What do you think?
Rate this book
3AM
Everyone who lives at the Marshall Heights tower block knows one never, ever answer the door if someone knocks at 3am.
Arriving at Marshall Heights to search for her missing aunt, Megan Booth immediately starts to notice that something isn't right about the place. All the residents seem nervous, and no-one seems to have a clue what happened to her aunt. And then there are the strange figures that are sometimes spotted at night on the train tracks that run past the building.
As Megan searches for answers about her aunt's disappearance, she learns that the ghosts of Marshall Heights seem to have their own agenda. Meanwhile, a young girl living in another of the flats finds herself drawn closer and closer to a strange darkness that waits in the basement. Why are there piles of human teeth in the shadows? And who keeps knocking at the door, calling out for help using the voice of a dead man?
3AM is the story of a group of people living in a haunted building, and their gradual realization that someone or something is trying to break through from the world of the dead.
Arriving at Marshall Heights to search for her missing aunt, Megan Booth immediately starts to notice that something isn't right about the place. All the residents seem nervous, and no-one seems to have a clue what happened to her aunt. And then there are the strange figures that are sometimes spotted at night on the train tracks that run past the building.
As Megan searches for answers about her aunt's disappearance, she learns that the ghosts of Marshall Heights seem to have their own agenda. Meanwhile, a young girl living in another of the flats finds herself drawn closer and closer to a strange darkness that waits in the basement. Why are there piles of human teeth in the shadows? And who keeps knocking at the door, calling out for help using the voice of a dead man?
3AM is the story of a group of people living in a haunted building, and their gradual realization that someone or something is trying to break through from the world of the dead.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2015
12 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Amy Cross
666 books1,696 followersAmy 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 19 reviews
January 11, 2024
3 stars
short review for busy readers: Gripping, fantastic ghost story about a haunted highrise that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Unfortunately, also badly edited with consistency problems and too much repetition. With more attention to quality control, could easily have been a high 4 stars.
in detail:
Conspiracy theory time: Amy Cross is not one person, but a collective. In fact, I’d go so far as to say “3AM” wasn’t even written by a single author, but by 2, perhaps even 3, authors due to the startling inconsistencies in detail and writing style.
One of the most startling being that the story is supposedly set in London, England with main characters from Devon, but they all speak American English and use phrases that modern Americans in their 30s use…with the exception of 2 gory scenes which must have been written by a Brit. Whaaaa???
I agree with another reviewer that that author’s juvenile style is particularly callous and off-putting, as well as unintentionally comic in its extreme gore. (Which is not the tone of the majority of the scenes.)
But let’s leave aside the lazy editing, utter lack of continuity control and bad choice of author-story matching that Amy Cross exhibits here and turn to the story itself.
Which is a fantastically entertaining!
Great ghosts, great hauntings, great bizarre events, great “ghost buster” action. Someone with serious talent did the idea and plot points – just the writers chosen weren’t exactly up to cranking it out on the same level.
Shame. No, super shame. Because it would have been so easy to have done some final editing to smooth out the blemishes and produce a much better product. As it is, 3AM reads like it was written and thrown out on the market under severe time constraints. Which a collective might be if they are producing to a quota.
In short: a story with great bones, but somewhat sloppy execution. I enjoyed it very much, in spite of everything.
Thanks to my GR friend John Morris for recommending I try something from Cross!
short review for busy readers: Gripping, fantastic ghost story about a haunted highrise that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Unfortunately, also badly edited with consistency problems and too much repetition. With more attention to quality control, could easily have been a high 4 stars.
in detail:
Conspiracy theory time: Amy Cross is not one person, but a collective. In fact, I’d go so far as to say “3AM” wasn’t even written by a single author, but by 2, perhaps even 3, authors due to the startling inconsistencies in detail and writing style.
One of the most startling being that the story is supposedly set in London, England with main characters from Devon, but they all speak American English and use phrases that modern Americans in their 30s use…with the exception of 2 gory scenes which must have been written by a Brit. Whaaaa???
I agree with another reviewer that that author’s juvenile style is particularly callous and off-putting, as well as unintentionally comic in its extreme gore. (Which is not the tone of the majority of the scenes.)
But let’s leave aside the lazy editing, utter lack of continuity control and bad choice of author-story matching that Amy Cross exhibits here and turn to the story itself.
Which is a fantastically entertaining!
Great ghosts, great hauntings, great bizarre events, great “ghost buster” action. Someone with serious talent did the idea and plot points – just the writers chosen weren’t exactly up to cranking it out on the same level.
Shame. No, super shame. Because it would have been so easy to have done some final editing to smooth out the blemishes and produce a much better product. As it is, 3AM reads like it was written and thrown out on the market under severe time constraints. Which a collective might be if they are producing to a quota.
In short: a story with great bones, but somewhat sloppy execution. I enjoyed it very much, in spite of everything.
Thanks to my GR friend John Morris for recommending I try something from Cross!
October 7, 2015
As usual, I enjoyed this horror story by Amy Cross, filled with shadows that can make you jump.
This time, it is a tale of a building, a railway line and ghosts. These mixed with the missing and murdered, making it a creepy story where the past, present and possible future collide. It also poses questions about death, what it can mean and where the human journey may or may not end.
The great style of writing makes for a fast-paced read, although it could do with a sweeping correctional edit.
A very good suspenseful and mystery filled horror, with a great mix of good, bad and terrible personalities, some who deserve sympathy while others most definitely do not - shiver.
This time, it is a tale of a building, a railway line and ghosts. These mixed with the missing and murdered, making it a creepy story where the past, present and possible future collide. It also poses questions about death, what it can mean and where the human journey may or may not end.
The great style of writing makes for a fast-paced read, although it could do with a sweeping correctional edit.
A very good suspenseful and mystery filled horror, with a great mix of good, bad and terrible personalities, some who deserve sympathy while others most definitely do not - shiver.
October 31, 2018
After weeks of not hearing from her aunt, Meghan decided to go and look for her at her home. [I have to agree with the police though. Why waited for weeks?]
Days later, Rose showed up to search for both her sister, Meghan and their aunt. With the help of her friend, Ben, via phone call, they decided to approach the matter taking in advance the paranormal stuff surrounding the building.
I won't go into detail. If you wanted spoiler, feel free to read others' review. I'm still trying to take it all in. The building reminded me of the one in Dark Water. That was one spooky building.
The ending feel forced. Like AC just want to tie any loose end. A good horror nonetheless.
BEWARE of SPOILER
Days later, Rose showed up to search for both her sister, Meghan and their aunt. With the help of her friend, Ben, via phone call, they decided to approach the matter taking in advance the paranormal stuff surrounding the building.
I won't go into detail. If you wanted spoiler, feel free to read others' review. I'm still trying to take it all in. The building reminded me of the one in Dark Water. That was one spooky building.
The ending feel forced. Like AC just want to tie any loose end. A good horror nonetheless.
BEWARE of SPOILER
July 31, 2015
I got confused writing this review, but it's like, 2:30am, and my thoughts are all over the place so yeah.
In a way, 3am reminded me of the movie Psycho. Just add ghosts, creepy people, creepy buildings, and voila. Also take away the epicness of Psycho, and you've got this book.
No, it certainly wasn't a bad book. At all. Was it a fantabulous read? Hell to the nah.
So... you've got Megan Booth, a nice and polite young lady in search of her missing aunt. Auntie Pat lives in a building called Marshall Heights in London. Pat stops answering her calls for a while before Megan gets the short end of the straw and has to trudge her booty through a 5-hour trip all the way to London to see what's going on. What happens is she meets the building manager, Michael Powers, who seems nice and kind enough to help her find out the mystery behind her aunt's disappearance.
Turns out he's a little...
*whispers* psycho
Anyway, as it happens, Megan suddenly disappears. Enter sister Rose. She's got a mouth on her and a tougher, get-shit-done attitude. She's no Megan, that's for sure. Actually, she's looking for Megan, whom she hasn't heard from in a few days. Insert many ghost stuff and dead people and yeah. BOOK.
I liked the idea that the protagonist disappears halfway through the book, leaving the sister to take over. But I feel as if I've been robbed of that AHA moment I get in books sometimes. Michael Powers was fascinated by the murders of the best serial killer in British history, so he felt the need to continue his work to get his attention from beyond the grave. Okay, but... why? He was crazy, but what did he get out of it? Or did he absolutely feel that his calling in life was to continue what a "legend" started? That was never made clear.
Also, the book alternated between Megan and eventually Rose, and also of Charmian, a woman who lived in the building, and her daughter Beth. And Beth's friend Toby. But at the end, after Rose burns the building and we learn that Charmian is definitely dead, we don't see what else happens to Beth. I mean, the book alternates between the protagonists and these two characters, that it would have been nice to get some closure.
There was so much info thrown at you that you couldn't help but get confused along the way. It felt like I was reading something of Beth Revis.
I mean...
. What made Megan a special snowflake that after being dead for a few days she comes back? Why couldn't the others?
. What happens with Ben? We never hear from him again?
. If everyone in Marshall Heights was dead, then... ????? I am not clear on the whole dead/not dead thing.
Some loose ends were never tied. It was an engaging read, but nothing that will ultimately stick.
In a way, 3am reminded me of the movie Psycho. Just add ghosts, creepy people, creepy buildings, and voila. Also take away the epicness of Psycho, and you've got this book.
No, it certainly wasn't a bad book. At all. Was it a fantabulous read? Hell to the nah.
So... you've got Megan Booth, a nice and polite young lady in search of her missing aunt. Auntie Pat lives in a building called Marshall Heights in London. Pat stops answering her calls for a while before Megan gets the short end of the straw and has to trudge her booty through a 5-hour trip all the way to London to see what's going on. What happens is she meets the building manager, Michael Powers, who seems nice and kind enough to help her find out the mystery behind her aunt's disappearance.
Turns out he's a little...
*whispers* psycho
Anyway, as it happens, Megan suddenly disappears. Enter sister Rose. She's got a mouth on her and a tougher, get-shit-done attitude. She's no Megan, that's for sure. Actually, she's looking for Megan, whom she hasn't heard from in a few days. Insert many ghost stuff and dead people and yeah. BOOK.
I liked the idea that the protagonist disappears halfway through the book, leaving the sister to take over. But I feel as if I've been robbed of that AHA moment I get in books sometimes. Michael Powers was fascinated by the murders of the best serial killer in British history, so he felt the need to continue his work to get his attention from beyond the grave. Okay, but... why? He was crazy, but what did he get out of it? Or did he absolutely feel that his calling in life was to continue what a "legend" started? That was never made clear.
Also, the book alternated between Megan and eventually Rose, and also of Charmian, a woman who lived in the building, and her daughter Beth. And Beth's friend Toby. But at the end, after Rose burns the building and we learn that Charmian is definitely dead, we don't see what else happens to Beth. I mean, the book alternates between the protagonists and these two characters, that it would have been nice to get some closure.
There was so much info thrown at you that you couldn't help but get confused along the way. It felt like I was reading something of Beth Revis.
I mean...
. What made Megan a special snowflake that after being dead for a few days she comes back? Why couldn't the others?
. What happens with Ben? We never hear from him again?
. If everyone in Marshall Heights was dead, then... ????? I am not clear on the whole dead/not dead thing.
Some loose ends were never tied. It was an engaging read, but nothing that will ultimately stick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2015
This book was difficult for me to read from the start and I probably should have put it down straight away but thought I'd persevere. Unfortunately I think this was a mistake.
The story centres around a possibly haunted building and Morgan who comes to find her aunt who was one of the residents and went missing. There are a lot of creepy goings on, knocks on the door at 3am, sounds of fights, shadows and chills. Those were the parts I liked about the book.
The part that bothered me was the gore. I can't understand the need to go so over the top with the blood fest. Leave things creepy and spooky. There is no need for such gleeful descriptions of violent deaths. I have to admit that part of this is due to personal experience. I'm really not comfortable with the description of someone being hit by a train and found it upsetting and somewhat offensive. However as I said as soon as they mentioned train and suicide I probably should have stopped reading.
Other than that it was an ok read. Felt like it got a bit messy towards the end and I didn't particularly like the ending. Some proof reading would also be good to get rid of some of the irritating errors.
The story centres around a possibly haunted building and Morgan who comes to find her aunt who was one of the residents and went missing. There are a lot of creepy goings on, knocks on the door at 3am, sounds of fights, shadows and chills. Those were the parts I liked about the book.
The part that bothered me was the gore. I can't understand the need to go so over the top with the blood fest. Leave things creepy and spooky. There is no need for such gleeful descriptions of violent deaths. I have to admit that part of this is due to personal experience. I'm really not comfortable with the description of someone being hit by a train and found it upsetting and somewhat offensive. However as I said as soon as they mentioned train and suicide I probably should have stopped reading.
Other than that it was an ok read. Felt like it got a bit messy towards the end and I didn't particularly like the ending. Some proof reading would also be good to get rid of some of the irritating errors.
September 27, 2016
I have read a few Amy Cross books, and I definitely think this is one of her better ones. The story line itself was interesting and even pretty scary at times. Overall, I really liked the book.
The reason it got 3 stars instead of 4 is because of the errors in the book. At times it could be downright confusing. There is so many inconsistencies in the timeline and often the character names and room numbers are incorrect. This made it really difficult at times, because the book does jump point of views so often, that sometimes you really have to take a minute to figure it out.
I was also very confused by the ending of the book. I reread it a few times to see if I missed something, and I still don't know exactly what the author was trying to get across.
For the most part I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror, unless they were the type of person picky about editing and discrepancies.
The reason it got 3 stars instead of 4 is because of the errors in the book. At times it could be downright confusing. There is so many inconsistencies in the timeline and often the character names and room numbers are incorrect. This made it really difficult at times, because the book does jump point of views so often, that sometimes you really have to take a minute to figure it out.
I was also very confused by the ending of the book. I reread it a few times to see if I missed something, and I still don't know exactly what the author was trying to get across.
For the most part I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror, unless they were the type of person picky about editing and discrepancies.
February 16, 2017
I think I've found a new favorite author. Amy Cross did an excellent job weaving a tale of horror and suspense. It was incredibly hard to put this book down. A perfect amount of suspense and horror made this book amazing. Pick this book up. You won't be disapointed. Found a few continuity errors, nothing extreme, which is the only thing keeping it from 5 full stars for me.
July 1, 2025
I’m back with a book by a prolific horror author whose works haven’t been translated into Turkish—and likely never will be. Amy Cross, known for crafting supernatural plots and for nailing the #ghosthorror and #hauntedhouses tropes, brings us #3am.
When Megan hasn’t heard from her Aunt Patricia in a while, she decides to travel to the city to check on her. Patricia lives in an apartment building right next to a train line—a building often filled with tenants prioritized by the government, usually people who are unhoused or in need. Megan and her family have long neglected Patricia and don’t even know what kind of place she lives in. But the moment Megan sees Marshall Heights, a sense of dread settles over her. The building, the product of a bizarre architectural style, is made up of long concrete blocks that resemble tombs.
And that’s just the beginning. The tenants are eerily distant from one another, and the building's janitor, Michael, warns Megan that she must be asleep by exactly 3 a.m.—and no matter what she hears, she must ignore it. But he never explains why. The nearby train line, nicknamed “the suicide track,” is notorious for being a site of numerous deaths over the years.
When Megan reports her aunt’s disappearance to the police, they refuse to help after learning her address. At night, Megan hears someone knocking at the door and calling her name—always at 3 a.m. She’s also in a difficult place in her own life, trying to fix things after a breakup and struggling with her mental health.
We also follow Charmian and her daughter Beth, who live in the same building. Charmian asks a psychiatrist for heavy sleep meds, and mixes them into her daughter's food every night to make sure Beth is asleep by 3 a.m.
It remains unclear whether the things Megan experiences are real or the result of a mental breakdown, which keeps the tension high throughout. Inner fears, paranoia, and isolation play a key role here—this is where #psychologicalhorror kicks in. Combined with #supernaturalhorror, the unexplained entity that appears in the middle of the night evokes classic paranormal elements. We’re up against a threat that lies outside the boundaries of reality.
When Megan hasn’t heard from her Aunt Patricia in a while, she decides to travel to the city to check on her. Patricia lives in an apartment building right next to a train line—a building often filled with tenants prioritized by the government, usually people who are unhoused or in need. Megan and her family have long neglected Patricia and don’t even know what kind of place she lives in. But the moment Megan sees Marshall Heights, a sense of dread settles over her. The building, the product of a bizarre architectural style, is made up of long concrete blocks that resemble tombs.
And that’s just the beginning. The tenants are eerily distant from one another, and the building's janitor, Michael, warns Megan that she must be asleep by exactly 3 a.m.—and no matter what she hears, she must ignore it. But he never explains why. The nearby train line, nicknamed “the suicide track,” is notorious for being a site of numerous deaths over the years.
When Megan reports her aunt’s disappearance to the police, they refuse to help after learning her address. At night, Megan hears someone knocking at the door and calling her name—always at 3 a.m. She’s also in a difficult place in her own life, trying to fix things after a breakup and struggling with her mental health.
We also follow Charmian and her daughter Beth, who live in the same building. Charmian asks a psychiatrist for heavy sleep meds, and mixes them into her daughter's food every night to make sure Beth is asleep by 3 a.m.
It remains unclear whether the things Megan experiences are real or the result of a mental breakdown, which keeps the tension high throughout. Inner fears, paranoia, and isolation play a key role here—this is where #psychologicalhorror kicks in. Combined with #supernaturalhorror, the unexplained entity that appears in the middle of the night evokes classic paranormal elements. We’re up against a threat that lies outside the boundaries of reality.
October 8, 2017
Good, but so very short!
MORE!!!!
MORE!!!!
June 23, 2024
It would make a great good-bad horror movie. It’s okay as a book, but I took issue with the writing. Repetitive and loaded with typos and mistakes.
March 19, 2015
This ghost story was recommended to me by my aunt. I love ghost stories and jump on the story. At first I didn’t care for it because it was confusing. Aside from trying to set up a spooky story, the prologue has nothing to do with the rest of the book. Even when I thought the author would tie up loose ends at the end of the book, she fails. Then the chapters go back and forth from one point of view to another without any heads up at all. Then once you get used to it by chapters, the author starts changing perspective in the middle of the chapters.
Now the idea of the whole story seems very close to the movie 13 Ghosts, good movie but sadly did poorly in box office. Infrasonics create a disruption in the veil between this world and the next. These infrasonic waves are being created by the vibrations from the train and absorbed by the building. Allowing the veil to thin and ghosts to come through. This relates to the movie because a glass house is created by a mad man, with a machine inside that requires 13 specific ghosts to charge it and bring the mad man back to life. Which is similar to what someone in the building is trying to do.
There were also some inconsistencies in timing and things happening. I will say the ending was good, simply because you are not quite sure as to who all survived and who didn’t.
Now the idea of the whole story seems very close to the movie 13 Ghosts, good movie but sadly did poorly in box office. Infrasonics create a disruption in the veil between this world and the next. These infrasonic waves are being created by the vibrations from the train and absorbed by the building. Allowing the veil to thin and ghosts to come through. This relates to the movie because a glass house is created by a mad man, with a machine inside that requires 13 specific ghosts to charge it and bring the mad man back to life. Which is similar to what someone in the building is trying to do.
There were also some inconsistencies in timing and things happening. I will say the ending was good, simply because you are not quite sure as to who all survived and who didn’t.
May 4, 2015
Wow..
It's rare for me to leave book reviews, but I feel that I must. First off, the writing is abysmal. The author continually abused the word "pause" as though she had no other word in her vocabulary. The book is filled with plot inconsistencies and inaccuracies. Once, in the earlier chapter, the author mixed up a character name and used "Kate" instead of "Megan." A train accident that had supposedly happened 5 years earlier suddenly became 10 years earlier. A conversation between two little kids were so unrealistic I had to PAUSE and shake my head. The story as a whole wasn't so bad, but I really couldn't get past the horrible writing. My advice: take a writing class, and maybe edit your own book before publishing it.
It's rare for me to leave book reviews, but I feel that I must. First off, the writing is abysmal. The author continually abused the word "pause" as though she had no other word in her vocabulary. The book is filled with plot inconsistencies and inaccuracies. Once, in the earlier chapter, the author mixed up a character name and used "Kate" instead of "Megan." A train accident that had supposedly happened 5 years earlier suddenly became 10 years earlier. A conversation between two little kids were so unrealistic I had to PAUSE and shake my head. The story as a whole wasn't so bad, but I really couldn't get past the horrible writing. My advice: take a writing class, and maybe edit your own book before publishing it.
November 2, 2016
This is the second book I have read by Amy Cross and the second book I was not able to put down. Let me give you a bit of advice, please make sure you do not read this book in the middle of the night.
I have read lots of horror books and watched many horror films so much so that I am no longer effected by them, (thats what I thought ) until I read 3AM. It does not help that the family seem to think 3am is a good time to go to the bathroom and make a noise.
This book is full of suspense and atmosphere. Once you have read one page you feel the need to keep going to find out what happens next.
I am very happy to give this book five stars out of five looking forward to reading more of Amy's books in the near future.
I have read lots of horror books and watched many horror films so much so that I am no longer effected by them, (thats what I thought ) until I read 3AM. It does not help that the family seem to think 3am is a good time to go to the bathroom and make a noise.
This book is full of suspense and atmosphere. Once you have read one page you feel the need to keep going to find out what happens next.
I am very happy to give this book five stars out of five looking forward to reading more of Amy's books in the near future.
August 17, 2015
This is the first book that I've ever read by Amy Cross and its made me me want to read more of her books. To me it was something right out of a point horror series.
I read this book in the dark while in bed (I have a kindle paperwhite) I when my cat Missy jumped on the bed it made me scream out loud, this book is that scary.
It really grabs you and fills you with fear right from the beginning.
I read this book in the dark while in bed (I have a kindle paperwhite) I when my cat Missy jumped on the bed it made me scream out loud, this book is that scary.
It really grabs you and fills you with fear right from the beginning.
June 5, 2017
A good ghost story and a great plot for the story. You read many house hauntings but never many involve a whole tower block implanted in the community. There are a lot of technical terms explained and found myself getting a bit lost trying to understand what things meant in terms of the cause of what the vibrations caused (I have even forgot what its called now) but other than this I really enjoyed the book.
August 4, 2015
Not the best of Amy
This book 3AM was not her best writing. Not scary enough for me. I will continue to read Amy's work because she is still one of my favorites.
kozetteksmith
This book 3AM was not her best writing. Not scary enough for me. I will continue to read Amy's work because she is still one of my favorites.
kozetteksmith
July 12, 2016
I really liked this book. In parts I found it really creepy. I would recommend this if you like ghost stories.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 19 reviews