Ken McGorry Publishes Paranormal Thriller 'Ghost Hampton' Inspired by Local Area

While heading to his summer home in Westhampton Beach, former Post Magazine editor Ken McGorry learned from his wife that a nearby house has a history of paranormal activity and prostitution. He thought that story would make a great springboard for a novel, so he began writing.He reimagined the story to make it fictional, and now, five years later, he has self-published “Ghost Hampton,” about a haunted house in the East End.

Mr. McGorry’s wife, Mary McGorry, who is in real estate, did the mortgage on the actual house that inspired the book. He recalled their conversation as they drove past the home: “She said, ‘The guy who bought it later told me it’s haunted. He also said that it apparently used to be a brothel way back in the 1800s.’ So I’m like, ‘OK, haunted brothel in the Hamptons!’ Before we got out of the car, I said, ‘The next book is going to be called “Ghost Hampton.”’

According to Mr. McGorry, the homeowner said his daughters reported having a little ghost girl sit on their beds and watch them. When they sold the house a few years later and the new owners were conducting a final walkthrough, the water pipes burst in every room they entered.

While “Ghost Hampton” is a fictional story, Mr. McGorry made sure to incorporate actual aspects of the Hamptons to create a realistic setting. He included the Blue Duck Bakery Café in Southampton, a war monument in Bridgehampton—into which the protagonist crashes his car—and News 12 television news reports. Although the real haunted house is in Westhampton Beach, he decided to move his story to Bridgehampton.

Mr. McGorry will hold a book signing on Saturday, July 16, at 4 p.m. at the Westhampton Free Library. The event will feature a brief reading, a question-and-answer session, and the trailer he made for the book, which can be found on the book’s website, ghosthampton.com.

The book trailer gives an inside look at the story from the perspective of the controversial protagonist, Lyle Hall. The rich and resented Bridgehampton attorney was accused of killing a woman in a car crash that put him in a coma. When he woke, he had the ability to see and hear things that others cannot. To the author’s surprise, the actor who played Mr. Hall read the entire manuscript before filming the two-minute video to fully understand his character.

Mr. McGorry has already done nine book signings throughout Long Island, including one in his hometown of Manhasset. His latest one was on July 9 in Bridgehampton at a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and his final one will be on Saturday, August 6, from 3 to 6 p.m at a fundraiser in Sag Harbor for Climbing for a Cure.

This thriller incorporates aspects of humor to occasionally lighten up the mood of an otherwise serious plot. The author uses the same style in his unpublished novel, “Smashed,” which he is hoping to publish with the funds made from “Ghost Hampton.” He said that his books would be a “total bummer” if they didn’t have a comedic flare.

“Ghost Hampton,” being the first in a trilogy, was published in early April. He already started the second novel that will be set in Sag Harbor.

“If you don’t do a trilogy, then you’re just blowing smoke,” he claimed. “This means I mean it.”

A resident of Manhasset for 24 years, silver-haired Mr. McGorry has been coming to his summer house with his wife and two sons for 13 years. He often visits the haunted house while he is in the area, but has never gone inside, as it is currently occupied. He wonders if the new residents know of its disturbing past.

Mr. McGorry worked as the editor for Post Magazine for 24 years and left in 2011 to begin writing his novels. He has also been part of two Long Island rock bands for more than 40 years—the Meade Brothers Band and the Gabis Brothers Band—and he shared about 45 songs of their songs on his SoundCloud. He still joins them to play on occasion.