeable, and there was even a little bit of romance. It's not a book I will ponder for days, but for a FREE kindle book, it was very enjoyable and well-written. I would definitely read this author again.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nice book. When I got done reading this book, I felt satisfied. It was thrilling, it had some mystery & romance. I liked the story line and that there wasn't any foul language despite having a Marine as one of the main characters. It tugged at my heart strings & made me smile, my heart race & shed a tear or two. This is a book I can easily recommend to my friends. A great read for FREE!!

[Bill Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read


One criticism in a detail. Pilot licenses do not expire. They can be revoked but not expire. Your medical certificate expires on a basis dependent on your level of license. Sorry for the criticism. The story was great and portrayed our US military in the positive light in which it shines. didn't do so bad with Rock stars either. Agents and managers not so good, but OH WELL.

[Simon Jenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elly's Ghost is a really well done romantic thriller. It is smoothly written with great pacing. The story moves seamlessly between scenes where romance is blossoming and tense moments where Jay and Elly's lives are on the line. There is plenty of action, character development and even some humor. The detailed ending also adds closure to the 'chase' through the wilderness.

[Leslie Mesmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are wanting a quick read that doesn't require a lot of thinking involved. Not in a bad way.
The story moves along and I simply can not resist an on the run in the wilderness story.
The only reason I knocked off a star is because I think it ran just a bit simplistic in solving the problem and also not a lot of depth to the characters.
I do want to try another book by this author.

[Josie Shears · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book from start to end. Very easy read and predictable ending but well written. Loved the bringing out of the struggles our military men and women face, brought out a greater appreciation for the sacrifices they make.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This is the first time I have read anything from John Kess. Jay is a marine home on leave after a tragic incident in Afghanistan. Just wanting time to himself he ends up helping Elly. Running for their lives they find that they both need each other.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written, heart-warming story, blending, patriotism, romance, and the best of human nature. If you're feeling down, relax and enjoy "Elly's Ghost." It's absorbing, entertaining, and up-lifting. What more can you ask of a good book?

[Jemima Pett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable thriller, with a Marine on leave from Afghanistan being in the wrong place (or the right place) when a rock star is kidnapped in deepest Montana. Lots of hiking and a high body count. The protagonists are in their 20s, but the ending made me feel it was fine for older YA.

[Catherine Matsubu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stayed awake very late to finish an exciting book. Didn't know it was for kids

refreshing that every thought was not repeated on every other page. each was original. I will recommend this story to my granddaughter

[David Howard]

Awesome read.

Loved the very human story of both Elly and Jay. How they overcame their own demons and survived their circumstances. A fun very well paced story. Looking forward in seeing more from this author.

[Carol and Gary Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Certainly kept my interest. The characters were well developed and the plot proceeded at a quick pace. I do wonder what the future brings for Jay and Elly.

[Stacey Frederes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was a very good book! I loved the characters, and there was just enough action and suspense to keep the story moving. Will definitely be reading this author's other works!

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly well written book with a great story. If you are into thrillers with a hint of romance this is for you.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story some mystery some romance. Well written overall enjoyable read.