CRYPT: The Gallows Curse

CRYPT #1

by Andrew Hammond

Meet Jud Lester: Star agent with CRYPT, the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team. When a crime is committed and the police are at a loss, CRYPT is called in to figure out whether something paranormal is at work. Jud is their star agent. Jud, unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex, has just landed his biggest case yet ... people have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances while others are viciously attacked - yet there are no suspects and a complete lack of hard evidence. The only thing that links each attack is the fact that survivors all claim that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen. Can Jud and Bex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction? A fantastic blend of teenage spies, horror and ghost-busting for fans of Cherub and Young Bond.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

After some years in the legal profession, Andrew re-trained as a teacher and has been a Deputy Headmaster, Director of Studies, Housemaster, and Head of English and Drama. He now works as an educational consultant and motivational speaker.

Andrew has written over thirty educational titles and has contributed articles to the Times Educational Supplement and other educational periodicals. The CRYPT Series is Andrew's first foray into the world of fiction.

Andrew lives in Suffolk with his wife and four children.

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read 'The Gallows Curse' because I have already read another book in the series, 'The Mask of Death' and that book was really good. This book is about a secret cooperation hidden in central London specified to solve crimes committed by ghosts. The cover of the book also has a very intriguing picture on the front cover of a skull. This makes me want to read this book because i like books with crime and uncertainty.

My favourite character in this book is the main character, Jamie Goode. Jamie is accused of killing his mother, when he claims that it was ghosts that did it. No one believed him apart from his billionaire father, Jason Goode. Jason invests his billions into making CRYPT (Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team) and maybe eventually solving his wife's death. Jamie has to change his name to Jud Lester and hide his true identity for the rest of his life. I really like mud because he has the normal struggles and worries of a normal teenager,yet he is actually a secret ghost crime investigator.

My favourite quote from this book is " No not my boy, not now ". This is said by Jason Goode when his son Jamie or 'Jud' is in a very dangerous situation. This shows Jason's love for his so and how close they really are on the inside. Jason can't bare the thought of loosing the only person in his family who are still alive.

After reading this book I have thought more about the possibility of there really being ghosts in our world. Maybe there are ghosts but they are invisible to the naked eye. I don't believe that they come back to terrorise their previous life but spirits could still be around us.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

The Gallows Curse is a book that sets up a series with a lot of potential. I've read CRYPT before, and decided to give the series a re-read to see how well it holds up now. It's a lot of fun, from lore to plot to characters, but it's not flawless.

The series stars teenaged Jud Lester, the alias Jamie Goode was forced to take after being falsely accused of his mother's paranormal murder. To clear his son's name, his father, "tech guru" Jason Goode founds CRYPT. CRYPT (standing for Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team), backed by MI5, is the secret team of teenagers recruited to dispel hauntings due to their aptitude of sensing and empathizing with ghosts.

The science of ghosts is explained well enough - electromagnetic energy, spirits and the like. It's still a lot of sci-fi but not complete nonsense. The books are also described in a horrifyingly descriptive matter - there is blood, gore, murders and maggots. It's engaging and makes the stakes much higher had there been no death, but I would not read this book at night.

This first installment takes place about a year after CRYPT's creation follows well, the Gallow's Curse. Chilling ghosts, gruesome murders, police politics and neat gadgets. It has elements of real history, which I found really interesting to learn about.

The book is written in a way where the chapters flip between the main CRYPT team and the POV of random victims of the hauntings. I liked the contrast, and it kept the story engaging.

I really loved the characters and their dynamics. Jud continues to deal with the mental toll of his new identity while constantly fearing being recognized in public. He has anger outbursts and trust issues (which are understandable, given his circumstances) and they're a real burden for him. I like how although yes, he is the most talented CRYPT agent, he has flaws and they affect the story. I liked Jud's interactions with Bonati, Jason Goode's partner, basically the leader of CRYPT, and one of the only people to know his history as Jamie.

I also loved Bex, a talented new CRYPT recruit who becomes Jud's partner. She's smart, caring, witty and really holds her own in any situation. Still, she has realistic weaknesses and flaws. I look forward to watching their relationship develop because so far, it's really sweet. The way her appearance was described could have been handled much better, though I'll talk more about that below.

Honestly, this series reminds me of Alex Rider, but with paranormal elements, a different writing style and more character depth. I think anyone who enjoys that series would enjoy this one. I'm saddened that it's so underrated, but not extremely surprised.

There are a couple of flaws with this book that tank my rating though.

First, the writing style takes some time to get used to. It feels like the book is told from someone who interviewed every character and then crafted the story based on their recounts. Information and thoughts are given whenever needed. A scene is never told completely from one POV - it'll go from one character to another between paragraphs. There's also some weird dialogue choices. I can sort of understand the use of "OK" but "Wanna" in a serious setting is stretching it a bit. There are also some random exposition dumps in the beginning of the book, but those get better as the concepts get more established.

Next, the pacing of this book felt a bit off. An engaging mystery takes up a large part of the book, but once it's resolved, it turns more into police politics. The police politics are the more boring parts of the book - but luckily those passages aren't incredibly long. There isn't really a climax to the story - it just feels like the plot couldn've been done better.

Finally, I have to acknowledge that this book was written in the 2010s where some things were more normalized than they are now. Namely, how Bex (Jud's assigned partner, a new recruit to CRYPT) is described. It just made me cringe and I have to include this in my review. Bex is half-Chinese (and I assume half British). Immediately when she's introduced, she's described as "oriental" which (IMO as an Asian) just isn't respectful nowadays. In a later passage, she's described as "Attractive, sexy, and young. Her mother's Chinese ancestry gave her an exotic look that most girls her age would die for." The first three adjectives feel repetitive (and the rest of the book continues to mention her looks) - I get it, she's pretty. The "exotic look that most girls her age would die for" is just an awful line.

In conclusion - I am excited to continue my re-read of these books, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Alex Rider. I think the series should be more popular, and I remember it ramping up in quality as the series went on.

Honestly, I'd love to see a CRYPT TV series with updated writing and a tidied plot because the premise is really interesting. Showing character emotions through expressions rather than describing them works exceptionally well, and I think CGI could make the ghosts truly horrifying.

[Thomas Norstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daaaaaaaang.

I picked up this book from the library out of boredom... I haven't had much time to read lately and thought it would be nice to try something new. I wasn't disappointed with The Gallows Curse. I'm not into horror, but Hammond managed to make it terrifying enough that it wasn't scary, but just interesting. It was a bit gruesome at times, but not enough to give me nightmares.

I love how there was some odd form of science behind the ghosts, rather than most ghost stories that are just like "Spirits are haunting because they want revenge". It gave a unique touch to the story. Not to mention the characters built in to the stories. I love Jud's character, and I feel really bad that he was stripped of his identity as Jamie Goode and framed for the murder of his mother. That's a really big sentence to put on a teen's life. Bex is awesome in that she's able to counter Jamie's loneliness. I can't wait for her to find out his real identity.

My favorite part of the book was seeing all the clues come together to the big mystery. As soon I saw the word "Gallows", I immediately sped up my reading speed. There's no moment in a mystery book quite like the moment when the character sees all the pieces fit into place.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the first CRYPT book. Hopefully I'll have time to finish the series.

[Deviki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books I've read and provided detailed reviews over the years but all data is lost after accidental deletion and GD refuse to restore it back.

Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes

[Zvonimir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike his older brother, he isn't a blithering idiot.

[Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disjointed read with very interesting historical elements and a decent cast for a YA novel.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does your teen child love horror? Then get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as you can... they will love you for it! I picked up my copy during a trip to London, and I started reading it on my way home on the train. I do not recommend you try this as I came very close to missing my stop as I got so engrossed in it; in fact, after I had got off my train I sat on a bench on the platform just so I could finish the chapter I was on before I raced home to sit up into the night to finish it. And that's something else I wouldn't recommend, especially if you are easily unnerved, and this book might just scare the pants off you if you are alone in a dark, empty house.

The publisher blurb describes Andrew Hammond's debut as "A fantastic blend of teenage spies, horror and ghost-busting for fans of Cherub and Young Bond" and I have been trying to put it better myself but I have given up as it sums the story up perfectly. I remember going to see Ghostbusters back in 1984, and loving it so much that I went again a few days later. There are continuing rumours that the original cast may get back together to make a new Ghostbusters film, but I personally feel that they shouldn't bother as CRYPT is the only ghostbusting story we need for this (now not so) new millennium. OK, so it doesn't have the comedy of the 80s movie, but it is a hell of a lot more scary, and far more in keeping with the kind of horror that young people love these days.

They say that writers for children need to grab the attention of their audience within the first few pages or they may as well give up; Andrew Hammond certainly manages this is this first book in his CRYPT series. The first few pages give us a very brief prologue, giving us a quick briefing as to what CRYPT is and how it came into being, as well as some pretty nasty details about how main character Jud Lester was found guilty of killing his mother, despite his claims that "the ghosts did it". This was more than enough to get me interested, but then we are straight into the first chapter which contains a thoroughly nasty supernatural attack on a Central Line tube train during rush hour. You may never want to travel on the Tube again after reading this - it is nightmare inducing writing, and we aren't even ten pages into the story!

CRYPT: The Gallows curse consists of 50 chapters over 330+ pages, so you don't need me to tell you that the chapters are short, and with the fast paced action scenes you can't help but want to keep on turning the pages. This is perfect for teen readers, especially those of the reluctant reader variety, but for me it was awful as I was pretty tired on the night I read this book, but I kept on saying to myself "Just one more chapter and then turn the light out". Curse you Hammond! It may have been a Friday night but I had a lot to do the next morning and I was shattered! The plot is fast-paced with some cracking action set-pieces, including a number of battles with some of the nastiest ghosts you are likely to find in modern YA literature and a motorbike chase scene that may have your heart trying to pound its way through your ribcage. And then if you still have a breath left in your lungs you have to face the totally brilliant, cardiac arrest-inducing climax! In fact, the more I think about this book as I write this review, the more I feel that this would make a great movie, although to do the horror scenes justice the certificate may have to be higher than the age of the main target audience of the book.

I would be lying if I said the book was perfect though. The horror scenes are all brilliantly written, and Andrew Hammond really knows how to scare his audience. However, these scenes sometimes tend to overshadow some of the other quieter moments in the story, those all important scenes between perils that allow us to take a breath and see the characters develop further as they interact with each other. For me, some of these quieter scenes needed to be more punchy, and a few times I felt there was a little too much telling going on and not enough showing. This was particularly the case whenever there was mention of Jud's past, and this seemed to happen a little more than was necessary. As this is the first in a series we probably did not need to know everything that is revealed about Jud's past in this first outing, although with the backstory now established I would guess that the sequel, CRYPT: Traitor's Revenge, will be better as far as this is concerned.

CRYPT: The Gallows Curse really is Ghostbusters for the Alex Rider generation and is the perfect springboard for teens who are wondering whether to take the plunge into the vast pool of adult horror fiction. I for one can't wait for the sequel, especially as the blurb suggests that it is set in York as well as in London. With so many great historical cities in the UK, each with a multitude of their own ghost stories, this is a series that could run and run, and based on this first instalment I would like to sign up for the duration please.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also posted on Daisy Chain Book reviews

CRYPT: The Gallows Curse is an excellent start to a new series. The story focuses on Jud Lester, a teenager with ESP who works for the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team (CRYPT) a sector of MI5 that teams up with young people to solve paranormal related cases. Jud is a great investigator, and number one in his team. Some even say he’s become obsessed with ghosts, but this is because Jud is harbouring a dark secret – he is in fact Jamie Goode, son of rich and famous Jason Goode, and is a convicted criminal, wrongly charged with the murder of his own mother. Jud never killed her, it was the ghosts that did it, but of course, who in the world would believe that? Forced to hide his true identity, Jud takes his work in CRYPT very seriously, because the only way to clear his name and to finally get freedom is to prove that ghosts really do exist. But doing so is harder than it seems – recently, a series of odd events have taken place, but Jud just can’t seem to collect any evidence, or find any connections to prove any paranormal activity took place. The only clue he has is that all the surviving witnesses claim to have seen the ghosts of 17th century highwaymen. Together with Bex, a fellow CRYPT member, Jud must work out why ghosts have recently started attacking while also trying to figure out a way to stop them.

I really enjoyed CRYPT: The Gallows Curse – it was a perfect mix of horror, mystery, action and humour, and I think it would definitely appeal to a wide range of people. Jud was a very interesting, very likeable character, and I loved getting to know him. In order to be able to work for CRYPT, he had to go by the false name “Jud Lester” and was made to change his appearance as well as every other part of his life. Though he pretended to be tough and arrogant on the outside, inside Jud was actually very lonely and felt isolated, and was still mourning the loss of his mother, while also having to deal with the fact the entire world thought he was a murderer. He was desperate to clear his name - desperate to find freedom and escape his confinement in CRYPT. He was not allowed to do things normal boys his age were because he was under constant surveillance by the police, who still refused to believe he was innocent of his mother’s murder. I felt so bad for him because he had been wronged by the justice system, and now his life was a mere shadow of what it was before. His father treated him like a stranger, and he didn’t really have any friends – it was all so unfair. The only person that seemed to be really there for Jud was Bonati, the professor at CRYPT who was like a second father to Jud. He seemed to understand what the teenager was going through, and while he was a bit strict, I did like Bonati because he seemed to really care for Jud as if he were his own son.

Bex was the girl Jud was partnered with for the mission, and she was another character I really liked. Headstrong and feisty, Jud wasn’t used to dealing with girls like her, and I like the way she challenged him. Bex seemed to be one of the only people that realised there was more to Jud than his “number one investigator” label, and tried to get to know him, which is something not a lot of other people did. I liked the way their friendship grew, and how they both realised they were glad to be partnered with each other. They worked well together, and were both smart and came up with a lot of ideas to solve the case, and while there was nothing beyond friendship in this book, a few hints were dropped here and there that perhaps suggest Bex and Jud ‘s relationship may develop in future books (or maybe this is my wishful thinking, who knows!).

The book was generally well-paced, but a little slow at parts, and the chapters alternated between the teenagers at CRYPT and other characters outside of CRYPT - usually ordinary people who were being attacked by the ghosts. I liked the way Jud and Bex managed to solve the puzzle and connect up all the dots to work out what was going on, and I really enjoyed the fast-paced action towards the end (though I felt perhaps that things were resolved a little too quickly). The ending was satisfying and wrapped up the story of this book while also leaving a few loose ends, and I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Overall, CRYPT: The Gallows Curse was a highly entertaining read, and I would recommend it to fans of ghost stories/light horror, or to anyone who enjoyed the Alex Rider series. A fabulous fiction debut!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

CRYPT (The Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team) is a secret agency set up by MI5 and a private benefactor to investigate paranormal crimes that the police are unable to solve. When a spree of murders start occurring, with witnesses blaming highway men and ghosts the police are at a loss and CRYPT is called in to investigate. It is up to star agent Jud, along with new recruit Bex, to try and discover what is going on. If there really are ghostly highwaymen on the rampage can they find a way to stop them?

The Gallows Curse is a great start to a new series and one I'm really looking forward to continuing. The story is without a doubt one of the scariest books I've read all year and I'm surprised I managed to read it without hiding under the bed in terror. I have to admit I've become quite a wuss in recent years when it comes to horror so the fact that I was so gripped to the pages is a testament to how good the story is!

Jud is a great main character, he has a lot of faults but that just makes him more realistic and the more you learn about his background the easier it is to see why he behaves the way he does. He has a big secret to keep and it is no wonder he has been traumatised by things that have happened to him. In trying not to let his secret out he has become cut off from the people who surround him, he finds it hard to trust anyone and the stress has given him quite a temper. I do think he has quite a bit of growing up to do and I'm looking forward to seeing this happen as the series continues. It was nice to have a strong female lead character in Bex too, she is smart and brave and I liked the way she dealt with Jud. My slight complaint would be that I felt their friendship was a little rushed, one minute they hated each other & the next they were very close. I would have liked to actually see things develop between them but considering all the other things that were going on in the story that is fairly easy to forgive.

I've already mentioned how scary this was, the ghostly attacks were written in great detail and were gory to the extreme. As the plot proceeds and you start to uncover the reasons behind the attacks I was fascinated by the historical information interwoven into the story - I actually learnt quite a bit while reading. I also enjoyed discovering all the high tech equipment that the CRYPT agents had access to. The Gallows Curse is an impressive debut from Andrew Hammond and I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes the CRYPT agents next. This is sure to be a hit with horror fans of all ages and I'm already looking forward to the sequel.

[Kulsuma · Rating 3 out of 5]

CRYPT: The Gallow’s Curse by Andrew Hammond was an exciting paranormal novel. It was full of action, horror and mystery. The main character, Jud Lester, is the star member of the organisation the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team. CRYPT investigates incidents where the police cannot find answers because the paranormal is at work.

When a series of shocking attacks across London leaves victims dead or injured, the CRYPT must find out who the ghosts are, why they have returned and how to stop them before it’s too late, all whilst avoiding the media spotlight. This is because CRYPT is a secret organisation and if the general public were to know that it investigated instances of the paranormal, they would be both terrified and in uproar.

The idea behind CRYPT: The Gallow’s Curse was very interesting as I loved the idea of teenage ghost- busters solving crime that adults couldn’t due to their lack of Extra-Sensory Perception. I was happy with the scientific explanation given for how ghosts can appear as it wasn’t farfetched.

The chapters were short and fast paced and the constant shift between various characters allowed me to visualise the story in stark detail as well as understand the vast multitude of people affected by the ghosts. The filmic quality of CRYPT is one of the highlights of the book. The vivid and grotesque descriptions interspersed throughout have stayed with me as they had me flinching in terror and disgust.

Jud was an interesting character with a lot of potential that was not fully realised. He was a conflicted character with a sad history; his mother had been killed by a ghost and he’d been convicted of the crime and now must live with a new, secret identity. This secret weighs him down throughout the book. I was not as emotionally invested in Jud as I had hoped to be. I did not feel a strong connection to him.

Bex De Verre, his partner, was feisty, smart and sarcastic. Together they try to find out who the ghosts are and why they are wreaking death and destruction across London. This was simple for me as I only had to read the title to know who the culprits were.

There was some repetition in the first half of the book which slowed the pace of the novel; however this was resolved as the book continued. I liked the surprising twists and turns and the build up of tension that lead to the dramatic climax.

On the whole, I enjoyed reading CRYPT: The Gallow’s Curse and would recommend it to fans of the paranormal, horror and action genres.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review may contain spoilers).

Most of the time, when I buy books, they tend to be impulse buys. I get them at the time I see them because they look good. That wasn't quite the case with this book - I saw it on Monday, but was completely broke until Friday and not going anywhere near town until Saturday. To top it all off, all I remembered was the word 'CRYPT' - absolutely nothing else.

Long story short, I found the book and decided it still looked good. So I bought it.

The beginning was quite good, but I have to say, it took me a little while to emphasise with the characters. To be honest, what kept me going at first were the descriptions of the ghosts and murders. I could picture the scene of carnage on the train without much difficulty.

Jud got the sympathy vote from me pretty much from the beginning. The main thing that kept me from my usual identifying with characters was, I think, writing that was kind of clunky. The POV switches were jarring. I'd be in one character's head and it would suddenly, without warning, state what other characters were thinking before switching back over to the POV character. It certainly wasn't as bad as some books I've read - there have been times when I've felt dizzy because of how much it changes - but there was knowledge that I felt could have been imparted better.

There was one thing with a particular character I didn't see coming, but made sense when it happened. I can normally guess at a lot of twists, but I didn't even consider it as a possibility.

So, all in all - it gets four stars. If the writing hadn't been so clunky, it would have got five. Jud wasn't all-powerful and actually ended up having to be rescued. All of the characters had a part to play. And his actions and attitude made sense. Also, it was *so* refreshing to see something that, although it had attraction at first sight, didn't have love at first sight.

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted on ThirstforFiction.com

Every year tens, maybe hundreds of cases of paranormal activity occur across Britain and the world. Stories of hauntings are hastily covered up by MI5. To admit to the existence of paranormal beings would create a panic even greater than that of terrorism. But there is a specialist agency that can deal with these cases: CRYPT. The Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team investigate the ghosts behind the hauntings and attempt to put them to rest, but sometimes this is impossible without large, unwanted media attention. When thousands of ghosts descend on London and kill innocent lives in inexplainable ways, this is just what happens…

The idea behind CRYPT: The Gallows Curse is both a blessing and a curse. In one sense the bloody, violent ghostly encounters is thrilling stuff and will entertain those with a stomach strong enough. However, trying to write a ghost story where the antagonists are vividly described can also tear away any suspense the novel has, and this is sadly what happens in CRYPT. Ghosts, at least in my experience, make for much more riveting entertainment if they stay a mystery and plague the characters pyschologically, rather than physically. Michelle Paver’s Dark Matter is a wonderful example of how describing how the paranormal activity affects the characters rather than directly describing the ghosts is a great way of creating an atmosphere of terror and fright- especially for the reader. CRYPT: The Gallows Curse does not offer this aspect, and it was this that I was looking forward to before I started it. finish reading review...

[Serendipity Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I was convinced that I would never travel on the London Underground again!
This book has to be the most goriest, scariest book I have read this year. I would have freaked out completely if London had ever suffered the scenarios described in this book. It was gruesome, grotesque and barbaric and I LOVED every minute of it!

The characters are really intense. Especially Jud, who has every reason to be and takes his role as a paranormal investigator extremely seriously. You want him to lighten up just a tad, but you can see why he can't as he is living a lie and the guilt is eating away at him. Zakis, the billionaire property owner was ruthless and his actions were rather sickening - I really didn't like the way he treated people, fortunately he got his comeuppance.

The chapters are short and sharp, adding to the intenseness of the story. You find yourself quickly gasping at each situation as you race from one to another. The evil in the book just builds and builds with so much tension until you feel it erupting. As the book progresses all the hauntings and gruesome attacks begin to make sense as Jud and Bex work out why these events are happening. It is like a child's dot to dot, when all the events are placed together, you understand why they are happening. These are some seriously angry ghosts.

If you love gore and gruesome thrillers,then this book is definitely for you. A brilliant debut from hopefully a series that will continue.

Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Hellraiser!

[Sierra · Rating 1 out of 5]

YUCK, this book was so bad I couldn’t even make it though the first half. I will freely admit I am not a big horror fan, but I do read some offerings in the genera. The premise of this book drew me in, a group of ghost fighting teenagers sounded cool. Unfortunately, book didn’t live up to its promise.

I started getting worried within the first ten minutes of picking up the book. The first scene is of a ghost attacking a subway train full of people. The descriptions were so overworked, bloody, and gruesome that I just couldn’t help laughing. Melodrama anyone! Seriously, the scene had so much blood and bugs, it was ridiculous not scary.

Hoping the author was just trying to draw people in with the shocking depictions in the first few pages, I read on. I was hoping in vain as it soon became apparent that the author had no intention of putting a lid on his overly dramatic writing style. The description of how CRYPT was founded was rather interesting, but was on the unrealistic side. What really made me give up on the book was the main character. What a douchebag! All he seemed to do was whine about his job or admire himself. He actually replays a clip of himself getting out of a helicopter and ridding off on a motorcycle, pretending it is a music video. Did anyone order a narcissist?! Because I sure didn’t.

Well, anyway that is why I dropped the book; I am very busy with schoolwork and cannot afford to waste time reading a book that I don’t like. I might recommend this book to someone who likes melodramatic and overdone crap, but that is a big “might”.

[Kara Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talk about creepy, this book oozes creepiness, but in a good way. It will have you gripped from start to finish and you won't want to go into the London underground alone again. C.R.Y.P.T is short for Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team, they investigate the unexplained. So when a string of brutal attacks start with reports of ghosts and a highwayman, CRYPT are on the case.

Jud one of the main characters leads the investigations and takes his job very seriously. He is an excellent character if not a little intense at times. He let his temper get the better of him, but all in all a good guy. I wasn't as keen on Zakis, I felt his character was a little lacking and I didn't like the way he was towards people. They do have some very cool gadgets.

Working undercover CRYPT must get rid of the ghosts which are running amok in the city, feasting on the living. They are searching for clues, but finding it difficult to keep it under the radar. This book is a real page turner, you will not want to put it down. A fun but scary read. Parts of the book are barbaric, gory and down right creepy, some death scenes are very gruesome, but if you like that sort of thing, this book is for you. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

I would highly recommend this book, if you love gore and being scared, then this book is for you. It is gripping and exciting. There is horror, gore, ghosts and lots of things that go bump in the night. I loved it.

[Michelle (Clover Hill Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review has been completed by John, Clover Hill Book Reviews other half…as Michelle couldn’t get past the first chapter as she was too busy hiding under the bed covers in fright ;)) Seriously – she doesn’t do graphic horror…and has learnt her lesson ;p However I’m happy to read books such as this - John

In the beginning, it gave a fab insight into what the story was going to be about – CRYPT = Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team. Expect lots of ghosts, vivid/graphic horror (eg: at one point you have maggots coming out of a ghosts mouth whilst it’s killing people) It isn’t until later in the story I realised why the ghosts were appearing (something I’m not going to share – it’ll spoil it!!)

My favourite character from this is Bex, she becomes one of the main characters’ side kick and is a newcomer to the Crypt who gets teamed up with Jud.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, it kept me interested as it’s very unpredictable. I would definitely read the next in the series.

Source – Many thanks to Headline, a copy was received at an event for review, a second copy was received and has been given away in one of our giveaways :)

http://cloverhillbookreviews.blogspot...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

My heart was constantly racing and the anticipation I felt for what would happen next made this book a page-turner. I found it kind of creepy, the idea of weird ghost things that are men who were hung in their past lives that transform from invisible particles of air to unstoppable man-killing beasts... There could have been more squirm-inducing gritty stuff, but it did alright. Ohmygod - Zakis is a manipulative, greedy tool! Definitely did NOT like him. Lastly, Lester's secret is intriguing and I felt betrayed for him when his secret was almost exposed... Just coz when you find out the truth, and it's like, only two people believe him... he can't tell anyone his life story of course, and he has to change his name and everything. Then he feels trapped and he can't do anything without being watched by the cops and stuff... By the way, how annoying is that reporter?? I was so glad when Lester punched him. Agh... Anyway, hopefully the next book will be just as good.

[Aurora · Rating 2 out of 5]

It picked up near the end but I wasn't really feeling the characters. And maybe I'm just desensitised to spookiness but I was feeling a lot of 'you are meant to feel scared at this moment', 'all the bystanders are screaming/vomiting so you are meant to be horrified.'

I'm not sure where the 'youth' part of this is meant to come in. Everyone acted like adults. I guess the author just needed a 'Y' to fill in his acronym.

The general statements really dulled down the life of the minor characters. It just felt like padding. For a team of supposedly well-trained youth (with a lot of money and resources) they were pretty useless.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very surprised at how much I liked this book!We were sent the 4th in the series by The Guardian to read so I bought the first few to give them a try and thought it was a great ghost story for readers of aged about 11 up. The ghostly descriptions were creepy and suspenseful and the characters were solid and interesting especially Jud/Jamie although Bex was my favourite character.
The plot was fast-paced and very much kept you reading to find out what happens, bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series!!

[Shayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

i found that the suspense in the book twists you inside out! and the drama between Jud and Bex is to die for when you first start the book its a slow book untill the huntings start and people start dying, and then you find out that all these deaths were cause because Zakis want to build a new hotel. this book gets you think are we forgetting about those who died? and how much of the land is a grave sit?

[Beth Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary stuff. Lots of gore and gruesome violence, ghouls and ghosties etc. I was a bit overcome by the level of violence but the pace of the book and the plot were what kept me going. I had to say I didn't take to the lead character much, but I liked his sidekick Bex. The end was a bit disappointing but I won't spoil it for readers. If you like horror, then this is worth reading, just for the story line: it's a cracker.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gruesome, gory, fantast!
The prologue was just right, not too long or too short, giving just the right amount away to hook the reader.
The fictional science actually made sense which made the book easier to relate to.
Definitely a stereotypical boys book, but a brilliant one! I will definitely be reading the rest in the series.
Does anyone know if the author Andrew Hammond is the brother of top gears Richard Hammond? They look very much alike!

[zombiereadz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find the descriptions of the hauntings excruciatingly overdone, but all in all, Hammond has painted quite a good premise for a series.

Those who have enjoyed Department 19 will like Crypt: The Gallow's Curse.

[Danny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was looking for an urban fantasy novel with lots of plot twists and suspense and action but The Gallows Curse was way too dramatic even for me. Many of the chapters end with vague one liners but it wasn't enough to keep me really entertained by the story. 2 stars.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first horror novel i have read as i am a bit (OK a complete) wuss, yet despite the slightly gruesome ghost scenes it still successfully grabbed my attention and i would be willing to continue the series.

[Chantal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too gruesome and horrifically descriptive for my taste. This will appeal to the teens who love graphic horror, with a healthy helping of the supernatural.

Given the overly graphic murder scenes, I would recommend for ages 15+

[Meissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it was a bit different. The story plot with the gruesome ghost was cool and the characters are unique in a good way. Only teenagers have the extra sixth 'sense' and it works well

[Aishah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the book. A great use of words and great descriptions. Pretty freaky and was full of beastly and ghostly stuff. Really liked the book. And would recommend it to all who are into things like paranormal activity....

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review coming when I'm allowed to post it :)

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written-sometimes scary, but also too fake to believe! Awesome