Cincinnati is home to some great sports teams, such as the Cyclones, Bengals and Reds. Who'da thunk it would also be home to all kinds of ghosts and goblins, too? Cincinnati and the tri-state area (Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky) are teeming with ghostly tales that the local residents are more than happy to share. These accounts should bring thrills and chills to even the most skeptical of readers.

In Cincinnati Ghosts, author Karen Laven brings us stories of disembodied voices, ghostly footsteps and doors that open and close on their own. Be careful -- you just might unexpectedly be locked in a dark basement. Ghostly apparitions abound, as it is not uncommon for former residents to remain living in their house long after they should have moved on. Historical locations are especially active. Be prepared for unseen hands that like to turn water and lights on and off, and pranksters who like to move things around. Laven even heard tell of a rare daytime haunting. And just how often can you expect a ghostly encounter yourself? They may choose to hide if you chase them, and they may pop out when you least expect them. You never know.

But why do ghosts stick around? There are many theories, yet many questions remain unanswered. "Attempting to understand what makes the paranormal world tick is a difficult and elusive task," Laven explains. So, she thinks the best course of action, after hearing about so many others' experiences, is to do some ghost hunting of her own. Enter PINK, Paranormal Investigators of Northern Kentucky, with whom she investigates how an actual professional paranormal investigation is carried out, and she is not is not disappointed. The team caught all manner of EVPs (electronic voice phenomena), such as "Hi" and "Who's come up here?" in response to one investigator's query. Orbs of light make an appearance, and another investigator experiences that invisible touch on the nape of the neck that most of us would rather not encounter. How much fun is that? Wish I were there.

I know from experience that ghosts are fickle things. They do what they darn well feel like doing when they darn well feel like doing it -- or not. There is never any guarantee that a ghostly inhabitant will make an appearance when one goes ghost hunting. In Cincinnati Ghosts, Laven has done an amazing job digging into every nook and cranny of the Cincinnati area to reveal some great ghost stories, as well as experiencing her own successful ghost hunt. Lavin's intelligent and respectful approach to investigating the unseen world is sure to deliver a fright to all who dare open this book.