Title: The Horror of the Crowford Empire (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #6)
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Ghosts
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon

The year is 1965, and Susan Jones is desperate to get out of Crowford. First, though, she needs to make enough money to finance a fresh start. She takes a series of dead-end jobs, until finally she gets hired to work at the town’s faded old cinema.

The Crowford Empire is a building with history. Before it was a cinema, the Empire was the site of a terrible tragedy. While the building has been thoroughly renovated, some elements of the past remain. Some locals even whisper the name of a woman who still walks the halls and corridors of the cinema.

Susan soon discovers that the cinema’s past is determined to bubble back to the surface. What does Winifred Thorpe’s ghost really want? How is her eternal suffering connected to the local golf club? And what happens to any poor soul who accidentally meets her face to face?

The Horror of the Crowford Empire is the sixth book in the Ghosts of Crowford series. Each book is a standalone story, and there’s no need to read them in any particular order.

• The Haunting of Nelson Street (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #1)
• The Revenge of the Mercy Belle (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #2)
• The Ghost of Crowford School (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #3)
• The Portrait of Sister Elsa (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #4)
• The Haunting of the Crowford Hoy (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #5)

In The Horror of the Crowford Empire, the sixth book in the Ghosts of Crowford series, in which each book can be read as a stand-alone, it’s the year 1965. Susan Jones finds herself working at the faded old cinema in town – the Crowford Empire.

Before the building was a cinema, it was the site of a horrible tragedy and it is said that the ghost of Winifred Thorpe still roams the halls. When Susan finds signs of hauntings and a connection to the building’s past, she’s in more danger than she realizes.

This book unfortunately wasn’t my favorite in the Crowford series. I simply disliked most of the characters. There’s no other way to put it: most characters were either bland, or off-putting, or just simply annoying. Except for Harry. Him I liked. Anyway, the story is also not that original, it’s just a rehearsal of the stereotypical classical ghost story: vengeful ghost trapped due to the horrific ending they suffered, and now out for revenge. There weren’t many twists or parts that kept me guessing, and all in all, it was rather straightforward.

If you’re interested in giving this series a shot, don’t start with this one, but if you plan to read the entire series, you shouldn’t skip it either. It’s not as great as some of the other Crowford books, but it’s definitely worth a read.

Title: The Haunting of the Crowford Hoy (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #5)
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Ghosts
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon

The year is 1984, and Sally Cooper arrives in Crowford with her desperately ill son Tommy. Having secured a job in one of the local pubs, Sally hopes to start a new life, but tragedy soon strikes and she’s left clinging to the hope that her son’s ghost will appear.

As the months roll past, Sally begins to give up hope, until one day a friend makes a shocking suggestion. If the spirits of the Crowford Hoy refuse to show themselves, is it time to do something that might catch their attention? Although she’s reluctant at first, Sally soon comes around to the idea, but she has no idea of the dangers that are waiting to be unleashed in the pub’s darkest shadows.

What happened to Annie Ashton, the girl who disappeared from the pub many years ago? Why is the spirit of Mildred Weaver out for revenge? And once a connection to the undead has been opened, can Sally ever hope to force it shut again?

The Haunting of the Crowford Hoy is the fifth book in the Ghosts of Crowford series. Each book is a standalone story, and there’s no need to read them in any particular order.

• The Haunting of Nelson Street (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #1)
• The Revenge of the Mercy Belle (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #2)
• The Ghost of Crowford School (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #3)
• The Portrait of Sister Elsa (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #4)

Like the other books in the series, The Haunting of the Crowford Hoy can be read as a stand-alone. It features different characters than the other books, and the only common denominator is that all these books are set in the fictional town of Crowford, where there are more ghosts than people (it seems) and where its inhabitants have already been subjected to every possible terror known to mankind.

Sally moved to Crowford in 1984 along with her son Tommy, who unfortunately is very ill. When Tommy passes away, Sally is desperate to communicate with his spirit, but she seems to be the only person in Crowford who has trouble running into any ghosts whatsoever – even the famous ghosts of the Crowford Hoy refuse to appear. But when Sally makes a foolhardy decision to see the ghosts of the Crowford Hoy, she has no idea what she signed up for.

It’s a good story, with some unexpected twists, and it definitely shows that you shouldn’t interfere with powers you don’t understand. The only downside, like with some of the other books by this author, is that there are sometimes continuity errors. For example, names being mixed-up. I understand it happens and Amy Cross is an indie author who writes a lot of new books each year – and I’m thankful for that, as I insta-buy and read most of them – but it can be a bit confusing when reading. A proofreading session for each book would be a good idea, I think.

Either way, like the other books in this series, it has a solid plot, the characters are flawed, and the pacing is so fast I flew through the pages. On to the next Crowford adventure.

Title: The Portrait of Sister Elsa (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #4)
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Ghosts
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon

The year is 1898, and celebrated painter Anthony Toyner is dying. Determined to complete one final masterpiece, he travels to Crowford, a coastal town with a dangerous reputation. Convinced that he’ll find the inspiration for his last painting, Toyner never suspects that he’s about to become embroiled in a battle for hundreds of souls.

Soon after arriving in Crowford, Toyner encounters a mysterious nun who is staying in the same public house. Sister Elsa Farr has a tendency to sneak out in the middle of the night, and one morning she returns with serious injuries. She refuses to say what happened or where she’s been, but Toyner discovers that she’s particularly interested in an abandoned church beyond the outskirts of town. Something deadly lurks in that church, something that one destroyed an entire village.

What really draws Sister Elsa back to the church night after night? Can Anthony Toyner discover what happened to the lost village before tragedy strikes again? And is his final painting, the centerpiece of an exhibition a century later, really cursed?

The Portrait of Sister Elsa is the fourth book in the series. Each book is a standalone story, and there is no need to read them in any particular order.

Reviews of previous books in the series: The Haunting of Nelson Street (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #1), The Revenge of the Mercy Belle (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #2) and The Ghost of Crowford School (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #3).

In 1898, a renowned painter called Anthony Toyner has taken up residence in Crowford, convinced he’ll find inspiration for his final painting in the small coastal town. Soon after his arrival, he encounters a mysterious nun: sister Elsa Farr. The nun seems up to something, as she sneaks out in the middle of the night, and even returns with some serious injuries the next morning.

Elsa refuses to disclose her whereabouts, which makes Toyner even more curious about what is going on, and what connection is between Elsa and the abandoned church on the outskirts of town.

The Portrait of Sister Elsa is one of my favourite books in this series. This was one of the few books that actually managed to scare me a little – and if you take into account that I devour horror novels like sweet candy, then you’ll realize that’s no easy feat.

The characters were intriguing, in particularly Elsa, and the mystery kept me guessing for a while. The twists are fun and surprising. Another great installment in the Ghosts of Crowford series.

Title: The Ghost of Crowford School (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #3)
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Ghosts
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon

The year is 1988, and the old Crowford School building is about to be knocked down. Before that happens, however, three schoolchildren are determined to discover the truth about an old legend. Does the ghost of a murdered woman really haunt the old school? And if she does, what does she want from the living?

Eleven-year-old Bradley Firth has a particular reason for wanting to prove that the ghost is real. His own mother is desperately ill, and Bradley wants to believe that she can come back to him if the worst happens. As he and his friends venture into the abandoned school, however, they have no idea that they’re about to get caught up in a fifty-year old tragedy. They might also be about to uncover a disturbing secret about Crowford’s past.

Who really killed Eve Marsh all those years ago? Why does she seek vengeance on all those who enter the school? And can Eve’s soul be put to rest before the school is finally demolished?

Reviews of previous books in the series: The Haunting of Nelson Street (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #1) and The Revenge of the Mercy Belle (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #2).

The Ghost of Crowford School is the third book in a series of ghostly tales focused on the fictional town of Crowford. Each story can be read as a stand-alone, but if you’re reading the entire series, there are some elements that overlap.

In 1988, the old Crowford School building is about to get knocked down. However, before the school is demolished, three school children break and enter into the building, determined to find out the truth about an old legend. As the legend goes, the ghost of a murdered woman – Eve Marsh – is haunting the school. But is Eve’s spirit really roaming the derelict halls? And if so, can her soul be put to rest before the school is demolished?

Like all Amy Cross’s books, this one is fast-paced, with a few surprising twists and an interesting spin on the age-old ghost story. Unfortunately, the book does suffer from some typos, and the characterization could also be improved. I didn’t mind too much because I was engrossed in the story, but it still knocked down at least 1 star off my rating.

Title: The Revenge of the Mercy Belle (The Ghosts of Crowford Book #2)
Author: Amy Cross
Genre: Horror, Ghosts
Rating: 3 stars
Purchase: Amazon

The year is 1950, and a great tragedy has struck the town of Crowford. Three local men have been killed in a storm, after their fishing boat the Mercy Belle sank. A mysterious fourth man, however, was rescued. Nobody knows who he is, or what he was doing on the Mercy Belle… and the man has lost his memory.

Five years later, messages from the dead warn of impending doom for Crowford. The ghosts of the Mercy Belle’s crew demand revenge, and the whole town is being punished. The fourth man still has no memory of his previous existence, but he’s married now and living under the named Edward Smith. As Crowford’s suffering continues, the locals begin to turn against him.

What really happened on the night the Mercy Belle sank? Did the fourth man cause the tragedy? And will Crowford survive if this man is not sent to meet his fate?

The Revenge of the Mercy Belle is the second book in The Ghosts of Crowford series by Amy Cross, one of my favourite horror authors. You can find my review of the first book, The Haunting of Nelson Street, here.

For this second book, we return back to Crowford, but this time it’s the year 1950 and a horrible tragedy has struck the town. Three local men were killed during a storm that sank their fishing boat, the Mercy Belle. A fourth man was rescued, but nobody has any idea who he is, or what he was doing on the Mercy Belle.

Five years later, the ghosts of the Mercy Belle demand revenge, tormenting the town. The mysterious man, going through life under the name of Edward Smith, still has no idea who he really is. As Crowford is being tormented by the restless spirits, the town’s people turn against Edward. But what really happened the night the Mercy Belle sank? And who in the world is Edward Smith?

I can’t say too much without giving away too much, but let me just say this was one of the books that really surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, even as I kept reading, and ultimately, I was surprised, in a good way, by the turn of events. Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by the fact that I just wasn’t that interested in the plot. I know it sounds contradictory, but while I was surprised by the twists, and it did make me pause for a bit, overall, I didn’t really care that much about the characters or what happened to them. I just didn’t feel invested, and if I had to put the book away for a bit, I didn’t mind either.

Hence the three-star rating. It’s a good book, it has a few nice plot twists, but it wasn’t outstanding and nor the plot nor the characters really urged me to keep reading.