The House Where Evil Lurks: A Paranormal Investigator’s Most Frightening Encounter.  Brandon Callahan.  2014.

In the House Where Evil Lurks, Brandon Callahan and his team investigate the case of a hearing-impaired man who has been attacked in his own home by an unseen force. Callahan beings his narrative by rooting the reader in his uniquely personal vision of what paranormal investigation should be.

Life experiences in the Air Force, struggles with organized religion, and disturbing recurring nightmares all helped drive Callahan to follow a calling as a paranormal investigator. But not just any investigator: Callahan deeply believes in the goal of helping others who are troubled by evil and fear in their homes, unlike other groups that use distressed families to further their own recognition or fame.  Additionally, he is passionate about the broader picture of paranormal investigation.

With his vision firmly in place, Callahan starts his investigative journey. We are introduced to Callahan’s tight-knit team: his brother and his sister-in-law, his good friend who is also a sensitive, and several other trusted teammates.

When Brandon and his team investigate the Missouri home, they discover that it is a hotbed of paranormal activity.  Using EVPs, flashlight communication, and a ghost box the team receives astounding results: contact with multiple entities in the house including one or more that are openly hostile.  Perhaps foolishly, Callahan performs a Ganzfeld sensory-deprivation experiment, thereby opening himself to the spirits.  This turns out to be a choice that has dangerous ramifications when something follows him and his team members home.

In The House Where Evil Lurks, Callahan bares his soul: sharing his own inner conflicts with organized religion and its lack of willingness to help those in need.  His writing is blunt and immediate.  Despite the narrative being rough around the edges and feeling a bit like a cross between memoir-meets-screenplay, it is a fascinating and disturbing read. One appreciates the author’s forthright approach and commitment to his philosophy.