Reviews and Articles

What are people saying about Dunning's work?

"Finally the state of Utah has a book all its own and no author is better to write about the resident haunts than Linda Dunning. She manages to capture the unique flavor of the region, spin some chilling ghost stories and still treat with respect a mysterious culture. This is a book that should not be missed!”

– Troy Taylor, Author and Founder of the American Ghost Society

"A great book of haunted history! I couldn’t put this one down and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history and haunts, no matter where they live!”

– David Goodwin, Author of “Ghosts of Jefferson Barracks”

City Weekly - October 27, 2010 By Geoff Griffin

"Regardless of how “harmless” these spooks may seem, at this time of year, you can’t help but have a chill run up your spine when you read something like the “Swedish Logger” story that gets told around campfires at a Boy Scout camp in Scow Creek. The logger found his wife’s dead and mangled body outside of their cabin—located near the camp—so he buried her next to the cabin, left the area and was never heard from again. Dunning writes, 'Upon wandering into this area, it is said, you can hear a baby crying in the distance. If you walk through the woods anywhere near this area, you might also hear a woman screaming.'

Whatever your opinions on the existence of ghosts, Dunning has done her job, because when you read something like that, your first thought is, 'Yikes!'"

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Regarding Restless Spirits

The Standard-Examiner—August 10, 2008 Article regarding the Bear Lake monster.

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Regarding Lost Landscapes

The Park Record—July 23, 2010 Article regarding Dunning’s newest book.

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Regarding Restless Spirits

City Weekly—Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Geoff Griffin

“Dunning takes a good-natured, ghost-stories-a round-the-campfire approach that is more concerned with how belief in the non-concrete enriches our lives rather than worrying about how accurate those convictions might be.”

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Regarding Lost Landscapes

www.weirdus.com—Excerpt from Route 666: Highway to Hell

Linda Dunning, author of “Specters in Doorways: The History and Hauntings of Utah” tells of an experience her husband had on this treacherous road. He was driving alone on Route 666 one night when suddenly “he saw a truck that looked like it was on fire heading straight for him, right down the middle of the highway. The truck was going so fast that sparks were flying up off the wheels and flames were coming from the smokestack.” He estimated that the truck was traveling 130 miles an hour. He pulled off the road and fled into the desert until the imposing, flaming vehicle passed him by.”

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Regarding Specters in Doorways

City Weekly—Artys 2008 Staff Picks

BEST SPOOKY READ
Lost Landscapes: Utah’s Ghosts, Mysterious Creatures, and Aliens by Linda Dunning
From the Bear Lake Monster to Bigfoot to unwanted passengers on Route 666, Dunning brings together tales of the paranormal from across the Beehive State. Although she gives each story a thorough examination through the lenses of history and science, what makes the book enjoyable are Dunning’s observations about the nature of belief, which she sums up by stating, “If we stop imagining those things both real and unreal, then we stop being human altogether.” Cedar Fort, 2007

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City Weekly—Wednesday, December 5, 2007 by Geoff Griffin

“From unwanted night-time passengers on Route 666 at the southern end of the state to the Bear Lake Monster up north, from the mystical powers of the Four Corners landscape to Bigfoot sightings in Weber County, Dunning approaches her subjects with just the right mix of professional investigation (science, archeology, geology, history, metaphysical, etc.), humor and personal observation.”

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Regarding Lost Landscapes

The Deseret News Book Review—November 12, 2003

"This is an intriguing, well-written book filled with fascinating local stories for a summer evening."
--Dennis Lythgoe The Deseret News

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Regarding Specters in Doorways

Amazon.com Comment—October 13, 2005 by Avid Reader “Rebecca”

I don't want to write my own book here but this book was a little bit of magic for me. It seemed that every time I read about a certain place I would run into someone tied to it somehow and we would talk about what I had read. I would read at night and the next day I would drive past the place on my daily errands. Linda, I hope you read this some day and know how much I have enjoyed it. Thank you for all the time you did take. Thank you.

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Regarding Specters in Doorways

Amazon.com Comment—March 28, 2004 by P. R. Bailey

If you are looking for Harry Potter or The Headless Horseman don't read this book. But if you want to go to the Keeper of the Legends that we all grew up with as teens in Utah, this is the book for you. Or if you want to share this unique combination of folklore, history and Mormon mystique upbringing with your children as I did, don't miss the opportunity to buy this book.

I found myself, remembering the trips to the city cemetery after mutual to visit EMO's grave. I recalled the stories I heard from the elders of the blessings that were given through out the Churches' history to establishments who purported to have hangers on to life that might be creating an evil overcast in a place. I have always been grateful for the Churches forward thinking view of the connection between current life experience and spirit.

The images created by the discussion of Trolley Square and its past placed me once again in the forward thinking represented by the community building efforts that took place for Trolley Square, with a reverence of those who passed through its history, both the possessed and the positive.

My children found themselves intrigued by the legends that surrounded my experiences growing up in Utah. Our world views come from our experiences and I am grateful to Ms. Dunning for capturing a past and a present that it uniquely Utah.

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Regarding Specters in Doorways

Lagoonisfun.com—February 20, 2008 by Tilt-A-Whirl Girl

I got a book recently by Linda Dunning (who writes great books about the haunted/mysterious/neat/great places in Utah) called Lost Landscapes. It has a whole chapter detailing the history of the resort, including all the trouble the poor place had after its grand days in the twenties. It was extremely interesting. It's amazing just how many times that place caught fire, or was blown down by high-force winds.  Anyway, if you are interested in the history of some of Utah's greatest places, Dunning's books are excellent reads. Her other book is titled Specters in Doorways and chronicles the haunted houses, factories, and properties in Utah. Usually I hate historical books, but her books don't read like history. They are just like hearing great stories about certain places from your grandparents. It's really fun.

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Regarding Saltair from Specters in Doorways