The North Country is famous for many things: the Adirondacks, the winter weather, and skiing. But you won't find any guidebook that highlights the brutal murders or chilling haunts in the area…until now.

Haunted Northern New York, a book by Cheri Revai, dictates many of the most fascinating ghost stories from the North Country, including some here in Plattsburgh. The book covers Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin, and Clinton Counties, with most stories occurring in the St. Lawrence County region.

The haunted places described vary from a cider mill to a mobile home to a diner. Each story begins differently. The author switches her style here and there, starting some stories from when the haunting began, while others begin when the ghosts were still alive.

Perhaps the most intriguing is a story about Spanky's Diner in Massena. Numerous spirits haunt the diner and several psychics have visited the diner, only to tell of encounters with angry spirits, lost spirits, and forlorn spirits. The book documents the psychics' trips to the most haunted part of the diner, the basement, where they encounter paranormal activity that gets increasingly more violent.

In addition to these spine-tingling stories, the book also includes photos from spirit photographer Chris Sarlow. The photos alone are enough to make you look over your shoulder now and then, but coupled with the stories, they are enough to completely spook you.

Revai is currently working with Sarlow to produce a coffee table book of his photographs. The book is tentatively titled Gallery of North Country Ghosts. More of Sarlow's photos, as well as photos from other sources, can be found at the author's website.

Overall, Haunted Northern New York delivers many chills and spine tingles. While some of the stories seem similar, they are for the most part told in an engaging manner that keeps the reader expecting to see an apparition at any time.

Any questions? Email us.

Plattsburgh is home to two haunted sites:

MacDonough Hall and Hawkins Hall, both buildings on the Plattsburgh State campus, are haunted by ghosts from the early 1900's, including a janitor who hung himself in the basement of Hawkins.