Another good basic book offered by Lynda Lee Macken on New York Hauntings is entitled Ghosts of Central New York: Historic Haunts in Copperstown, Syracuse & Beyond (ISBN 978-0975524473). This nonfiction text examines reports of ongoing paranormal activity in a variety of locations including the Alonzo Roberson Mansion, the Dodge Pratt Northam Center, the O’Connor’s Alexander Hamilton Inn, and the Bulls Head Inn. Other haunted destinations in Central New York include the John Miller House, the Old Stone Wall, Pomeroy Place, Greencrest, More River Street Haunts, and still others. Macken covers stories occurring in Binghamton, Boonville, Cazenovia, Clinton, Cobleskill, Copperstown, Elbridge, German Flatts, Herkimer, Little Falls, Oneonta, Oriskany, Rome, Saquoit, St. Johnsville, Syracuse, and Utica.

Macken gives you a good sampling of the different haunted accounts throughout the Central New York region. A little bit of history mixed with eye witness reports is put together in this 114-page book. Like many of Macken’s works, they can be read in a single sitting and it can introduce the ghost enthusiast to some of the most popular haunted sites in New York. Eerie quotations derived from other works of literature are shared throughout the work too.

For a brief read on hauntings, this book does nicely. Some of the stories seem a bit short, and tend to leave the reader wanting to know more information about the sites under examination. In any case, this is definitely a good book for those looking for a sampling of different paranormal accounts. It is also a great read for those looking for a starting point in terms of paranormal research and investigation. This is a book that is good for teens and adults. ( )