Ghost at Dawn

by Kevan Dale

Unless everything she knows about the afterlife is a lie, she’s about to fade for good.

Karen Jarvis’s overthinking never stops, not even in death. To cope, the former child prodigy clings to the ignore the visions when they intrude, or go crazy; don’t reach out to the living, or they die; tap the forty-two special points in her house in the same order every day, or fade.

But when a voice from the past pushes her to question the know-it-all people-pleasing that left her friendless in life, she launches into a fit of adolescent rebellion long overdue—and discovers she’s been lied to all along.

Piecing together the true extent of the deception, Karen’s off-the-chart IQ leads her to a weakness in her mentor’s ruthless scheme. Unfortunately, exploiting it means trusting in someone with an average at best IQ.

Bad idea.

So when her captor sets her up for an infernal checkmate, Karen faces a terrible let her crippling fear of falling short undercut her one chance to save herself and the only friends she’s ever known, or out-think her tormentor’s every move.

If you love heroic underdogs, pulse-pounding twists and turns, and endings that leave you on the edge of your seat, then you’ll love Kevan Dale’s gripping novel of psychological horror.

Buy Ghost at Dawn to take on the perils of the afterlife today!

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2021

About the author

Kevan Dale grew up in a Massachusetts home full of books, next to a winding patch of woods full of stories (in his already vivid imagination). Books and stories eventually pointed him to a degree in English. That degree in English inspired him to pursue a career as a professional guitar maker (long story.) A decade of luthiery led to a second career, this time in video games (another long story) where he remains. It all made sense at the time, honestly.

Throughout all, books and stories. History, fantasy, horror. All of them tug at his imagination, and he happily follows.

Kevan is once again in Massachusetts, glad to live in his own home full of books, next to a winding patch of woods full of stories.

Join Kevan's private newsletter: www.kevandale.com

Reviews

[Katt Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to write it before I forget: this book is beautiful, as was Ghost at Dusk - incredibly detailed, down to bold, rich colors that - Kevan Dale literally paints the picture for you. Clean, vivid, the imagination's BFF.

Why I really enjoyed this book is that the one before, Ghost at Dusk, was so good in my opinion, it got 5 stars. The books can work as a standalone story, but where's the fun in that? Each book helps each other out to give you all the info you need. Also, the books are sharply written and to the point. No frills and filler and stuff losing my attention over. I like that!

The reason I gave four stars was because I was mildly annoyed at times with Karen. I'm not saying why because I don't like spoilers, but she grew on me after a bit and I got over it. It's no reason not to read the book! That, and I have some unanswered questions.

Now I feel like Karen. Yes, I'd recommend these books :)

[Paula Tooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I read GHOST AT DUSK and enjoyed it, I naturally pulled this one up, also. I enjoyed it, too. The main reason I took off 1 star: Too many "woke" references. You can tell that it was written recently. I'm sorry, but I'm a Grandma that LOVES reading/watching ALL kinds of horror. . . but stay away from the politics and political correctness.

[Kat Montemayor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not horror as in terrifying. This is horror as in gloomy ghosts meandering through a pitiful afterlife. Kind of like The Others . This is the complementary book to Ghost at Dusk . We get Karen's side of things.It reminds me even more of Haunter as Karen is stuck with "her family". Nothing is as it seems. Karen is smart, but not as smart as she thinks. I don't know if the author is a math nerd, or if he did a ton of research, but either way, great mathing! I love how the author included the teacher and the way her memory was incorporated at the end. All the details, such as the tapping, tying up the storyline was fantastic. Never saw the twist! I think I like Timothy's story better, but this was very good. I'm glad the author made the characters flawed.

[David Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent story. So much atmosphere crammed into less than 200 pages. This is a ghost story with a difference, from the perspective of the ghost, how they came to be haunting their home and why they can't move on.. So easy to pick up and read with some great characters, you will be pulling for them every step of the way until the final page.

A must read for fans of ghost stories, horror and maybe for a commute into work.

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevan Dale has done it again, telling a fantastic story with Ghost at Dawn. Richly formed characters, growing tension, and surprising twists make this a page-turner. You’ll enjoy Kevan’s command of the language and how effortlessly he seems to weave it throughout all his stories. It just flows. He really knows how to bring characters to life. For me, this book is the prequel to Ghost at Dusk. If you have yet to read these books, start with Dawn, and then you will enjoy the climactic ending of Dusk so much more (IMHO). These are great reads. Highly recommended.