Adirondack Ghosts is a collection of campfire stories. While the ghost stories in the North Country are abundant and intriguing, Macken's attempt to turn them into page-turning material fails.

It is clear from the introduction that Macken is a believer in the supernatural. She even speculates as to why ghosts continue to linger in the area. The first account of a ghost sighting is, in fact, her own. Skeptics are not going to find compelling evidence in this book to convince them these tales are nothing more than legends. The book is obviously written mostly for readers who already believe in hauntings.

This is not to say that Macken doesn't make an attempt to convince the more skeptical readers. In the introduction and throughout each account, the author writes directly to the audience using the second person and rhetorical questions. Each chapter reads the same way. It starts with a brief description of the location highlighted and the circumstances surrounding the death. Then she writes an even briefer account of the supposedly spooky sighting. The author tries exclamation points and italics to convince the reader that he or she should gasp at the events.

The text itself sounds like the product of a fourth grader. The sentences rarely vary in length or arrangement. The writer's attempt to bring to life the eerie events comes across in a matter-of-fact tone that is inappropriate due to the skepticism involved in all ghost stories.

As far as in-depth research goes, the author takes a lot of her material from newspapers and a few interviews. It does not appear she asked any questions as to the validity of the stories. Everything was taken as a fact. She was not a hard one to convince these ghost stories are real, so it is not surprising that she assumes the reader is too.

This book might be a good introduction to Adirondack legends, but don't look to it to be convinced of or frightened by them. It does little else besides give a few of the many ghost stories circulating the Adirondacks. Her account of a story of a murdered old peddler ends with "Despite this terror, Randall remained an unbeliever. Are you?" After reading this book, readers can easily answer "yes."

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