In the Hills Above the Gristmill

Paisley Mott Mystery, Book 1

By: Kalvin Ellis

Narrated by: Jessica Schly

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Paisley Mott struggles with anxiety. Her particular blend of anxiety causes her to go into a hyper-focused state, which can lead to more anxiety. After the tragic death of her mother, she began to see her anxiety-induced hyper-focus as a strength. Now, she's a paranormal investigator with an up-and-coming web series that is propelling her into becoming an expert in her field.

Hollis Grimm is a charismatic preacher from the small Appalachian mining town of Grey Water Ridge. When he contacts Paisley to help shine some light on the mysterious mutilation of seven women in the woods outside of town, she is on the first flight out. It wasn't the murders that drew her to the South or the charming preacher, but the claim that the locals believe God has sent a creature to punish the town for its sins. And that this isn't the first time.

The preacher, an outsider turned sheriff, an heiress and internet celebrity, a man obsessed with the past, an old-timer with an ax to grind, an obsessed fan, and a growing number of bodies stand between Paisley and the truth. After digging into the dark secrets of the town’s history she must decide what is more dangerous, the monster in the woods, or the people who believe in him. If she isn't careful, she will not be leaving Grey Water Ridge with the story, let alone her life.

©2020 Kalvin Ellis (P)2020 Kalvin Ellis

Highly Recommended Suspenseful Mystery

I would subscribe (and even ring that bell!) to Paranormal or Not with Paisley Mott in a heartbeat! She is charming and captivating, yet still relatable.

The town of Grey Water Ridge is fascinating in the way that most eerie things are - you want to poke and peel at the cracks that have appeared in the facade, even if you aren’t entirely sure you want to see what’s underneath. (But trust me you do and will want to read as fast as possible to find out!)

I hope we will get to know some of the supporting cast better in the next book, but even if not, I cannot wait to follow Paisley wherever she goes next as I will for sure be a constant reader of this series.

Strong female characters for the win!!

So you know how sometimes people are like, “oh yeah, this has strong female characters in it”, and then they actually aren’t? Well, this book finally has strong female characters!! I love the friendship between the two main females. Kalvin hit the nail on the head with us wanting to lift each other up instead of tearing each other down.

There were fantastic suspenseful moments mixed with some really creepy parts- Courtney, I’m looking at you when I say that. I loved the ending but I won’t spoil it! I can’t wait to read/listen to more books from this series and this author!

Jessica did a great job narrating. Her voice is wonderful to listen to and she handled the tone and characters very well. It’s hard y’all and she was fantastic!!

You had me at Sasquatch

What a ride! My mind is mush as I write this review with a big book hangover. I read the entire book with my head full of suspicion and I was totally engaged in this story.
Tension starts on page one and never lets up with amazing characters that are always keeping you guessing as to which side they are on.
Paisley is invited to Grey Water Ridge, a small mining town in the Appalachian mountains, to report on multiple brutal murders that locals claim
is done by a Sasquatch.
Paisley is a video blogger with a respectable amount of followers. She uses her vlog to live-stream herself as a paranormal investigator and she is a total badass when in front of the camera. She is not as confident in real life as she has a lot of self doubt.
The author Kalvin Ellis says he lives by the mantra “You are who you choose to be” which is a quote from Hogarth in The Iron Giant movie. I can see that in Paisley as she works through the obstacles thrown at her. She battles a cult like church, her own insecurities, a small town that doesn’t trust outsiders and everyone seems to be hiding information from her even though she was invited there.
I am so intrigued by Paisley and I’m excited that there is going to be a sequel. I would love to go to her vlog and watch some of the video. That would be very cool.

Holy Cow!!!

Such a fantastic book!!! I cannot recommend it enough. The storytelling is tight, the characters are well written, and there is well-crafted mystery and suspense keeping readers/listeners engaged from start to finish. There’s also just enough of a hint something supernatural at work to keep the audience guessing. Well done, Mr. Ellis.

Like watching a binge-able TV series

I was annoyed with the whole vlogging thing at first but I like where the author goes with it. I love stories that focus on a small town and the weird things that go on there, so this was great. A little predictable but there's an exciting climax. I was very pleased with how everything came together in the end. I feel as if I just binge watched a short television series and now I'm eagerly waiting for the second season. I'm excited to see what trouble Paisley will find herself in with the next story.

Totally Jaw Dropping

Wow, wow, wow. Well done, Kelvin. I was on the edge of my seat listening to this story. Extremely well-written to paint a picture in your head and a gripping storyline that definitely leaves you wanting more. Can’t say enough good things. Looking forward to more from Paisley Mott!

Great Book!!!

loved it, and horror isn't my first choice in genres.
Clever writing, funny jokes and interesting contemporary characters!

Loved it from the first sentence!

This book hooked me from the start. I seriously hadn’t stayed up for a book in a while. I didn’t want to put it down.

This book did have some predictable parts but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment.

I recommend this book for anyone that loves a good murder mystery with a fun story in between.

My Old Kentucky Home or Nightmare?

I've followed the author Kalvin Ellis on Instagram for a while. I bought the physical copy of this book a began reading when I got it. Not long after Kalvin released a audio version. With my hectic schedule I switched over to the audio so I could enjoy the story easier. I'll state this first. I'm from Kentucky. Being from Kentucky we don't have the pleasure of the Smoky Mountains in our state. In the beginning Kalvin kind of sets the location within the Smoky's. A side from that here we go. Paisley Mott is very likeable character. She's easily relatable too. The story flows nicely. Being this is Book 1 I'm sure some more will come from the Paisley's past in future books. Paisley is a Vlogger that researches Supernatural and Mysterious places. She was connected to investigate a Sasquatch in the Foot Hills of the Smoky Mountains. What Paisley actually discovers is very interesting indeed. Kalvin packs a lot of character's and a lot of references to a variety of Pop Culture. I'm very much looking forward to Book 2 of the Paisley Mott Mystery Series. Jessica Schly did an amazing job narrating this novel. Her use of tones and ranges was very nice. She has geniue voice that makes you want to listen on. She's just not just reading the story she's performing it. I do hope she returns for next books. I'm definitely a fan.

Engaging Mystery with a Dark Edge: Character Complexity and Intrigue

I was recommended this book from a coworker with ties to the author. So my review may be slightly biased but I’ll do my best to give a fair review.

You enter into a southern town, there’s something dark and malevolent hidden in plain site. Quaint but mysterious. People are never as they seem. An out of towner comes in and slowly unravels all the secrets almost by just being there. Hard R Scooby Doo vibes for sure.

The descriptions in this book are phenomenal and really pull you into each moment. Each location feels lived in and explorable. The author has a great talent for going into gritty detail, sometimes almost to much detail. There’s a scene that definitely gave me mortal kombat imagery. Just as much as each location and moment feels real, so do all of the characters. You can picture all of them in your head, which is definitely complimented by the narrator’s performance. When you think you can clearly see the end a mile away, but you’re always questioning everything along all along. A authors favorite question is always “what happens next?” This book definitely enforces the thought.

Now my only criticisms, which are probably more personal preference, is the level of spice in the book. Some of it felt a bit much, akin to the shock value in a Quentin Tarantino film. While this extreme approach might appeal to some, it wasn't my personal preference. But I can still see its use in conveying character motivations and dynamics in certain instances. Despite this, it didn't take away from the otherwise compelling story.

Overall it was an ear turner! Not sure what the audiobook equivalent is?! 😂😂 🔥🔥🔥