The year is 1863. Arriving in Crowford for a much-needed holiday, Reverend Septimus Ashcombe and his daughters believe they can finally enjoy some peace and quiet. They're about to discover, however, that some nightmares simply can't be outrun.

As she gets to know the town, Jane Ashcombe is disturbed by fleeting visions of a ghostly figure on the shingle beach. At first she assumes she must be mistaken, but slowly the visions become stronger – until a malevolent force breaks into the hotel one night and leaves her terrified. She knows she should run away, but she's unable to shake the sense that this particular entity is begging for help.

Meanwhile, at the nearby barracks, Commander Lionel Thorpe is grappling with his own problems. Someone or something keeps trying to break into the yard at night, and strange warnings hint at a supernatural presence. Lionel is convinced that there must be another explanation – until a horrifying encounter leaves him worrying that a ghostly power is out for revenge.

Soon Jane and Lionel are thrown together in a desperate battle to identify the spectral figure that haunts the beach at night. And if they fail, they might both find themselves doomed to a fate worse than death.

The Spectre of Crowford Beach 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: May 2026
Genre: Ghost / Horror
Series or Standalone: Anthology Series