Whispers in the Dark: Real-life Ghost Encounters and Indian Folklore, by Sourav Rana

Independently published, 2026

ISBN: 979-8194194773

Available:Illustrated paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Amazon.com

People that appear to be alive suddenly disappear; strange screams shatter the quiet; spirits wrestle with and attack their victims; dead men march in lines; and shapeshifters wreak havoc. This might sound like what to expect in the latest horror novel, but they are actually part of Sourav Rana’s creative nonfiction ebook.

In this spooky collection, Rana describes actual encounters with ghosts and demons in India. The stories focus on lonely rural locations that become terrifying after dark. The threat of danger or actual danger is real, and although some of the stories describe similar experiences, Rana’s brief descriptions of the victims, their situations in life, and the particulars of their environment provide background that supports the authenticity of each story.

In addition to the details the victims are able to provide, Rana includes interesting context. We learn about the characteristics of the rural Indian landscape, the variety of occupations there, and the superstitions and religious beliefs of the villagers. We also gain insights on the culture’s folklore.

Each story is very brief, usually not more than a page or two, and gets straight to the surprising events while still building some suspense and providing a compact storyline. The end of this chapbook also lists descriptive, informative definitions of Jin, The Ghost Procession, Human Spirits, Raakshas, and Betaal. According to the people in the book, it is not totally unexpected that these entities could show up in everyday life, but they were still shocking to experience.

It seems possible that a full-length book could be developed from this version by adding stories, expanding the types of encounters, and perhaps by grouping them and adding more specific information about Indian mythology and Hinduism, with more detailed explanations. It would also be fascinating to find out how prevalent these stories are, if they tend to be connected only to specific parts of India, and if there has been any scientific evidence collected on these occurrences.

One thing is for certain, lives are changed when these ordinary people come face to face with what most people have only read about in mythology. They quickly decide not to be out and about after dark following these incidents, they learn that there are sacred boundaries that protect human beings from actual contact with the undead, and their mysterious adventures give credence to ancient beliefs about the thin line between the human and the supernatural.

Reviewed by Nova Hadley