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Laurel Hightower

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Crossroads Kindle Edition

by Laurel Hightower (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

575 ratings

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How far would you go to bring back someone you love?

When Chris's son dies in a tragic car crash, her world is devastated. The walls of grief close in on Chris's life until, one day, a small cut on her finger changes everything.

A drop of blood falls from Chris's hand onto her son's roadside memorial and, later that night, Chris thinks she sees his ghost outside her window. Only, is it really her son's ghost, or is it something else—something evil?

Soon Chris is playing a dangerous game with forces beyond her control in a bid to see her son, Trey, alive once again.

"There's a single note that plays through all of Laurel Hightower's Crossroads, and in that note you can hear a mother's justified devastation, a lover's acceptance, and the haunting displacement of a ghost. Refreshingly nuanced character, down to earth in the rightest of ways, Crossroads will sincerely move you. There is a big mind, and an even bigger heart, behind this book." -- Josh Malerman, New York Times best-selling author of Bird Box and Malorie

"Crossroads is a gripping, deeply emotional ride. From its very first sentence to its shattering finale, this novella held me spellbound. If you aren't reading Laurel Hightower, you're missing out on one of horror's brightest rising stars." -- Jonathan Janz, author of The Raven

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laurel Hightower grew up in Kentucky, attending college in California and Tennessee before returning home to horse country, where she lives with her husband, son, and two rescue animals. She works as a paralegal in a mid-size firm, wrangling litigators by day and writing at night. A bourbon and beer girl, she's a fan of horror movies and true-life ghost stories. Her debut novel, Whispers in the Dark, was published in 2018.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09LXVSX2X
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Off Limits Press LLC
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 15, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 111 pages
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #274,851 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #6,332 in Horror (Kindle Store)
- #6,534 in Horror Literature & Fiction

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575 ratings

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Laurel Hightower

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Laurel Hightower is a bourbon loving Kentucky native. She is the Bram Stoker-nominated author of WHISPERS IN THE DARK, CROSSROADS, BELOW, EVERY WOMAN KNOWS THIS, SILENT KEY, SPIRIT COVEN, and THE DAY OF THE DOOR, and has more than a dozen short fiction stories in print.

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575 global ratings

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Customers describe this book as a brilliant exploration of grief, with one review noting its unique combination of heart-wrenching elements. The novella features well-rounded characters and a compelling narrative that moves at a healthy clip. Customers praise the writing quality, with one highlighting the author's brilliant economy with words, and find it a fantastic, quick read.

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35 customers mention "Emotional content"28 positive7 negative

Customers appreciate the emotional depth of the book, describing it as a brilliantly written exploration of grief, with one customer noting its unique combination of heart-wrenching elements.

"...It's one of those rare works of horror that can make you ache like the main character, stab you right in the gut, and draw forth real tears. But how?..." Read more

"...There is something terrible and beautiful and cathartic about walking through the transgressive and taboo aspects of the magical thinking that..." Read more

"...In fact, I recommend it to any reader looking for a deeply moving, emotionally honest and absolutely shattering character study...." Read more

"...Some people will appreciate the writing and enjoy Crossroads in the same way I’ve done with other books in the past...." Read more

24 customers mention "Readability"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful and fantastic, describing it as a quick read.

"Crossroads... What can I say about this gorgeous novella that hasn't been said before?..." Read more

"...There is something terrible and beautiful and cathartic about walking through the transgressive and taboo aspects of the magical thinking that..." Read more

"...It didn’t blow my mind but it was good for a quick read. Temper your expectations and enjoy it for what it is." Read more

"...This one won't take much time to read, and it's worth every minute...." Read more

20 customers mention "Writing quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one noting its brilliant economy with words, while another mentions it can be read in a single sitting.

"...Beautifully written, emotional, relatable, heartbreaking -- yes, it's all these things. But what's more?..." Read more

"This reads less as a novella and more as an elegy to grief...." Read more

"...In a few strokes she conveys in tight, crisp sentences what many authors in the same genre will take pages to get across...." Read more

"Crossroads is a short book. The sort you can read in a single sitting, which you'll assuredly do, because once you start reading, its heartbreaking..." Read more

11 customers mention "Storytelling"11 positive0 negative

Customers praise the compelling narrative of the book, with one customer noting how the plot develops like a runaway train.

"...I mentioned above this was a relatable story, but how?..." Read more

"...This not only allows her to move the story at a healthy clip, but to suffuse it with just the right amount of gravitas to make it resonate...." Read more

"An incredibly well written story about the loss of a child and what that can do to a parent...." Read more

"...But the narrative in this book is next level writing. Every single thought Chris has...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-rounded characters in the book, with one customer specifically noting the author's skill in writing male characters.

"...Yet that doesn't matter. Chris herself is so real, a special feat indeed that not every writer can master...." Read more

"...magic of Crossroads: The way Hightower balances dramatic, character driven moments against the increasingly horrifying ones..." Read more

"...The character development was impressive, especially for a novella, and I have a particular soft spot for Dan...." Read more

"...Lets talk about the character development. We have good character development for Chris...." Read more

5 customers mention "Strength"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the strength of the book, with one describing it as an unflinching and expertly crafted work that flows strongly through the novella.

"...Horror is an emotion, a primal fear, and that flows strong through this novella, gripping so tight at times it takes one's breath away...." Read more

"...For such a short work, coming in at just over 100 pages, it starts off strong and yet somehow manages to continually raise the tension throughout,..." Read more

"...An expertly crafted foray into a mother's undying love, grief and loss. Just superb." Read more

"Unflinching and compelling story..." Read more

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BansheeTales
A Heartbreaking Study on Love & Grief
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2021
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Crossroads... What can I say about this gorgeous novella that hasn't been said before? Beautifully written, emotional, relatable, heartbreaking -- yes, it's all these things. But what's more? It's one of those rare works of horror that can make you ache like the main character, stab you right in the gut, and draw forth real tears. But how? Let's face it, what is the most horrifying thing imaginable? That's right, losing the person you love the most and not being able to do a damn thing about it.

Chris is a mother in her forties, struggling in the aftermath of losing her only son, Trey, in a catastrophic car crash. She'd had him for so long, almost two decades, and now he's gone. Every day, she visits the spot where he died, now marked by a cross at the side of the road. One day, shortly before the anniversary of his death, she nicks her finger and a drop of blood hits the earth...just a tiny amount of blood, but the results will keep you flipping the page to see what happens next.

I mentioned above this was a relatable story, but how? Not all of us are mothers (including myself), and not all of us have lost loved ones in such a sudden and brutal manner. Yet that doesn't matter. Chris herself is so real, a special feat indeed that not every writer can master. I could almost hear her, telling me the story in my head instead of me actually reading the words, and I recognized her. She could be one of many people in my life, someone I might meet, or even someone like myself. So when she is going through these intense waves of grief and loss, I go through them with her. I care what happens to Chris, and I fear that one day I might endure something similar. Not all of us will become parents, but we all have someone we love the most, someone who brings light and joy to our lives, and if that person was somehow lost, imagine the state we'd be left in?

Some may say Crossroads is not "real" horror, but I emphatically disagree. I was legitimately scared for Chris, for the path I could see her stumbling down. And I didn't just fear for her. I feared for myself, if I ever found myself burdened with a similar amount of grief. What are any of us capable of when the person we love the most dies, a loss that crashes our entire world into rubble? Horror is an emotion, a primal fear, and that flows strong through this novella, gripping so tight at times it takes one's breath away. I highly recommend this story, but be prepared for occasional bouts of tears and to have your heart, mind, and soul changed...and isn't that why we love reading in the first place?

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Cassondra Windwalker
A Hymn of Grief
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2022
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This reads less as a novella and more as an elegy to grief. There is something terrible and beautiful and cathartic about walking through the transgressive and taboo aspects of the magical thinking that follows loss. Although it's possible someone reading this book might feel validated in self-harming, I think the author clearly shows that is an error, and the very opposite of what the lost beloved would ever want. In fact, walking through the doomed process of attempting an impossible trade might well help someone decide not to tread that path themselves. Our family has suffered the loss of a child, so I can only read this book through that lens. Parents who have endured this unendurable loss may well find a strange solace in the acknowledgement of all the madness that loss entails in Hightower's novella.

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Duane Ullery
A devastating, bone chilling, brilliantly written exploration of grief.
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2020
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There’s a moment well into Laurel Hightower’s new novella Crossroads where a certain character expresses what (even by the most generous standards) can only be regarded as blatant, furious ingratitude. The manner in which the protagonist of this story elects to respond in that moment is painted by Hightower with such honesty and understanding, I felt myself overcome by a combination of anger and heartache on her behalf.

That was the moment I realized how deep in I was with this story.

Gripping from the first page, Crossroads tells the tale of Chris, a woman who still mourns the death of her teenage son Trey not too far in the past. While visiting the cross marking the spot where her son perished, she unwittingly spills a drop of blood on the ground. This unintentional offering - combined with her overpowering grief - sets her on a journey that is equal parts devastating human drama and bone chilling horror.

This marks my first time reading Laurel Hightower and, frankly, I’m astonished at the level of pure skill on display here. What I admire about her is the brilliant economy she has with words. In a few strokes she conveys in tight, crisp sentences what many authors in the same genre will take pages to get across. This not only allows her to move the story at a healthy clip, but to suffuse it with just the right amount of gravitas to make it resonate.

Therein lies the real magic of Crossroads: The way Hightower balances dramatic, character driven moments against the increasingly horrifying ones ( Be warned, this book is not for the squeamish. That's all I’ll offer on that). The heart of the tale is never lost, even as the underlying malevolence of the forces Chris is bartering with begins to emerge with more clarity.

One other note: As a voracious male reader, I am delighted in how well the author writes male characters. The two men in Chris’s life (outside of her late son) – her ex husband and her current neighbor – are depicted as genuine, flesh and blood human beings. This degree of plausibility is particularly important with a subplot involving the neighbor. It’s a sweet, engaging thread Hightower weaves into the larger tapestry of the narrative with smooth efficiency at the end.

I didn’t know who Laurel Hightower was prior to reading Crossroads . I certainly do now. I will be reading more of her work moving forward, because I’m definitely a fan.

In the interim, I highly recommend this novella to any and all horror fans. In fact, I recommend it to any reader looking for a deeply moving, emotionally honest and absolutely shattering character study.

I’ve read some outstanding fiction this year, but as it stands right now, Crossroads is my choice for the best new release of 2020.

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2cents
Good story but overhyped
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2022
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I read a lot of reviews from readers who said this novella was amazing. I purchased it based on all love it was getting. It didn’t blow my mind but it was good for a quick read. Temper your expectations and enjoy it for what it is.

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Ross Jeffery
Mesmerising Horror
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2020
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A mothers grief is something even the devil should fear.

This is my first experience of Laurel Hightower and it will not be my last. Crossroads is a sensational, emotionally shredding, grief riddled nightmare of a book. The story is one that will affect you for long after reading (whether you are a parent or not) such is Hightower’s brilliance at capturing the clawing hands and the baying cries of grief, all wrapped in a suffocating blanket of loneliness, a loneliness that I can only imagine is all consuming at the passing of a child.

Two of the best books I’ve read that deal with the all consuming emotions of grief are Stephen King’s ‘Pet Sematary’ and Max Porter’s ‘Grief is the Thing With Feathers’ and I would now have to say that Laurel Hightower’s offering ‘Crossroads’ is now one that can sit next to these great authors and their stunning offerings.

Comparisons will of course be made to King’s ‘Pet Sematary’ (and so they should – Pet Sematary for me is one of King’s masterpieces, and this from Hightower is up there with his brilliance) mainly because of the subject matter and the full blown horror that is on offer. This horror, like King’s, is rendered perfectly by Hightower and it’s so emotionally charged that I would say it surpasses King’s offering, but that’s my own opinion.

But Crossroads is not a copy, this is something wholly original, totally unique and delivered with such mastery it is hard to look away (at times I wanted to, but was forced to read on), it was devastating and heart-rending, the hurt, the pain, the suffering is all inescapable and Hightower’s prose and hold on the story is beguiling whilst also terrifying and will have your turning those pages even when you don’t want to.

But this book doesn’t stop there, it could, because the horror is sensational, but it doesn’t. Hightower populates this nightmare vision of grief with a cast of haunted characters. Crossroads whilst being a grief filled tale is also a powerful character driven piece, with a damaged main protagonist and a whole host of secondary characters that are each fully rendered and believable, each character’s life and circumstance are added to the unfolding carnage of the situation that our main protagonist finds herself in; whilst also revealing how powerful grief is and how monstrous and unyielding its clutches are – reaching out like weeds and choking anything good from sprouting and strangling anything that has started to grow.

As this is a fast paced novella, I’m going to keep the review quite short and spoiler free.

Chris is a grieving mother, her son Trey died when he was 21 in a horrific car accident. Since that day Chris has been dealing with her grief, of how this incident has wrecked her, and left her stranded at the hands of this storm we call life. It’s not mentioned in much detail but Chris is on her own now, her ex-husband Beau has his own new family now (was this due to the stranglehold grief had on her or not, we’re not sure) and it appears that he is moving on, and in doing so he is leaving Chris to pick up the shattered pieces of her life, with no instructions on how the pieces go back together.

‘What was the difference, really, between physical pain caused by say, cancer, and the living hell Chris had been in since the day her son was killed.’
After accidentally cutting herself at her son’s memorial (near the place where they found his body), Chris is visited that night by a version of her son near the streetlamp outside her house, but something is not quite right. Trey is different than she remembers, he’s haunted by something, something darker than the grave. Chris starts to think that maybe this accidental blood offering brought her son back to her, and her mind begins to race at what she could offer to have him fully back, the way he once was – alive. But there will need to be a bigger sacrifice, but is she willing to pay it.

What then happens is a frantic and horrifying journey into the depths of a mothers love, a love that is as deep and wide as the biggest and deepest ocean. The grief of a mother is something even the devil should fear, such is the unrelenting pain and the determination to change this cruel act; all detailed brilliantly by Hightower.

Hightower writes with such power and honesty that at times it brought tears to my eyes. I’ve not suffered much grief in my life (which I’m hugely thankful for) but Hightower writes about this with such blinding clarity that one can’t help but be moved by her words. What makes this story even more heart-rending for me is that I have two girls that I fiercely defend and protect, they are my world, and where they are, I always want to be (something Hightower also covers in the book). If something ever happened to either of them, I’m not sure I’d be able to cope, what would I do? If the situation arose to be with them again, would I grab it with both hands, no matter the cost to me? Sure I would!

Hightower also writes this story to within an inch of its life, her prose is direct and striking and full of fabulously crafted and deftly executed horror. There are some witty pieces that made me laugh (it’s not all doom and gloom) one of which was this…

‘…but it was Beau on the other side, looking like ten pounds of s**t in a five-pound bag.’
… but there are also moments where Hightower’s writing is on fire, chapter 19 was one such place for me. In this chapter Chris confronts her mother and the familial issues that have been plaguing their relationships since childhood (how she doesn’t want to repeat the sins of the mother on her own child) which have become unbearable since Trey’s death. This had me thinking of my own family (mother and father) it was such a believable sequence and one that was handled so deftly by Hightower that again it proves her ability as a masterful writer as she mixes sensitivity and poignancy along with terror and horror.

The story continues at breakneck speed and you can’t help but fall under Hightower’s enchanting spell she casts with this book. For me Crossroads will be up there at the STOKERS and it should be; a phenomenal book by an absolutely stunning writer. I’m looking forward to diving into more of Hightower’s work and already have Whispers In The Dark to be getting on with – if you’ve not discovered her yet, make sure you remedy that as soon as possible, you won’t regret it.

Crossroads is a grief riddled tale and a story that pulls at the heart strings. Horrific whilst also heartrending. A remarkable depiction of grief in all of its dirty shades. Crossroads is an honest and unflinching whilst also being an unforgettable journey into the full consuming darkness of loss. Horror has a new name and that is Laurel Hightower!

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Angelica Olsson
A must read!
Reviewed in Sweden on April 30, 2024
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It’s an incredible book with strong emotions. I came close to tears during some of the chapters, especially in the beginning. It’s incredibly well written and an interesting take on grief, demons and haunting moments. I feel both disappointed and satisfied with the ending at the same time. I had to take several breaks while reading the book because how close to tears it brought me.

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Austrian Spencer
A fantastic rendition of an unstoppable breakdown.
Reviewed in Germany on December 31, 2020
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I had the pleasure of reading this as one of the last books I read in 2020, finishing it today on the cusp of a new year. A great way to read out a year known for its own horrors, Crossroads is a book that appealed to the parent in me and which will strike a chord I believe in anyone that has children themselves, or that has adopted a similar role.

I think I’d be right in saying that it was the only horror book I have read this year that made me squirm, though I confess that I haven’t read an abundance of horror – nevertheless, self-harm / mutilation done for a logical reason is its own barrel of nastiness. That the reader can see through the MC’s logic to argue the opposite case makes her self-harm even more tragic, horrifying, and avoidable. Hightower plays the tragedy to its extreme – the reader is well aware of the inevitable conclusion to the book but is swept up on hope throughout - and that Is the touch that elevates this book higher than its contemporaries. The addition of Dan - a selfless love interest, provides the reader with that strand to cling to, to hope, that the error of the MC’s path can be diverted, yet within that hope lies its ultimate defeat – Dan is simply too considerate to be able to take action against the wishes of his lover, and too willing to cling to hope.

The MC Chris, a single parent that still mourns her lost child, is brilliantly realized, her emotions are lived through the reader, and the book quite rightly focuses on her as THE story. The book does not linger overlong on the supernatural happenings, but rather highlights them through its cold portrayal of a woman living in a state of mental breakdown, inspired by hope for regaining that which was lost, her son. The fact that Laurel revisits this at the end of the book, that the reader does not consider in which state the ghost of her son will be reanimated, is a credit to how deeply invested we are in Chris – and that is our tragedy. Dan is a reflection of our own inability to react, and the knowledge that we wouldn’t even know what that reaction would even be.

I loved this. It’s a great book to get to know the Author’s voice, and a tragedy couched in horror.

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Terry Leibel
How much would you be willing to sacrifice to see a loved one again?
Reviewed in Canada on March 26, 2021
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Wow! I finished this novella a few days ago, and needed the time to gather my thoughts. This is the story about one mother's struggle with the tragic loss of her son, and her attempt to grasp at anything she can do to see him again. This is a story about loss, love, acceptance and sacrifice. How much would you be willing to sacrifice to see a loved one again?

This book tugged at my heartstrings and still managed to scare the living daylights out of me. My only criticism is this story needed a warning label, that states "Please clear your schedule for the next few hours, to ensure you have enough time to compete it in one sitting." Due to my busy schedule, I had to read this over three days, and it drove me crazy as I wanted to keep reading each time I started. Ms. Hightower has a magnetic writing style that draws you in and holds onto you the entire time. She is an amazing wordsmith!

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Alastair
Great story on the effects of Grief
Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2021
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Great story about grief and obssession. Great characterization and writing. Loved it.

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Heartbreaking Study on Love & Grief

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hymn of Grief

5.0 out of 5 stars A devastating, bone chilling, brilliantly written exploration of grief.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story but overhyped

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerising Horror

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic rendition of an unstoppable breakdown.

5.0 out of 5 stars How much would you be willing to sacrifice to see a loved one again?

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story on the effects of Grief

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A Heartbreaking Study on Love & Grief

A Hymn of Grief

A devastating, bone chilling, brilliantly written exploration of grief.

Good story but overhyped

Mesmerising Horror

A must read!

A fantastic rendition of an unstoppable breakdown.

How much would you be willing to sacrifice to see a loved one again?

Great story on the effects of Grief