Review: Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

Author: Craig DiLouie
Publisher: Redhook 
Publication Date: January 2023

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts. Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter's holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It's also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen -- and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.

Episode Thirteen is a "found footage" story about a crew of ghost hunters featured on a hit show called Fade to Black.  Married couple, Matt and Claire and their team are having success on the show.  Matt is the believer and Claire is the scientific skeptic.  In the thirteenth episode, they  head to a haunted mansion where a group of scientists disappeared in the 70s.  This is their story.

First, I think best way to consume this book is through audiobook.  It has a full cast of characters and sound effects.  It helped set the atmosphere of the house and the events that happen to the Fade to Black crew. I really enjoyed it. I liked the characters and found myself rooting for all of them. I liked Claire's character the most.  With me being a scientist, I could identify with her skepticism the best. 

The book set up in typical "found footage" form.  Raw video footage and recordings are mixed in with media excerpts and journal entries. The "audience" is left to try to decide if it all really happened or not.  I  am a sucker for found footage movies, so I knew this was right up my alley.   I think this would make a fun movie.  Do they make it out alive?  You'll have to read to find out.  I highly recommend this one.