Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes 🎧 Narrated by Zura Johnson

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.

Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.

While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her.

That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Ghost Station was wonderfully eerie! I loved the suspense and how slowly things were revealed. The author really took her time setting up the story, and I was pleasantly surprised with how things unfolded. The super creepy alien atmosphere only added to the appeal. If you like audiobooks, I definitely recommend listening to this one. The narrator did a wonderful job and only heightened my feelings of unease.

Ophelia has a dark past she wants to keep locked away, but we see how her circumstances bring long-buried memories to light. Her crewmates already have preconceived notions about her, and when certain truths are revealed, she loses what little trust and comradery she'd managed to build between them. She desperately wants to prove she's more than her name, but the crew she's been assigned to has secrets of their own that impact their decisions and reactions on this mission.

When they arrive on the planet, there are signs that its previous inhabitants left in a hurry. The generator, building, personal items, etc. have all been left in disarray, which isn't what anyone expected. Everyone is quick to shrug it off, but there are lingering feelings of unease amongst the crew. It's also weird that the previous owners of the planet would sell the rights to their competitor, which should have been the first clue that something was amiss. 

They're on the planet to collect samples, but their seemingly simple mission is upended when one of their crewmates starts behaving erratically. Ophelia thinks it's ERS, something she's been working on with her patients for years, and employs methods to try and mitigate the symptoms. Unfortunately, no one could have anticipated what was actually going on, and her efforts fail to help and cause more tension between her and the rest of the crew.

As things escalate, people's secrets are revealed and relationships are tested. I really liked how determined Ophelia was despite the reception she received, and thought her gradual - if somewhat begrudging acceptance - was hard-won and well deserved. She didn't give up when things were difficult, and I honestly think the challenge was good for her. She proved herself to be capable and was able to convince most of them that she had good intentions. 

You have an ancient alien civilization (they've been dead for a while), unpredictable weather and visibility when outside the "ghost station," and some unidentifiable thing to contend with. It would have been stressful and scary without the tension between the characters, but I think the danger and "unknown" elements added to the unpredictability of the story. I definitely recommend this one if you like horror. Ghost Station kept me guessing the entire time, and I'm happy with how things were resolved at the end. (★★★★☆)