Book 74, 2020

[chez_jae]

Ghost Crypt by Chanel Smith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Thursday night, I finished reading Ghost Crypt by Chanel Smith. It's the fifth installment in the "Ghost Files" series, which has been written by several authors. Main characters are Ellen and Monty Drew, a married ghost-hunting team. Ellen is the sensitive, while Monty (in whose pov the stories are written) is the gadget-toting tech guy.

Monty and Ellen are hired to investigate paranormal activity in London's Tube. Doors have been opening, passengers are hearing and witnessing apparitions, and it seems only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Unfortunately, the Drews' luggage goes awry, leaving Monty without his equipment. They will need to rely on Ellen's sixth sense to find out what is going on. What they discover is that new construction seems to have stirred up and/or released the activity. When they encounter spirits speaking ancient languages, Ellen and Monty are forced to work with a translator. They learn that the spirits of Romans and Celts are still waging eternal battle for Britain, and that something is keeping them from crossing over. This time, it's Ellen who is reluctant to continue with an investigation. She feels completely out of her depth. Her reaction worries Monty, who is usually the one trying to put the brakes on a harrowing investigation. If they continue, can they rid the Tube of its ghosts and restore safe travel?

I was pleasantly surprised when this book started out better than the most recent ones I've read in the series. For the most part, it was fun and flowed well. However, I was disappointed that the focus was less on the investigation and more on Monty and Ellen's experiences in London and their interactions with other characters. The ending was extremely disappointing. There was a sad lack of the creep factor that other books in the series have had. It was all rather bland.

Favorite line: I'm not sure what it is about the British accent, but it makes us Americans do stupid things.

Giving this one a three. The narrative was engaging enough, but the paranormal factor fell flat.