Purrfectly Haunted (ExorSquad)

Haunting #412: Lynch Hostel

Number of ghosts: 5. Possibly more?

Location: Lynch Hostel, Old Town Edinburgh, Scotland.

History: Five ghosts have been reported on site for the past century, since Earl Fergus Lynch, the original owner of the house, summoned them during his seances. So far, the residents have tolerated the ghosts, and they became part of Edinburgh’s paranormal history. Apparitions, whispers, drops in temperature... But lately, they have been more active, showing poltergeist-like behaviours and damaging parts of the house.

Wanted: An immediate expulsion of the ghosts on site with limited damage to the building and the customer experience for the guests on location. The ghost hunts are to be conducted late at night, when everyone is asleep.

The ExorSquad Team: James Sato and Ewan Hamilton (new recruits).

Additional notes: The owner of Lynch Hostel asked firmly that our team respect her seven cats living on site. The team can stay for free at the hostel for the duration of the mission. Accommodation has been prepared.

What do a timid rugby player, a tattooed short king, and seven cats have in common?

Ghosts.

Lynch Hostel is one of the most haunted places of Old Town Edinburgh. From the infamous Burning Crone, a witch burned at the stake, to the Lady in Red, a seductress who haunts the quiet library, and the Urchin who grabs people’s ankles in the communal showers. Tourists and ghost hunters flock to the hostel in the hope of getting a glimpse of its spooky dwellers. But the five ghosts have been restless, and their constant attacks threaten the integrity of the house. Help is needed, and who is better appointed for the job than one of the ExorSquad team, UK’s shadiest ghost-busting operation?

ExorSquad, where all your hauntings go to die.

James really needed a job, so he joined ExorSquad reluctantly—ghosts, really? His first mission was a joke, and so his expectations are abysmal when they send him to Edinburgh to hunt a few spirits in a haunted hostel. But he gets more than what he bargained for: a soft giant of a teammate and very real ghosts.

Ewan remembers seeing ghosts when he was a wee kid, but they eventually faded into the background of his childhood in the Scottish countryside, until he could no longer see them. He still has nightmares sometimes. Now the visions of the afterlife are back, and he wonders if he lost his marbles or if there is really a world beyond the veil. On his time off from his rugby training at university, he joins ExorSquad in the hope of finally knowing the truth and facing his fears.

Purrfectly Haunted features an unusual pairing between a soft giant and a white knight top, a cast of weird ghosts, seven cats, a strange house, and a crazy cat lady. It’s the fourth book in the multi-author MM paranormal romance series, the ExorSquad.

Trigger warning available on Mell R. Bright's website.

The ExorSquad Series is a collection of standalone MM romcoms centred around the unfortunate employees of ExorSquad Ltd, the UK’s shadiest ghost-busting operation. Expect supernatural shenanigans, things that go bump in the night, sizzling encounters, and hard-won happy-ever-afters.