The Ghosts of Curmudgeon Avenue

5.0 out of 5 starsBook 4 of this funny & quirky saga. Against The Flow Press blog. 24 October 2019 This is Book 4 in the Curmudgeon Avenue series, and the story is told by the house itself, in its familiar and gossipy manner, which I find amusing and highly entertaining. The writing is quirky, frenetic, warm, engaging, funny and endearing. It was like coming home to old friends, the moment I started this book. We have new people at Number One, including a self-obsessed, self-published author, and an aspiring-although-talentless artist. The previous occupants of Number One, the now deceased Edith, Edna and Harold are trapped in ghost-form inside Number One. They are not the only ghosts there, and find themselves haunted by more experienced ghosts! The wonderful Toonan and Wantha are regular visitors to Number One as they take the unlucky-in-love Krystina under their wing, to find her a new man. The fey Patchouli has a chat with ghost Edith while using the toilet in the upstairs bathroom, and her daughter Toonan discovers she also has 'the sight'. All those barmy characters that I have come to know and love from Ms. Henthorn's previous books, make an appearance in this one, along with some new faces - some of whom I could slap: Callum, Zandra Bennett & Jordan Slippery Fox; while others will fit in just nicely: Stuart Hardcastle (he's using his middle name) & The ghost of Beverley, Big George’s great grandmother. I'm still a big fan of The Whitefield Massive, Patchouli in particular, who, although she has gone up in the world, is not beyond a little shoplifting. And still not a fan of the conniving Gemma Hampsons; I was delighted to see her found out - that was after I stopped laughing at the name she has bestowed on her poor baby. Harry the B* takes a bigger role in this book, and I think I've rather warmed to him now. He is engaged by Zandra to do some work at Number One, and winds up living at 'the most popular shop in Whitefield'. However, the owner of the shop, and street gossip, Mrs Ali, seems to have given up her nosy ways in this book. In fact, I felt she took a back seat in this story. Not like Mrs Ali at all! I feel that The Ghosts of Curmudgeon Avenue could be read as a standalone but would recommend readers read the other books in The Curmudgeon Avenue series before settling down to enjoy this one, to really appreciate the whole story. Paul Falk, Author/Reviewer 5.0 out of 5 stars A lighter look at the afterlife October 31, 2019 Format: Kindle Edition In this fourth of a series, the author created a unique storyline that turned out to be a first of firsts, for me, anyway. Without malice, not only did she bump off her three main protagonists in the third of the series, but she brought them all back to carry on as ghosts in the 4th! Only the outlandish wit of Samantha Henthorn could pull off an escapade such as that. Brilliant. It did offer something to say about the afterlife: some folks just can't stay dead!? The scenes moved along at a brisk pace. There'd be no putting this book down. For an all-encompassing experience, a recommendation is proposed. Kick things off with book number one. Best place to start. From there, the depth of the characters and their nuances would all begin to fall into place. Warning... You may find yourself hooked as you get to know their inner workings. The narrative brought me to understand that the first thing about being a ghost is realizing that you are one. Who would have guessed? Quite a revelation, to say the least. Not only that, but being invisible also takes some serious getting used to. Upon coming up for a breath of air, an unexpected twist rocked my boat. Complete with a zany cast of lovable/hateable characters, the scenes were well-laid out making for an easy read. This book comes recommended to any reader out there looking for a paranormal adventure the likes of which has never been offered before.

Blog tour arranged with Random Things Through My Letterbox Tours January 20th. Book signing at Bury Central Library February 20th. AMS adverts. Facebook adverts. Listed in #DecTheShelvesChallenge on Twitter. Previous books in series chapters posted in weekly serial on author's blog.