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The Lighthouse
“I saw her. I've always been able to see her.”
While her friends head off to start new lives in London after university, Penny has a different idea. She's going to go and take a job at a remote lighthouse for a year, helping to keep the place running while she saves money. When she arrives at Culthorpe lighthouse, however, she quickly realizes that something is very wrong.
Something is hiding nearby the lighthouse, something that only makes its presence felt at night. Meanwhile, Penny is concerned about one of her co-workers, a man whose memory seems to be almost non-existent. What is the dark secret of Culthorpe lighthouse? Is Penny really crazy, or has she been visited by a ghost since she was a child? And who or what is hidden beneath the hatch in the generator room?
The Lighthouse is a horror novel about a girl who was taught to doubt herself, and about the refusal of dead souls to rest until all debts have been paid.
While her friends head off to start new lives in London after university, Penny has a different idea. She's going to go and take a job at a remote lighthouse for a year, helping to keep the place running while she saves money. When she arrives at Culthorpe lighthouse, however, she quickly realizes that something is very wrong.
Something is hiding nearby the lighthouse, something that only makes its presence felt at night. Meanwhile, Penny is concerned about one of her co-workers, a man whose memory seems to be almost non-existent. What is the dark secret of Culthorpe lighthouse? Is Penny really crazy, or has she been visited by a ghost since she was a child? And who or what is hidden beneath the hatch in the generator room?
The Lighthouse is a horror novel about a girl who was taught to doubt herself, and about the refusal of dead souls to rest until all debts have been paid.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2015
123 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Amy Cross
664 books1,686 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.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 13, 2022
Lighthouse Mystery!
A backstory:
Penny has decided to leave her family and friends behind to take a job out at a lighthouse on a remote island as she doesn't want just a regular job. So against her parents and best friend wishes she takes a boat out to the island as she finds out there are a couple of other people out there as well.
Once she arrives, Matthew who has been out on the island for years shows her around and introduces her to Colin who also helps take care of the lighthouse. Matthew ends up telling Penny a ghost story about something that happened on the island years before and Penny ends up believing in the ghost story as she has been seeing ghosts before she even left for her adventure on the island.
Though as time goes on Penny does hear things but Matthew and Colin seem oblivious to the sounds that Penny is hearing and they are both in denial about the ghosts. They haven't actually seen anything of the sort on the island and Matthew tells Penny that the story is just a story - there is no truth in it. But Penny begs to differ as she starts seeing "things" and tries to prove her point that she is not crazy!
Thoughts:
This could have easily been a four to five star read, but I knocked it down to three stars as the story was a major slow burn and nothing with ghost/hauntings happened till near the 60% mark with two major twists at the end of the book. There are quite a few different things that also dragged down the book - the characters just did nothing for me at all including the main character Penny - I could not get invested in the characters at all and Penny just seemed to be a shallow cardboard cutout. The character, Matthew drove me nutso as he "talked" too much and Penny could never get a word in edge wise. The character, Colin just seemed to float along and though he was in the story the book didn't focus on him much.
Some other things didn't set well with me which was dialogue - lots of words didn't need to be in there and some words didn't make sense either. There was too much talk and not enough haunting till the very end of the book.
Some books by this author are hit and miss as sometimes her books will shine and sometimes they will just drop off. This to me was one of the "drop off" books and if I hadn't been reading it with a few buddies on Goodreads I would have probably laid it down as a dreaded "dnf" as normally if the book isn't grabbing me by a certain percentage then it will go on the dnf shelf.
But with it being Amy Cross I just struggled through it as I thought maybe something would happen to make up for all slow burning-odd characters-screw wacky dialogue and though it did end with some twists there were still some unanswered questions. So the only lights to leave on is in the lighthouse - don't worry about the light by your bed or cozy chair as there is nothing scary in this book! Giving this book three Haunted Haven stars!
A backstory:
Penny has decided to leave her family and friends behind to take a job out at a lighthouse on a remote island as she doesn't want just a regular job. So against her parents and best friend wishes she takes a boat out to the island as she finds out there are a couple of other people out there as well.
Once she arrives, Matthew who has been out on the island for years shows her around and introduces her to Colin who also helps take care of the lighthouse. Matthew ends up telling Penny a ghost story about something that happened on the island years before and Penny ends up believing in the ghost story as she has been seeing ghosts before she even left for her adventure on the island.
Though as time goes on Penny does hear things but Matthew and Colin seem oblivious to the sounds that Penny is hearing and they are both in denial about the ghosts. They haven't actually seen anything of the sort on the island and Matthew tells Penny that the story is just a story - there is no truth in it. But Penny begs to differ as she starts seeing "things" and tries to prove her point that she is not crazy!
Thoughts:
This could have easily been a four to five star read, but I knocked it down to three stars as the story was a major slow burn and nothing with ghost/hauntings happened till near the 60% mark with two major twists at the end of the book. There are quite a few different things that also dragged down the book - the characters just did nothing for me at all including the main character Penny - I could not get invested in the characters at all and Penny just seemed to be a shallow cardboard cutout. The character, Matthew drove me nutso as he "talked" too much and Penny could never get a word in edge wise. The character, Colin just seemed to float along and though he was in the story the book didn't focus on him much.
Some other things didn't set well with me which was dialogue - lots of words didn't need to be in there and some words didn't make sense either. There was too much talk and not enough haunting till the very end of the book.
Some books by this author are hit and miss as sometimes her books will shine and sometimes they will just drop off. This to me was one of the "drop off" books and if I hadn't been reading it with a few buddies on Goodreads I would have probably laid it down as a dreaded "dnf" as normally if the book isn't grabbing me by a certain percentage then it will go on the dnf shelf.
But with it being Amy Cross I just struggled through it as I thought maybe something would happen to make up for all slow burning-odd characters-screw wacky dialogue and though it did end with some twists there were still some unanswered questions. So the only lights to leave on is in the lighthouse - don't worry about the light by your bed or cozy chair as there is nothing scary in this book! Giving this book three Haunted Haven stars!
February 21, 2022
This is my second Amy Cross book and I liked it a lot, but ultimately, I have to rate this one a 4 for me. The other book was The Spider .
I like that The Lighthouse starts out with a very creepy, atmospheric mystery with just enough gruesomeness to tell me I was in the right place reading this one.
The story is a pair of storylines involving the main character, Penny. Penny has just graduated from college in Britain, so she’s finished up at “uni” and she and her housemates are facing the daunting task of making their way into the “real world.” For all of them, it’s a pretty grim prospect. There are loans involved. Jobs are scarce and the courses of study chosen because they would be enlightening aren’t exactly transferrable to job market needs. The housemates are looking at taking more loans in order to live, whilst also living back with their parents while they take unpaid internships (the thought of companies/employers doing this to people makes me see red – grrr) in the hopes of getting their foot in the door. All very daunting and Cross gets that point across quite nice.
But Penny is different. She refuses to follow what has become the norm in all too many cases. She holds out and gets a “real” job that pays her money. There’s a personal situation or two that helps drive that decision, but I’m not going to give it away. But she gets hired to work as a lighthouse keeper. It sounds like a grand adventure. And I must confess, there is a part of that that does most certainly sound quite intriguing.
Anyway, the two storylines are first the weeks after graduating and leading up to the lighthouse and second, her arrival at the lighthouse, where she meets two teammates, Matthew and Colin. The chapters switch back and forth between the two timelines. Fortunately, there is a tag-line at the start of each chapter and it orients you as to which timeline you are reading. But the post-graduation timeline gets smaller and eventually, toward the climax of the book, the two merge. Quite satisfyingly I must say. But if jumping back and forth in time isn’t your thing, that might bug you here. I personally thought Cross handled that pretty well.
There’s also an unreliable narrator issue with Penny. That might bother some, too, but again, I thought Cross handled that storytelling technique quite well too. And she doesn’t hit you over the head with it or make it over the top. I actually did not find it confusing, if that helps.
I liked the story a lot and the interaction with the three characters. There are twists and turns and little mini-mysteries throughout. The ending was a great turn of events and made it creepy and scary.
However… there were elements in which I thought the ending kind of fell apart. I can’t really say much more without spoilers, but I detected plot holes and issues that, after the climax, left he thinking that there were narrative elements that were implausible and worse, did not give me enough explanation. This probably would have been five stars for me, but for the elements of the ending I found lacking. But that in no way means I didn’t like the book. I did. (My favorite book of all time has an ending that I absolutely do NOT like, so I can look past that if I like the rest of the story. Which I did here.
I like that The Lighthouse starts out with a very creepy, atmospheric mystery with just enough gruesomeness to tell me I was in the right place reading this one.
The story is a pair of storylines involving the main character, Penny. Penny has just graduated from college in Britain, so she’s finished up at “uni” and she and her housemates are facing the daunting task of making their way into the “real world.” For all of them, it’s a pretty grim prospect. There are loans involved. Jobs are scarce and the courses of study chosen because they would be enlightening aren’t exactly transferrable to job market needs. The housemates are looking at taking more loans in order to live, whilst also living back with their parents while they take unpaid internships (the thought of companies/employers doing this to people makes me see red – grrr) in the hopes of getting their foot in the door. All very daunting and Cross gets that point across quite nice.
But Penny is different. She refuses to follow what has become the norm in all too many cases. She holds out and gets a “real” job that pays her money. There’s a personal situation or two that helps drive that decision, but I’m not going to give it away. But she gets hired to work as a lighthouse keeper. It sounds like a grand adventure. And I must confess, there is a part of that that does most certainly sound quite intriguing.
Anyway, the two storylines are first the weeks after graduating and leading up to the lighthouse and second, her arrival at the lighthouse, where she meets two teammates, Matthew and Colin. The chapters switch back and forth between the two timelines. Fortunately, there is a tag-line at the start of each chapter and it orients you as to which timeline you are reading. But the post-graduation timeline gets smaller and eventually, toward the climax of the book, the two merge. Quite satisfyingly I must say. But if jumping back and forth in time isn’t your thing, that might bug you here. I personally thought Cross handled that pretty well.
There’s also an unreliable narrator issue with Penny. That might bother some, too, but again, I thought Cross handled that storytelling technique quite well too. And she doesn’t hit you over the head with it or make it over the top. I actually did not find it confusing, if that helps.
I liked the story a lot and the interaction with the three characters. There are twists and turns and little mini-mysteries throughout. The ending was a great turn of events and made it creepy and scary.
However… there were elements in which I thought the ending kind of fell apart. I can’t really say much more without spoilers, but I detected plot holes and issues that, after the climax, left he thinking that there were narrative elements that were implausible and worse, did not give me enough explanation. This probably would have been five stars for me, but for the elements of the ending I found lacking. But that in no way means I didn’t like the book. I did. (My favorite book of all time has an ending that I absolutely do NOT like, so I can look past that if I like the rest of the story. Which I did here.
February 12, 2022
Slow burn in every sense of the word. If I wasnt reading this as a BR, it could have been a DNF. But I enjoy reading Cross, and I enjoy my buddy reading (verbing there lol), so I stuck it out. There's plenty of the flashbacks that could have been omitted, but the ending?!?!? Man oh man. That was worth the read. Right when I thought I wasted my time, Cross blindsided me and proved me wrong.
February 14, 2022
The prologue was really great, as was the epilogue. There was a lot in the middle that was annoying and repetitive. I feel like if the middle of this book were shrunk down a bit into a shorter novella I wouldn't have struggled so much to get through parts of this. The setting was really good, very isolated and creepy. I liked the time hops between chapters. This would have been a 3 star read for me if the ending hadn't been so damn good. It made the rest of the book worth it for me.
January 4, 2026
Slow Burner then OMG.
I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but this book was great. It starts off slow, but I like the style of writing. It flips from the present to the recent past, which chips away at why the decisions in the present are being made. What sort of horror is it going to be? Psychological? Paranormal? Blood and guts? No spoilers, but when it hits I actually put my hands over my eyes! The characters are engaging and their names actually really suit their personalities in the book. So why did I drop a star? Well, there are a number of typos in the book. Nothing major to make you doubt the author’s intellect, just silly mistakes that surely should’ve been picked up with a decent proofread but suddenly hiccup the pace you’re reading at. But on the plus side, in this day and age they at least show that the author is only human and that this wasn’t written by some word perfect AI. Good tale Amy Cross. Thank you.
I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but this book was great. It starts off slow, but I like the style of writing. It flips from the present to the recent past, which chips away at why the decisions in the present are being made. What sort of horror is it going to be? Psychological? Paranormal? Blood and guts? No spoilers, but when it hits I actually put my hands over my eyes! The characters are engaging and their names actually really suit their personalities in the book. So why did I drop a star? Well, there are a number of typos in the book. Nothing major to make you doubt the author’s intellect, just silly mistakes that surely should’ve been picked up with a decent proofread but suddenly hiccup the pace you’re reading at. But on the plus side, in this day and age they at least show that the author is only human and that this wasn’t written by some word perfect AI. Good tale Amy Cross. Thank you.
November 5, 2017
A first class ghost story
This was another exciting, if rather short, ghost story from Amy Cross. A young woman goes to work on a lighthouse, situated on a remote island. Her odd, to say the least, work colleagues eventually prove to her that the supernatural happenings that plagued her life were real. Unfortunately, the truth comes at a terrible cost.
This was another exciting, if rather short, ghost story from Amy Cross. A young woman goes to work on a lighthouse, situated on a remote island. Her odd, to say the least, work colleagues eventually prove to her that the supernatural happenings that plagued her life were real. Unfortunately, the truth comes at a terrible cost.
April 12, 2018
Loved this story. Amy took ghosts and twisted endings to a whole new level. Fantastic characters that asserted this could happen to anyone. Yikes!
December 15, 2018
I must say that this was not the best work by Amy Cross. I have read a few more books by her which were extremely amazing.
Here what bothered me was, too much repetition. Though the ending indeed was quite interesting.
Here what bothered me was, too much repetition. Though the ending indeed was quite interesting.
April 2, 2016
Twisted
Wow! This book was intriguing. The characters were so believable and then BAM! The twist at the end want something I was expecting.
Wow! This book was intriguing. The characters were so believable and then BAM! The twist at the end want something I was expecting.
February 15, 2023
Good read!
Feeling increasingly weak, I sink down to my knees and lean back against the wall. I can just about make out the dark lighthouse in the distance, with one edge picked out in the moonlight, and I try to imagine Matthew staring out the window, watching as the undead get closer. My whole body is starting to tremble, as much from the cold as from pain and fear, and I'm not even sure I have the strength to go to the lighthouse again, even if Matthew is out of the way.
Feeling increasingly weak, I sink down to my knees and lean back against the wall. I can just about make out the dark lighthouse in the distance, with one edge picked out in the moonlight, and I try to imagine Matthew staring out the window, watching as the undead get closer. My whole body is starting to tremble, as much from the cold as from pain and fear, and I'm not even sure I have the strength to go to the lighthouse again, even if Matthew is out of the way.
December 22, 2017
Creepy story
This is a great story . It talked about something that can happen to anyone. Finishing college and looking for a job are common things in ever day life. But seeing ghosts takes this story to another level. The story flows smoothly. I will read more from this author.
This is a great story . It talked about something that can happen to anyone. Finishing college and looking for a job are common things in ever day life. But seeing ghosts takes this story to another level. The story flows smoothly. I will read more from this author.
August 2, 2019
Great book.
Great book, as usual from Amy Cross. Never disappointed with Any of her books. I hope she knows how much she is appreciated by all her readers. Thank you for sharing your gift.
Great book, as usual from Amy Cross. Never disappointed with Any of her books. I hope she knows how much she is appreciated by all her readers. Thank you for sharing your gift.
December 27, 2021
Unexpected Twist
The author has done an extraordinary job of creating a story that keeps you hooked from the beginning. It is well written and the unexpected twists keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this book.
The author has done an extraordinary job of creating a story that keeps you hooked from the beginning. It is well written and the unexpected twists keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this book.
August 2, 2022
The Lighthouse
Really enjoyed thos book
A quick reader but couldn't put it down until it was finished!!! Really starting to enjoy this author and her many books. Just hope she keeps in mind that Quality over Quantity, is best EVERY time. LOVED IT
Really enjoyed thos book
A quick reader but couldn't put it down until it was finished!!! Really starting to enjoy this author and her many books. Just hope she keeps in mind that Quality over Quantity, is best EVERY time. LOVED IT
April 4, 2023
A true ghost story
This has been a way for me to pass some time. I have been quite sick ad ms. Cross having your stories to read gives me a way to keep my spirits up
Thank you
Christine and Serena Dunne
This has been a way for me to pass some time. I have been quite sick ad ms. Cross having your stories to read gives me a way to keep my spirits up
Thank you
Christine and Serena Dunne
December 7, 2025
Location Matters
Cross is consistently publishing wonderful stories of what might lurk beyond the veil. While "Haunted house" stories can be found everywhere, Amy has picked other sites for her hauntings to happen. Houses aren't the only places that can be found already occupied!
Cross is consistently publishing wonderful stories of what might lurk beyond the veil. While "Haunted house" stories can be found everywhere, Amy has picked other sites for her hauntings to happen. Houses aren't the only places that can be found already occupied!
May 24, 2017
Brilliant story.
Amy Cross has done it again in this spooky tale of a lonely lighthouse, it moves fairly fast and has an neat twist.
Amy Cross has done it again in this spooky tale of a lonely lighthouse, it moves fairly fast and has an neat twist.
December 18, 2017
Short, ghost story from Amy Cross....is she dead or alive?
December 31, 2017
Well done! I do so love a twisty ending.
November 14, 2018
Didn't like it as much as some of Amy's other books, but it was an intriguing ghost story that kept you second guessing right up to the end, where you're left wondering whether she's dead or alive!
November 30, 2018
An ok book. Not bad but just average book
March 2, 2019
It was okay.
March 21, 2019
That ending though!
It was full of twists! I loved it! And the way the book ended on a cliffhanger left me wanting more!
It was full of twists! I loved it! And the way the book ended on a cliffhanger left me wanting more!
July 25, 2019
This was another good book from Amy Cross. It was a good read and good action. You just can't go wrong with one of her books. Give it a try.
September 19, 2019
Very good!
A creepy story , of a young girl fresh out of college. She takes on a job of being a lighthouse keeper.
A creepy story , of a young girl fresh out of college. She takes on a job of being a lighthouse keeper.
March 11, 2024
This story had so much potential but it fell flat. The author was very repetitive at times, even saying the same thing on the same page. The book needed an editor to read over it- there were several typos. I also would have loved to learn more about the ghost woman and why the main character didn’t see her again after the villain was killed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2016
Makes you rethink accepting any weird jobs :-)
I love Amy Cross' books, this was no exception! Cool setting, spooky lighthouse where you are stuck on an island, only a few characters. Unexpected twist with Colin, I didn't figure it out until Penny found the dates on his the notebooks, even then I was unsure...but somehow she always manage to surprise me somewhere, which is great! I love originality & her books always seem so different from the normal scary book scenarios. Fun quick read!
I love Amy Cross' books, this was no exception! Cool setting, spooky lighthouse where you are stuck on an island, only a few characters. Unexpected twist with Colin, I didn't figure it out until Penny found the dates on his the notebooks, even then I was unsure...but somehow she always manage to surprise me somewhere, which is great! I love originality & her books always seem so different from the normal scary book scenarios. Fun quick read!
April 26, 2016
Excellent read
The Lighthouse is a rare thing:a ghost story that you can't figure out halfway through. Intriguingly spooky,it keeps you guessing till the final pages. I highly recommend it.
The Lighthouse is a rare thing:a ghost story that you can't figure out halfway through. Intriguingly spooky,it keeps you guessing till the final pages. I highly recommend it.
April 1, 2016
Boo Scary
I really felt the creepiness closing in while reading this book. I thought it would b just an ok read. Didn't expect to like it soon much!
I really felt the creepiness closing in while reading this book. I thought it would b just an ok read. Didn't expect to like it soon much!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews