Horror Book Preview: The Tenth Ward by Rockwell Scott

 

In a world where we think that ghosts are not real but make for a great entertaining horror story, Rockwell Scott’s series takes us to a place where the paranormal is an acceptable phenomenon.

This week’s horror book pick is THE TENTH WARD by Rockwell Scott. The novel is part of a series called the Randolph Casey Horror Thrillers, where the protagonist is a demonologist and ghost hunter who solves unexplained cases. 

The Tenth Ward is the first in the series and was published in March, 2019. 

The Tenth Ward Book Plot

Randolph Casey is a university professor by day, and a paranormal investigator by night. 

When he accepts a new case at a hospital, he expects it to be a routine one where he must help the restless spirit to go into the light. Except, what awaits him is far more malevolent. 

In order to battle this demonic entity, Randolph must face his own fears and race against time if he intends to save innocent souls from being fed. 

Will Randolph be able to conquer this demonic entity?

The Tenth Ward Book Preview and My Take

In the prologue, we meet Thomas Mowry. He has cystic fibrosis and has been recently told by the doctors that he has only limited days left. Thomas has given up on his faith, but he decides to use a ouija board to contact God, anyway. 

He takes the ouija board from the game room and, at night, contacts God. At first, the game doesn’t work, but when the planchette moves on its own, he thinks God is directly speaking to him. 

Based on what the plot summary promised us, it is definitely not God who is contacting him, is it?

Anyway, he asks God to take care of his friend Georgia, and then is told that he has only 17 days to live. 

We then meet Randolph Casey. He is in the middle of his paranormal lecture at the university. Not many of his students have returned but he had already anticipated that based on his material. 

In the middle of his lesson, he notices an auditor enter and start taking notes. He understands that his course is under review, and he has been audited before. 

At the end of the lecture, when he is in his office, the auditor enters and introduces herself as Doris. She isn’t too impressed with his lecture or the photos he has been showing to his students, or even his own scars from when he encountered demons. 

Their meeting is first interrupted by an eager student who wants to know about the grading system, and then by Georgia’s parents, who suspect that Thomas’ ghost is visiting their daughter every night. 

Randolph has a strong suspicion that it is a possibility since it is at a hospital that is a ground for restless spirits. 

He takes on the case, to the surprise of Doris, who isn’t too happy that he is moonlighting as a ghost hunter. 

Read or Skip?

The stage is set. We have a dying teenager who wants to help his friend. We have a possibly dying girl who thinks she is being visited by her friend, who wants to keep her safe. 

But is this all that is going on?

Based on the summary, there is much more to the story than what can be understood in only the first three chapters of the story. 

The story flows well from page one. There isn’t a single drab moment, which is a good thing for a horror thriller. The characters are well-developed and descriptive. You sympathize with Thomas, and you feel for Randolph for having the kind of knowledge of the afterlife that not many believe in. He understands people can be skeptical, but he is understanding of that. 

Even though he is being audited, his main concern is how he can help people get rid of hauntings or how he can help spirits move on. 

So yes, definitely a READ. 

You can check out this book, too, and buy it here