*The Ghost House* by Helen Phifer is a chilling blend of ghost story and police procedural. The novel follows Annie Graham, a police officer recovering from trauma, as she takes on the role of caretaker for her brother's farmhouse. Drawn to a nearby crumbling mansion, Annie discovers a diary belonging to a former resident, Alice, which reveals dark secrets from the past. As Annie investigates, she uncovers a connection between the mansion's history and recent murders in the area. Phifer masterfully creates a haunting atmosphere, weaving suspense and mystery into a gripping tale that keeps readers hooked until the end.

I really enjoyed listening to The Ghost House and I'm looking forward to following more Annie Graham books.

I thought this was a really good supernatural thriller. I really liked Annie and the other characters. Although we do get a bit of instalove, and there are parts from a different POV in the past that I didn't completely love. Mostly because their POV made me want to shake some sense into them.. But the narrator of this audiobook did an amazing job bringing the story to life, making me root for Annie and feel like I was right along with her as she explored the haunted house.

This kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next, and I love the supernatural elements. I didn't realize this was an older series with many more books already released, so I'm super excited to jump right into the next book in this series!

An excellent thriller with the tension being additionally added by the skilled narrator of the audiobook version I was given access to thanks to Netgalley, The Ghost House combines ghost story, crime drama and romance novel all in one.

Escaping from domestic abuse, Annie is looking after her brother's home in the woods of a small town in Cumbria. When she comes across a diary when checking around the abandoned house on the grounds, little does she know that it'll signal the uncovering of the past while awakening trauma in her present.

As Annie becomes more engrossed by the tale of Alice, the owner of the diary, the local police force must try to tackle an apparent serial killer who's taking young girls.

As Annie's friend Jake and his superior Will try to uncover the identity of the killer, none of them realise their interests are destined to combine.

Containing references to grooming, matricide, domestic abuse, obsession and post mortems, this multi layered story is likely to be enjoyed by lovers of crime novels or even those who just like a happy ending.

This is an easy listen - fast paced, suspenseful and exciting. Okay so it is pretty far-fetched, but I don't read this sort of thing for 'realism'! Listened to this over a weekend as I wanted to hear what happened next. Fab.

The audiobook The Ghost House caught my attention with its suspenseful plot and eerie cover. Annie Graham, a police officer on a break, moves into a decaying mansion connected to a series of old murders and ghosts. Her discoveries in the diary of former resident Alice pull her into a hunt for a serial killer.
Although it took me a little while to fully immerse myself in the story, I found myself more and more captivated as it progressed. Claudia Whiteman's narration complemented the atmosphere well, making the audiobook an enjoyable listen while doing everyday tasks.
A recommended thriller for fans of mystery and romantic suspense.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook even if I did get frustrated with the main character

Police officer Annie Graham, has fled an abusive marriage and is house sitting her brothers Farmhouse, he is also caretaker to the big Manor House, his cottage is situated on, which she agrees to look after too.

Not being easily spooked Annie, is t scared of being alone in the woods, even bravely exploring the manor itself. That is until the reaches the Nursery and she is suddenly hallucinating the past and how the nursery looked. While there she discovers a diary from a former resident.

Spooky things begin to happen around the house.

At the same time her colleagues are investigating the disappearance of a young girl. Is her disappearance and the events at the manor?

This is my 1st from this author and also the 1st in Annie Graham series, so I am interested to find more

thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this title

Fascinating dual aspect storyline focussing on the past and a ghost in a suitably creaky old house and the present. There are common threads running through both stories, domestic abuse and murder being the most compelling. The book centres around our main character Annie who is a hardened yet compassionate soul having served in the police force and experienced things which, thankfully, most of us will never have to. She is meant to be recuperating but instead finds an old diary and she is immersed in the ghostly past of the 1880s and murderous and abusive things which happened in those times and the attentions of a modern day killer. Pretty much two of my favourite genres rolled into one and done in great style with enough links to make it flow well as one story overall. Enjoyed this, thank you.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️




✨ mystery thriller, dual pov , slow burn.



✨ looking by the title I thought this will be a hard core horror but to be honest a light thriller .
The plot is actually quite confusing as it was coming from a dual pov with a different variation of style and it’s hard to follow the story. I think it’s better to read this on a physical book rather than an audible.
Yet again, the story is great but not as I want to read it again.


✨ Thankyou @harpercollinsuk for the opportunity to read this book for a honest review.



❤️ Shaye.Reads

This one fell a little short in terms of delivery. It’s told in the form of a dual timeline but the switching from one to the other wasn’t seamless and became confusing if anything. It’s a slow burn but the main plot was an interesting one. I really liked Annie as a character along with many others. It’s an engaging listen for the most part and I would be interested in reading more reads with Annie as a character.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen and review #TheGhostHouse

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters were well written and the plot had me hooked from the first chapter.
The narrator was easy to listen to and gave a very good performance.

Helen Phifer is the queen of creepy and things that go bump in the night! I loved her Detective Maria Miller books and have only just read that series, I love that there are so many more for me to binge on.
Annie Graham is a tough yet sweet, down to earth lady with a funny banter about her. The book opens to see her make the life altering situation of leaving her abusive marriage a priority to get out of. This is a lovely way to realise that tough cops still can be emotionally abused and prey to viciousness, and that the abused aren't weak willed but just in an impossible situation.
It also builds the solid base around Annie and we meet Kav and Jake. The best found family that a girl could ask for. The story introduces Will Ashworth and he is my number 1 book boyfriend at the moment! Funny and sweet, loyal and hot to boot. The banter these two have together is funny and makes the book for me.

The book is a dual timeline, the 1890's is seen through Alice's diary entries and we learn about her life with Edward. Still at the end of the book we haven't got every single answer about the end of Alice's life and that makes the situation more realistic than if it were neatly tied up with a bow.

I love the way that Helen Phifer brings real life events, places and people into her stories and her entry of an infamous serial killer from Victorian times is an amazing story to read. Her research is amazing and I look out for these inclusions in every book!

I love the blend of crime procedural and thriller/paranormal and the modern day storyline was just as gripping as the historical one. I found it very hard to stop reading when it was past my bedtime. I listened to the audio book version and the narrator did an impeccable job. I couldn't get over her accents and male voices and fell in love with Will a little more because of 'his' voice!

The ending was gripping and I loved the blend of humanity that the characters brought. I enjoyed the fact that even trained police officers could be brought down and the fact that they weren't Bruce Willis type characters who should be dead 3 times over from their injuries but are still as strong as a steam train.
All in all, I loved it and cannot wait to read the next in the series!! Thanks so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for an ARC to listen to. All opinions are my own.

Brilliant! Spooky and creepy, the history of the Haunted House is intriguing and it is somehow bleeding into present day. Totally absorbing.

I listened to this in audiobook and I did enjoy it. I liked the 2 stories running parallel.
There was lots going on, I felt it more of a thriller than ghost story, but that was tied up at the end.
I liked the police theme and I liked the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was amazing! I loved everyone in this book. The "bad guy" was so creepy. I didn't get the connection to the all time biggest true crime mystery until the end because I am American probably.
I love the subtle romance that developed too.
Oh and the narration was perfect!

The Ghost House is police procedural and part ghost story. I had high hopes for this book as I enjoyed the other books which I have read by Helen Phifer, but sadly this book was not on the same level. While I enjoy both ghost stories and police procedurals, I struggled with this one a bit.

Annie Graham agreed to look after her brother's farmhouse while recuperating from her injuries. She is intrigued by the grounds, the crumbling manor home, and woods. It is in an idyllic location but when she finds a diary of Alice, a former resident of the crumbling manor, she finds herself unsettled. Add to that the murders of local girls, and this former investigator finds herself looking into the home’s dark past and how it might be connected to the recent murders.

I so wanted to love this book but sadly I did not. I didn't dislike it either, I am right in the middle of the road with this. I did enjoy the atmosphere and tension that Phifer created. The manor is creepy, haunting, and chilling. The mystery of what happened to Alice in the past was intriguing.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUKAudio for the book #TheGhostHouse by #HelenPhifer. Loved this supernatural/horror book surrounding a journal found from over a hundred years ago. Annie has just escaped an abusive relationship and is recuperating while she house sits an old mansion. She finds the journal and starts to read about Alice and Edward and instantly she starts having dreams and visions. Is she going insane or is this really a ghost story in a creepy house?

Rounding up to 3⭐

When I picked this up, I didn't realise I'd read it, but that was ten long years ago, and I can barely remember what I read yesterday.
Quick skim of my review before writing this, and it seems I looked upon the audio more favourably.
I enjoyed the mix of thriller and supernatural.
Annie and Alice were good main characters, who realised standing by your man was not always the best option.
Some decent paced action too.
It very nicely killed a few boring hours at work for me, and sometimes, that's all I'm after.

A chilling and atmospheric thriller that blends supernatural suspense with a gripping mystery. Set in a secluded village, the story follows Detective Lucy Harwin as she investigates a string of deaths linked to a mysterious, abandoned house. Phifer expertly builds tension with vivid descriptions of the eerie, haunting setting and creates complex, relatable characters, especially Lucy, whose determination to uncover the truth keeps readers engaged. The slow-burn suspense and unexpected twists make The Ghosthouse a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers and ghost stories. It's a perfect blend of mystery, horror, and emotional depth, keeping readers hooked until the very end.

Typically I cannot get enough of Helen Phifer but this one left me feeling a little mixed.

I enjoyed the story but of Annie, a police officer on sick leave who on exploring a mansion and has a strange connection to a former resident Annie, who is involved in a love affair with a nasty man.

The two storylines seemed a bit jarring mixed together but on the whole I enjoyed it.