The Ghosts of Miller's Crossing

by David Clark

More than Ghosts haunt you in his ghost story.Edward Meyer is returning back to his home town after the tragic loss of his wife. This move is rather ironic since it was the tragic loss of his parents that forced him away in the first place. When he returns, he learns a deep family secret that goes beyond the spirits that roam the town. A secret that goes back centuries and involves the Vatican, Knights Templar, and sacred religious relics.

Genres: Horror, Ghosts, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2019

About the author

David Clark is an author of multiple self-published horror novels and anthologies (amazon genre top 100) and can be found in 3 published horror anthologies. His writing focuses on the suspense, horror and sci-fi genres with a writing style takes a story based on reality, develops characters the reader can connect with and pull for, and then sending the reader on a roller-coaster journey the best fortune teller cannot predict. He feels his job is done if the reader either gasps, makes a verbal reaction out loud, throws the book across the room, or hopefully all three.

Member of the Horror Writers Association


https://www.facebook.com/DavidClarkHo...

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward is able to see spirits. When he's released from a mental asylum he starts life anew as a teacher with his two children in exactly the same town where his parents were murdered. There he finds out that other residents also see ghosts. What about them? Why do all those apparitions appear in Miller's Crossing? Who is Abaddon? Interesting ghost story with eerie elements, a bit far fetched and implausible at parts (e.g. Vatican and first settlers) but a good supernatural read. Recommended!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an atmospheric spooky read!

A small backstory:

Miller's Crossing is a small town which is steeped in lots of ghostly activity. Edward Meyer along with his two children moves back to his hometown of Miller's Crossing after his wife dies from cancer.

Edward has a secret gift which is that he can see ghosts and interact with them, but when he moves back to his hometown he finds out that he is not the only one that can see them as the townspeople can see them too.

Edward has been through hell with spending time in an institution when he was younger as everyone just seemed to think he was hallucinating, but once he moves back to Miller's Crossing he finds out there is more to what transpires within the town as somehow everything is connected to his family and the past.

Thoughts:

This was a creepy atmospheric story of ghosts and the town being haunted which within certain parts of the book it creeped under my skin and kept me glued to my kindle.

This was my first time reading this author and since this is the first book in a trilogy I will be continuing on with the rest of the books. The writing style of the author is smooth and just flows along keeping the creeping ghosts and town hauntings moving at a fast pace.

The first half of the book had a little bit of world building and seemed slow at first, but it became more fast paced the more I became involved in the story. The last half of the book I slowed it down as I wanted to absorb the ghostly atmosphere of the story. Giving this book four "Ghastly Ghost" stars.

For more thoughts on this review, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really hope there's a book 2 coming for this!

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than Ghosts haunt you in his ghost story.Edward Meyer is returning back to his home town after the tragic loss of his wife. This move is rather ironic since it was the tragic loss of his parents that forced him away in the first place. When he returns, he learns a deep family secret that goes beyond the spirits that roam the town. A secret that goes back centuries and involves the Vatican, Knights Templar, and sacred religious relics.

This was an absolutely amazing read.
I love the dark paranormal theme of this novel.
Written superbly in a way that the suspense is always there and you can't stop til you get to the end.
I love the way the characters were written and portrayed.
The story is told expertly.
I am a huge fan of this author's works and look forward to reading more from him.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began reading The Ghosts of Miller’s Crossing, I was expecting an average ghost story. What a pleasant surprise when I read this paranormal gem. The story is filled with suspense, intrigue, and, of course, ghosts – many, many ghosts. I very much enjoyed Edward, his children, and the town. I do hope that there will be a follow up to this tale.
I received a free ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters and an intriguing story line. The author does a great job developing the story and pulling you in with all the happenings. It's an interesting story with a cast of well developed characters ... mostly ghosts who the townsfolk expect Edward to remove. The story moves at a steady pace and I enjoyed reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Peter Younghusband · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this author through a Facebook advert for this series which highlighted its prequel, The Origins of Miller's Crossing. I started reading that one just to see what the writing was like and to get a feel for the novel.

I was hooked from the first page and finished that over the next day. It was so absorbing and riveting that I had to continue with this next one, The Ghosts of Miller's Crossing. What impressed me was three things, the writing, the plot and the adherence to biblical spiritual warfare. However, it is obvious this series has a Catholic bent to it seeing it is set against the Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy towards demonology and exorcism and other Catholic nuances. However, I am impressed that the overriding and dominant treatment of the demonic possession and oppression was through exercising the Word of God and the Name of Jesus to defeat the demonic infestation. In other Catholic fiction, I have read, I have been disappointed and angered that the author has placed Catholic doctrine dominant over Biblical doctrine concerning spiritual warfare and demonology. I cannot say this concerning this author, whom I presume is Catholic.

One other aspect that I liked was the adherence to the authority of the Word of God and that the demons were not more powerful than this or of God. They had to obey the Word of God and being ordered to depart in Jesus' name. To me, this is true horror as the Bible shows the origin of it, of demons, their possession and oppression of mankind and their place and demise from what Jesus achieved on the Cross; victory over sin, death, and the defeat of any power the demonic has over mankind.

I have no problem classifying this series as Christian horror. It is well-done, it honors the Word of God, and is not disrespectful of God. Clark's use of poetic licence regarding the earthbound ghosts, spirits or the demons and their behaviour does not conflict or undermine the Bible's doctrine on spiritual warfare or of who God is. This poetic licence of why these ghosts remain on earth and their hierarchy is not Biblical but does add a layer of suspense, horror and world-building to this series.

There were a few typos, I counted three, but being therefore infrequent, it did not detract from the novel or interrupt the flow of reading and its understanding.

The back story relating to Edward's family history chronicled in the prequel and his upbringing in this novel adds to the suspense and horror of this engaging plot. Edward's conflict regarding who he is, his supernatural gifting and the errors of the past against him taking up this mantle of demon warrior keep you focused and committed to keeping reading, albeit on the edge of your seat.

I would love to see this as a four-part TV series as long as it adhered to the novels exactly (prequel and books 1-3).

I am hooked on the series and am glad I have the remaining two to feast on.

Highly Recommended.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não costumo ler livros de terror mas este chamou-me a atenção... uma história com espíritos, uma cidade peculiar, uma família especial.
Nao sabia que este livro iria fazer parte de uma série, pensei que seria um stand alone, e como todos os livros de séries termina de uma forma “não resolvida”. Mas achei engraçada a forma como o autor introduziu o tema do Vaticano no livro, e estou curiosa para saber como é que ele o vai desenvolver no próximo livro!

[Stella Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

This was a good book. It kept you interested and guessing. It had a good ending to it which is rare.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ghosts of Miller's Crossing was truly a work of art. As an introduction into a series, the story flowed so well and effortlessly. It was such an easy book to just pick up and read. I read the whole thing in just a few days (damn sleep and work getting in the way!) Otherwise I easily could have finished this book quicker. The characters are so strong throughout. Edward and his family are excellent characters. At first, I thought it was going to be one of them psychological books based in a nut house where it all turns out to be a dream, and thank god, I was wrong. It had a strong story-line throughout that kept you reading. Edward was a character I seemed to like the most. He was a strong figure that had been through a lot and still kept his cool and was very likeable. There's always that, 'on edge' feeling when you KNOW someone needs to be the hero. I loved how in depth it went into demonology VS the church. How the repercussions of an action that seems innocent may actually have a horrid revelation.
As a first-in-the-series book, it really was brilliant. I cannot wait to pick up the rest of the series. David Clark has just made my 'Favourite Author' list.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ghost's of Millers Crossing by David Clark is one of the most amazing books I have read that is a Sci-Fi in awhile. I loved reading this story with thrillers, horror and mystery in it all writen by a brand new author for me to read. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about Sci-Fi, thrillers and horror in their stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A summary of this story is under the title so I will just give you my thoughts. Absolutely the best ghost story I have ever read and I have read some really great ones. This is so unique that it will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very interesting book. The suspense stays at a high level throughout the book and the characters were well written. The town and it’s history really added to the story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good suspenseful ghost story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carolyn Strength · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, loved it, loved it!

This book grabbed me right away. It grabbed me so tight I could not put it down. So... I stayed up too late but ..... what's a little lost sleep when you are having fun. I highly recommend The Ghosts of Miller's Crossing to anyone who likes reading ghost stories. Thanks, David Clark. Over and out. I'm headed over to find another of your books.

[Conny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the cover, that's why I got the book.
But the story was something else.
I saw many 4 and 5 stars, so it must be good.
Well, not for me, sorry.
I started skipping pages too soon, could not get into the story.
Not going to read the next book.

[Fatimah Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!!!

One of the best books I have read in a while! I can’t wait for the next book. The author has the skill to make this book seem Very realistic and I enjoyed the supernatural aspect of it.

[Heather Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me drawn in from beginning to end. The story and characters are very well written. A really great ghost story that I highly recommend!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patricia Gerhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but what a thrill ride.

Now this author has me hooked/ Edward has discovered he has power and can develop more, to fight the demons that want to take over the earth. I can hardly wait. It has now become addictive and where's that sequel????

[lori letourneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This book was good had a lot of action in it and kept my interest! I would recommend it !

[derek sadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read .

Looking forward to the next instalment.
A easy read with good characters and plot that keeps you wanting to find out what happens next .

[Suzanne Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting...but

The book was an interesting concept. There were so many Taylor's and grammatical errors that it was difficult to read.

[Richard Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of the book: some guy being the unwitting key to the ghosts and demons that frequented some place. I was just disappointed in the execution. If the approach of the last twenty pages could have been utilized throughout, I think the story would have worked for me.

Additionally, I always have a hard time with a specific religion being used as a major vehicle, good or bad, in a horror/paranormal book. (I know, I have the same issue with the use of the Catholic Church in "The Exorcist.") For me, such usages verge on sacrilege, even though I am sure that isn't always the intent of the author. To me, it still feels that way. It is so easy to inadvertently portray rituals, covenants, prayers and dogma that are sacred to the real-life believers as common, profane and the butt of some joke. And, from my point of view as the reader, I think that happened with "The Ghost of Miller's Crossing."

My other major complain is the inordinate amount of grammatical errors that should have been caught by proofreaders, editors or friends who looked at early versions manuscript. An occasional blooper here and there is understandable because it is hard to catch everything. But there were close to a dozen times when I was pulled out of the story, as the reader, because I couldn't understand a sentence. As I stopped to figure out what was wrong, it looked like two versions of the same sentence, one active and one passive, were moshed together in such a way that the resulting sentence was neither active nor passive but instead awkward, poorly constructed and incomprehensible.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much! I discovered it through a Facebook advert and decided to download the whole series. I figured, why not? It seems right up my ally as I thoroughly enjoy paranormal books and things of that nature.

This book did not disappoint. It is full of ghosts, and demons and definitely creeped me out. It is full of religious context as well, as there is a priest in town and the way to vanquish the ghosts and demons is by summoning the “word of God” and all that. However it does not distract from the creepiness factor of the story so I thought that was well done.

The characters are very nicely portrayed and well developed. They’re all very realistic and seem like people I would enjoy getting to know.

There were some grammatical and spelling errors in the story which were easy to spot, so I’m not sure why they were missed. They distracted me momentarily but I still enjoyed the story. I am now reading book 2, “The Demon of Miller’s Crossing” and there are yet more errors in that one. Perhaps the author would like to hire me as editor? Just a thought! 🤗

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your ordinary run of the mill ghost story and there are some wonderful little surprises in this plot. The main character is Edward and he hasn’t had the greatest of lives so far. His parents were killed in their home and so he had to go into foster care, he had to go into hospital when he started seeing ghosts. Even after all that he tried to get his life together and had been doing well until his wife died leaving him to be single parent family with two kids. Edward then makes a choice that literally haunted him, he moved back to the old family home in a small village and the ghosts started to reappear. There is a lot of story to this plot and a lot of history with the town and Edward’s family that is explored and expertly written by the author. This is a riveting and unique ghost story that is thoroughly enjoyable to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving at a blistering pace, David Clarck takes you on a wild ride through without a single dull moment. Infused with non-stop action, humor, and witty dialogue, the narrative blows past in a whirlwind of acutely planned chaos that keeps you hooked from start to finish. This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I received a copy of this novel from BookFunnell. This is my true and honest view,
I

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick, easy read, this is the first in a series about the Meyers family of Miller’s Crossing, one of several locations around the world that act as a natural conduit for spirits. And the Catholic Meyers family, using a cross made from wood from the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and a prayer book with generations of hand-written prayers, have a special ability to guide those spirits to where they belong. While I enjoyed the book, it’s a fairly hackneyed tale and I don’t know that I would recommend it. Plus, like so many other ebooks, it is full of typos.

[John Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for me, I'm afraid.

I'm afraid I didn't manage to get even half way through this book before giving up. It just wasn't my cup of tea at all. I noted all the four and five star ratings it attracted but, I found it boring and rather silly. The concept of a small rural town being a magnet for supernatural phenomenon was good but, for me at least, the story just didn't hang together.

[Pamela Aidan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea that everyone one who's a native of Miller's Crossing can see ghosts is a new approach but that is where new or twisty begins and ends in Clark's novel. The inconsistences and miscomprehension of b-a-s-i-c Christian teaching in a story that purports to have its origins in the Vatican are deadly to the conception of the characters and the plot. It might have been a decent story if the author had done some research and applied it.

[Tim Shepard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great but.....

Let me start by saying the concept and writing of this book are great. There's this well written story with interesting characters. The concept, while not original, is believable in the way it is told. But the story really starts to get moving and draw the reader in deeper just as the book ends. It drives nuts. A book should, in my opinion, tell a complete story without having to have to read a sequel to find out what happens to the characters.

[Kelly Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are only a handful of towns in the world where paranormal activity is strong…..and Millers Crossing is at the heart of this…..some might say the gateway.
Edward returns to his home town with his two children after the death of his wife, after leaving his family home some 30 years ago. Secrets are unraveled and powers are revealed……can’t wait to start book 2…..The Demon of Miller’s Crossing!