1926

The Haunting of Hadlow House #9

by Amy Cross

The year is 1926. Having run away from home in the dead of winter, three children finds themselves alone in a forest, on the verge of freezing to death. And then, in the distance, they spot an abandoned house.For Jack, Jenny and George, the discovery of Hadlow House feels like a miracle. They manage to break inside and start a fire, and for a short while they feel as if they've been saved. But then they start to notice something strange about this particular house, and they realize that they might not be alone after all. Does something menacing lurk in the shadows, watching their every move?Soon the children find themselves trapped in a battle for survival. Unable to turn to anyone else, they must take up arms against a malevolent entity that seems able to reach into their minds, turning them against one another. Can any of them survive and – if so – will they ever be the same again?1926 is the ninth book in the Haunting of Hadlow House series, which tells the story of one haunted house over the centuries from its construction to the present day. All the lives, all the souls, all the tragedies... and all the ghosts. Readers are advised to start with the first book in the series.

Genres: Horror, Paranormal

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2023

About the author

Amy Cross writes novels and short stories in a number of genres, mainly horror, paranormal and fantasy. Books include The Farm, Annie's Room, The Island, Eli's Town and Asylum.

Reviews

[John Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark and spooky but, something was missing!

In my opinion this was probably the weakest of the Hadlow House series, although the vast majority of reviewers appear to disagree with me. This episode centres around three young orphaned children, on the run from some unseen menace. They come across Hadlow House and think they are safe. Unfortunately, the resident ghosts and their pursuer have other ideas. I found the characters in this tale to be one dimensional, together with a weak backstory that lacked conviction. To me this tale appeared rushed and not very well thought out. Still, I will be reading future instalments of the series and remain confident that the the author will regain her mojo.

[Letícia Peregrino · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this didn't work for me.

We had a new-ish premise and new characters, so I thought this would go an interesting route but... it didn't.

My main issue here is the bad guy that is chasing these kids around. We are meant to take him as a big threat but his dialogues were so silly... Almost like a cartoon villain. I was fighting the entire book to not imagine him as Robbie Rotten. It's probably what ruined the story for me.

So far this might be the book I least like in the series, but there have been ups and downs before so I'm still hopeful as we approach the end.

[Sam Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Definitely one of my favourites in the series. We hardly got any reference to the Demeters (except some no-name Easter eggs at the pub) but we had a totally fresh caste with the Cole siblings plus cameos from almost all of the house’s remaining ghosts. The showdown with Walter in the house was some of the most fun I’ve had with this whole series so far.

I also liked the connection to Amy Cross’ other long-running series with Crowford (though I haven’t read that one yet).

Overall, top tier addition to the series though I would have loved the historical context of the 1920s to have played a bit of a part (same with a lot of the other time periods).

Curious to see if Lily will wake up in 1939…

[Comic Queen 👑 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more aggressively written books of the series. Actually rigged at my horror heart strings a bit!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

I love this series. It is perfectly spooky. I love the interactions with all the ghosts from over the years

[Rodney Wiedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, there was no Fanny in this book, it seems that she is at the hospital where Lucy is. All of the other ghosts are there, and some help the three kids get away from the man who killed their parents. They all attacked him and dorve him nuts, and tried to finish him off the way that he was trying to get rid of the kids. When Fanny gets back, she will definitely nt be happy with what happened. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

1926

The best book in the series so far. I love the character of Jenny. Even though she is young, she is smart and very strong and I love how much she took care of her brothers. What a strong character. Not sure exactly how the next book will tell more of this story but I can't wait to read it.

[Rosie Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great quick read

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how Jenny took care of her younger brothers and fought through the pain of a broken ankle and continued to fight Mr. Grimes. I'm so glad they escaped Hadlow House and have a chance at a somewhat normal life. Breaks my heart little Sophie is still stuck there though.

[Annemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It appears that Lily has been able to keep Fanny trapped within her comatose body. Unfortunately for the three children who entered Hadlow House to escape the elements, and the man chasing them, the rest of the ghosts are still there. Elsa in particular is determined to take Fanny's place.

[Adam Stanhope · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a great series to read, there are twists and turns as you read each book in the series, great story telling by Amy cross, a house that has a dark story and people that don't believe the stories of the house, what could go wrong, nearly end of the series

[Cheri Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic storyline!

I enjoyed this book very much! The characters were pretty scary and the storyline was a nail bitter. Great series for a Halloween read. I'll soon be on to the next book. Can't wait to see where it takes the reader.

[Linda Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but did a great job filling in the next gap

[mark fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy edge of your seat

I cannot praise the series as a whole enough.each and every book is a great from a author with a vivid imagination

[Melissa Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have to say this has been my least favorite of the series hoping the next one is better

[Rose Haskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Three children, on the run from a very bad man. Taking refuge in the Hadlow House. So many ghosts, some terrifying, but a few helpful. Intense reading, but exciting.

[María Maldonado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It was okay
Not my favorite from the saga but it was a good read!
Something which I loved was how the ghosts helped the children and how even Elsa tried to protect them

[brii | brii (three months behind...) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5