I was lucky enough to read this ARC. I really enjoyed The Haunting on West 10th Street. It was a unique mix of Police Procedural mixed with haunted house, demons and spirits! I only had a few issues where the author used English sayings or spellings in a book supposedly set in NYC. Hopefully those issues will be fixed before the book is released. I am very excited to read this series and see where the next book is going to go!

Detectives Maria Miller and Frankie Conroy are given a case three years later that seemed to have some supernatural connections to it. The victim was never identified and neither was the killer. Through different times lines and povs, the story of a haunted house, demons, and a hunt for the killer is played out.

The Haunting  on West 10th Street  by Helen Phifer (originally published as The House on West 10th Street) is a mystery novel with more than a hint of the supernatural. 

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Storm Publishing  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Three years ago, NYPD Detective Maria Miller and her partner Frankie Conroy were called to a horrific crime that was never truly solved. A headless body was found in a brownstone on West 10th Street. They never found the head. Maria has never forgotten this gruesome case.

Now, Maria and Frankie are again looking into this brownstone. Their boss approached them when his daughter, now a reporter, found additional information. Apparently, 52 years ago, another headless corpse was found at that same address. Although the original owner & his wife are now dead, their son in a psychiatric ward, their daughter Emelia still owns, and resides in the house.

Although Maria is not a believer in the supernatural, it doesn’t take long for her to start wondering. There is a bad feeling about the house, a bad smell, and strange noises. She starts to wonder whether the son had been trying to summon a demon…and someone else is trying to finish the job. One more body, and that demon may be free to roam New York.


My Opinions:
This was a really entertaining book. I loved the relationship between Maria and Frankie. The characters were well thought out, and their dialogues and actions felt right. The plot was great, and flowed smoothly. The book was suspenseful, and had touches of humor that surprised me. It was really hard to put down.

Although most of this authors books are more crime related, this series is more paranormal crime....and it's great!  Talented author!

So, this is a re-read for me....and my opinions really haven't changed.  I loved the book!

I continue to hope that there will be more than one in this series (this first one was originally published 5 years ago).  Perhaps now that there is a new publisher?   I need more of Maria and Frankie!

The Haunting on West 10th Street
Helen Phifer
October 19, 2023

Detective Maria Miller climbs the attic stairs to investigate the terrifying homicide that local police have referred to as the worst they have seen. Who would do this, and why? When she enters the dark, foul smelling room she finds evil symbols drawn on the walls and the floor. They are splashed with blood. She follows the crew into the kitchen where the stench is unbelievable. There, on the table, lies the body of a beautiful tattooed woman. The vines on her hips seem to grow up over the rib cage to her breasts. All of her limbs have been amputated. Most horrendous, she finds the womanś head has been excised as well. Trying desperately to complete her necessary tasks at the scene, Maria and her partner, Frankie, are devastated by the evil in the room.
The Haunting on West 10th Street will be published by Storm Publishing on October 19, 2023. I was able to read Helen Phiferś's newest release via NetGalley. It is a chilling tale of a home that has become haunted by a similar incident in 1952. The portal that allowed the ungodly spirits to flow throughout the attic into the home was never shut. Itś frightening in the descriptions yet an inviting, ghostly adventure that takes place in the heart of New York City. Excellent writing as usual for Phifer. Enjoy the read.

Though I liked the sound of this book from its description, it didn't resonate with me as much as I hoped. There were two narratives, and I think I connected with the narrative in the 1950s more than the narrative in the present day. There were a few moments that stood out to me as eerie and spooky.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

The Haunting on West 10th Street is a splendid way to start off Spooky Season reading. This was such a speedy read that I did not put it down until I finished it. Often times when reading haunting books, there is so much background in the beginning that the reader loses sight of what is vital to the story and what is filler. The author's use of alternating between the past and present keeps information fresh and has you constantly wondering how it will tie together. The ending sets us up for future novels in the Detective Maria Miller world and I CANNOT wait.

My main qualm with the writing was the frequent use of British words/spellings. When the story is taking place in NYC, reading worlds like 'whilst', 'bin' and 'worktop' really pulled me out of the story. Additionally, I hope future novels provide more closure. What happened with the killer!?

Detective Maria Miller is shocked by a brutal murder in the attic of a house, especially as the atmosphere doesn't feel right at all. A few years later the case is still unsolved and Maria and her colleague and friend Frankie are asked to look at the case again. What follows is a shocking and creepy investigation that could be dangerous... I really enjoyed this book and how it went between present and past. I can't wait for more in the series!

What a fantastic new read! Its police procedural meets Supernatural, only instead of 2 hunky brothers fighting demons, you have 2 old ladies, a one legged priest and a rookie with a token guy in dreadlocks thrown in for good measure!
I really like the characters of the cops, a real duo with strengths and weaknesses and a funny banter about them.
I think it will be the start of a new series, so, sign me up for the next one!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! It even managed to make me laugh out loud in a pretty serious moment, which I really appreciate!

The story was fast-paced and fun! Miss Green and Em are fearless, and I loved their strength. Maria is a bad ass detective! The story is set up for a pretty interesting series that I can't wait to continue reading.

🤩 Many thanks to Storm Publishing, NetGalley, and Helen Phifer for this advanced copy of the book!
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This book will be released in mid-October, just in time for spooky season! If you're a lover of a dynamic crime-fighting detective team, an eccentric cast of supporting characters, a haunted house that had multiple murders occurring in it over the years, an Ouija board, and a copycat killer, this is the book for you! Maria and Frankie’s working and personal relationship are intertwined as they figure out how to stop the killing. I think their relationship and Maria’s relationship with her neighbor, Missy, added some elements of humor to this spooky tale. I liked the dual timeline in the 1950s and the current day. If you are squeamish, this is an advanced warning because the story does have some gory parts.

I thought this was a good book! I like that it kept me interested and was hard to put down, I kept wanting to keep reading til the end!!

It’s safe to say I was hooked from the very first page. I loved the dual timeline, which flits between 1952 and present day. I felt the author hits the balance perfectly, with each timeline working seamlessly with the other. The characters are believable, likeable, and well written – I felt an instant affection for the impeccably dressed Miss Green. The tale flows effortlessly, and the supernatural elements were on the right side scary for me, with the author providing just enough detail to allow my imagination to take over. There are plenty of twist, turns and red herrings throughout, so the book held my attention easily from beginning to end. It also looks like more Detective Maria Miller tales are on the horizon – I am impatiently awaiting the next instalment.

All in all, The Haunting on West 10th Street is a thrilling and menacing read with more than a hint of atmosphere, which I wholeheartedly recommend.

I'm not normally a horror reader but 1. its Halloween and 2. I'm a huge fan of Helen Phifer. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me and I ended up having to DNF at 34%. It didn't seem to be going anywhere and the dialogue was so awkward and stilted. It just didn't flow properly. I didn't really gel with any of the characters and I had to force myself to pick it up. I did really enjoy the creepy elements with the terrifying house but it just wasn't enough to keep my attention. If you are a crime thriller fan then I highly recommend you check out Helen Phifers other her work. I love the Beth Adams, Lucy Harwin and Morgan Brooke series.

Hugely enjoyable haunted house yarn that is part thriller, part horror, part supernatural and part police procedural.
The story is told in two time lines, present day and back in the 50s. It’s a device that is used often in novels but it’s works especially well here with the balance being perfect and each era being as interesting as the other.

The characters here are likeable and well written and we even have a love story in the middle of all the mayhem.

I had great fun reading this. Confidently written, the book never loses its way and the author obviously knew where she was going with the story throughout. It’s also a perfect length and doesn’t over stay its welcome or feel padded out at any stage.


I hope the author resurrects the characters at a later stage for another outing as this was a really really fun read.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

This is a great, faster read for anyone that is just getting into paranormal thrillers! It's a fast-paced book that anyone can enjoy in just a few sittings. There were many great twists throughout the book!

This thriller was soooo good. I vibed a lot with the plot and the twists. The writing style was good, and I found the characters interesting. Def gonna recommend this!!

This is deeply dark and spans a distance of time. Linking the mysteries of the past with the present. Tense and addictive, Detective Maria Miller seeks truth and answers amongst the darkness that has struck again. Murder and more, Satanic and evil lurks and can she solve the heinous crime and separate the strands of time, the darkness and supernatural that threaten her every move. Dark and menacing, I loved every moment.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing. This genre is something I have never read before. The story flows pretty smoothly, and the characters develop well without any confusion. The supernatural elements in the book are scary, but in my opinion, the author describes them well, and so much so that I did get scared whenever anything eerie happened. My only disappointment was the ending. Granted,  I never predicted it, but I expected it to have more depth. I wanted the second person to open the seal and unleash the evil into the world to be someone we can predict, but also have a character developement to it, but that never happened.

I really thought I would give it a 5-star rating, but my rating stands between 3.5 and 4. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would definitely read another one by the author.

This was a mixed bag for me personally - it was a great creepy thriller with supernatural and horror elements, with dual timelines and perspectives that painted a really engaging picture and some truly chilling scenes. But I found the pace very hard to read, coming in strong but then becoming rather slow and it just took me out. But great for a spooky, sinister read.

I really had high hopes for this book! But alas, it did not live up to my expectations.

The beginning of the book started really strong, and the story picked up quite quickly, but the tempo somehow died down. I really hate to say it, but it felt like reading a draft than a finished book. It had SO much potential!

I was hooked from the prologue!

The author swaps between present day and 1952. Both perspectives offer unique additions to the house’s story and how events in the house affected the people around it. The further you get into the book, the more the different pieces come together to create a creepy paranormal tale.

I loved the way the author wrote the story. Even though it was written in third person, you still felt like you were there in the moment with each character.

The Haunting on West 10th Street is a really easy read. It has plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained without overwhelming you with detail. I’m excited to see where Maria’s future cases take her!

My only complaints are the word choice (the writer appears to be from the UK while the story is set in New York) and quite a few typos near the end. Neither of these issues were major enough to affect my overall thoughts on the book.