Scorned Fury

MARY by Amy Cross is not just a ghost story set in 1962, but rather a mystery-thriller about a woman trapped in a cottage by a malevolent spirit, and a young police officer determined to help Mary Moore. Unfortunately, Sergeant Ben Warner finds himself in the middle of a supernatural battle.

The author uses suspense to grab readers with a death grip, and drags them through the hell which has left Mary's memory fractured. This haunted tale is full of twists, with an ending which leaves me wanting a sequel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Supernatural Mystery-Thriller

THE GHOSTS OF DAVID BROOK by Amy Cross is a fantastic ghost story. First of all, you have the urban legend of Catherine Bannister who takes one victim, every year on the same date. Then the author mixes it up with stories of the poor souls murdered by the hate-filled ghost. The switching POV makes it difficult to tell who is alive and who is dead, but this serves to increase the suspense.

Last but not least, you have the backstory of Catherine and the revelations made by two of her victims. I never knew what to expect, and the ending is completely awesome. Even though David is at the center of everything, Kaylee is my favorite character.

This would make a great horror film.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Briarwych Trilogy: Book 3

THE GHOST OF BRIARWYCH CHURCH by Amy Cross is a prequel to the events of the first two books, finally explaining how the trouble with Judith Prendergast first began. Unfortunately, this book is not as interesting as I'd hoped it would be. The entire trilogy is just as much Judith's story as it is Briarwych's history, but there is not much detail about the life of the woman before becoming a ghost.

I wish more time had been spent on her relationship with Elizabeth's father -- even a small flashback would've been better than mere mention. I also think more pages could've been devoted to the years Judith raised Elizabeth as a single mother. Without a substantial backstory, the mother-daughter relationship seems superficial.

For someone who has been connected to the village for so many generations, I expected more personal interactions with the other characters. Cross would've been better off just writing a short story to explain Judith's connection to the church and village.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Briarwych Trilogy: Book 2

THE HORROR OF BRIARWYCH CHURCH by Amy Cross takes place several decades after the events in the first book. I had no idea the author planned to write a trilogy, but I love the sequel to The Haunting of Briarwych Church. The characters are much more interesting, particularly because of the interaction between the newcomers and the villagers.

Again, Cross has written something more than just another haunted building story. The personal drama Mark goes through is gut-wrenching...I'm thoroughly disgusted with his trial foster parents. The references to the RAF airfield are fantastic moments, and add an extra layer to the story I didn't expect. Needless to say, this book stirred up all kinds of emotions.

Again and again, the question remains: what exactly happened to Judith Prendergast in the first place?! The third book should tie up all the loose ends. If you haven't read Amy Cross before, this trilogy is a great place to start, especially if you enjoy paranormal/supernatural horror stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Governess of the Grotesque

Fresh from the convent, Beryl Seaton accepts a position as governess for the Brooks family. When she arrives at the family's remote house, however, she discovers that a terrible secret is waiting for her in the nursery. Something so horrific, it chills Beryl to her core. Yet her desire to help is so strong, and so genuine, that Beryl nevertheless struggles to look after their son.

What happened to Stephen, to leave him the way he is? What happened to the previous governess at Grangehurst? And what causes the sobbing sound that seems to drift through an empty room? As Beryl's own account of the horror continues, she asks the reader to heed her warning: do not read the twenty-eighth chapter of her story.

By the time she uncovers the awful truth about the family, and about little Stephen, it might be too late for Beryl to ever leave.

STEPHEN by Amy Cross almost made me throw up. Some of the descriptions are so graphic, I retched a few times. The story is told as flashbacks being written down by Beryl. I think she had to be mentally unstable from the very beginning, to stay as long as she did at Grangehurst. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the nuns wanted Beryl out of the convent because they felt she might harm them. She didn't come across as a naive young girl, she seemed to be quite psychotic.

While the story held my interest and the descriptions are extremely detailed, I have a few issues with this novel. First of all, there seems to be a lot of droning on from Beryl, which could have been cut down, without ruining the story. Second, I enjoy horror which frightens me. This didn't frighten me, I simply felt repulsed. If you take away the grotesque scenes, there isn't much else to the storyline.

Last but not least, the author's writing style is drastically different from any of her previous work. I understand short stories would not be written the same way a novella or novel would be created, but Cross appears to put more effort into her smaller works. I do not recommend this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon