The year is 1977 and Johnny Cotton is coming home. After more than a year on tour, Johnny's bringing his rock band back to town for a show at the pub where it all started. But something's waiting for him, something that has been patiently biding its time.

As Johnny reunites with old friends, he starts to notice a strange figure following him. And when a member of the band suffers a horrific fate, Johnny becomes convinced that the past is watching. A terrifying secret is preparing to rear its head, and this secret threatens to destroy everything that Johnny has built up. But as he faces the ultimate horror, how far will he go in his attempt to become rich and famous?

Meanwhile, not everyone in Crowford is happy to see the prodigal son return. For one family in particular, Johnny's arrival brings back horrifying memories of a terrible accident. Or was it really an accident at all?

The Death of Johnny Cotton is another stand-alone book in the long-running Ghosts of Crowford series, about a spooky English town where the ghosts outnumber the living and nothing is ever quite what it seems.

First published: August 2025
Genre: Ghost / Horror
Series or Standalone: Anthology Series