The Ghost House

Annie Graham #1

by Helen Phifer

There's not much that scares Annie Graham. Not even the horrors she has witnessed during her years on the police force. But when she agrees to look after her brother's farmhouse, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the crumbling old mansion in the woods nearby. But an innocent exploration of the empty ruin and the discovery of the diary of former resident Alice leaves her more than a little spooked. She knows it holds the secrets to a dark past, and she has to find out more. What was the terrible truth that Alice uncovered? And how could what happened to her over 100 years ago help solve the murders of young women in the town?
Annie needs to stop the serial killer before she becomes his next victim –- but the past comes back to haunt her in ways she could never have expected.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal, Thriller, Crime, Horror, Mystery Thriller

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[John Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a disappointment!

The premise was good but the delivery left a lot to be desired. This dual timeline story was in part the recollections of a ghost from the 1880s and the 'justifications' of a modern day serial killer. The characterisation tended to be flimsy and somewhat cheesy. A young female police officer, suffering from domestic abuse, moves into an isolated cottage in order to recuperate. Unfortunately she soon finds herself experiencing psychic visions concerning the violent domestic abuse suffered by a Victorian lady, who's husband just happened to be a sadistic serial killer. Deja vu? Because in the modern world our heroine also finds herself the subject of a serial killer's sick fantasies. This story could and should have been really good but it never hit the right note for me. However, lots of reviewers would strongly disagree - it's all a matter of taste.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio | HQ Digital and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty much a crap book chock full of awkward run-on sentences, punctuation abuse (including the hated apostrophe errors or should I say error's) and general poor understanding of the Rules of Grammar, not to mention a laborious plot, tedious characters, vague forensics, unlikely events, contrived romance, etc etc etc. I gave it 2 stars because I actually finished it and because its sheer juvenile silliness was a welcome distraction during a period of mourning in my house. But I won't be reading this author again or indeed anything from this publishing house since they evidently feel that ANYONE can be a writer, judging by the solicitation for manuscripts I found at the end of the novel. On the other hand, I've been writing a good old-fashioned bodice ripper in my head for years now and I may have just found myself a publisher if I can ever actually put any of it down on paper. I wouldn't even have to proof-read it or do any historical fact-checking!

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars.
Solid mystery with a haunting. Abrupt changes of scene and thin characterizations keep this from being a 4 star.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was almost the perfect ghost story for any fan of the genre. It had characters that you could really like and characters that you could really hate. The killer was sometimes more to be pitied than hated. It wasn’t real “spooky” and the ghosts were, for the most part, just people that happened to be dead but desperately needed to tell their story. The story was enough to satisfy the “Ghost Story Junkie” but cozy enough that most anyone could read it without diving for the lights and the covers. The only thing that kept it from a 5 star rating was that the police were portrayed as being a bit on the dense side. I know the British police are different than the U.S. police but the lack of a weapon shouldn’t reflect a lack of common sense. I’m really looking forward to more books in this series. I saw that many reviewers made comments about the sentence structure and the writing style of the author but I just didn’t see that. The only time that incorrect language and sentence structure bothers me is if I am the writer…otherwise, I just want to read a good story.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I REALLY hate giving bad reviews to books. In fact most people that I know think that I give out 5 star ratings too easily (And here I have to say that I don't--I only give 5 stars to books that can magically take me into a story & no matter how often I have to put the book down, because of life, when I pick it up again I am magically transported again...)

I have tried reading this story three times before--each time I had to put it down thinking that I just wasn't in the mood for the story. This time, the fourth time, I read it through hoping... The description of the story was made for me. There was an old house (in England), ghosts, challange, a tough but slightly broken heroine, love, two time lines (in a found diary!), murder mystery and a secret room...

...but it was all so a CLICHE. I kept thinking throughout reading "Don't take it there!" And unfortunately it was taken there. I felt like I did when I watched a bad horror film (you know, the type of film you go to see to be spooked, but end up laughing because it was so cheesy) while reading this. There was no real depth in characters (no likability either) or descriptions of the areas. I can go on about all the things I hated but think I would prefer to sum it up as a rough draft manuscript that was never quite done over into a finished book.

[Caroline Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review - The Ghost House

I first came across Helen Phifer's 'The Ghost House' while looking through new publishing imprint 'Carina', who publish a variety of books of various genres. Like me, Helen is a member of the police constabulary, and her experience lends a richness and authenticity to her writing.

The story focuses around Annie Graham, a police officer who is on restricted duties after being assaulted by her abusive husband. After leaving him to start afresh, she agrees to help her brother by looking after his farmhouse while he is away. She finds herself becoming attracted to an old mansion in the woods, which reveals its past in the form of a diary by former resident Alice. While trying to solve past murders Annie is unaware that a present day killer is on the hunt, and she may well be his next victim.

This makes great women's fiction as there is also love interest in the form of colleague Will Ashworth, and the banter between them reminded me of my own characters in my forthcoming Jennifer Knight series. I also love the cross genre of this book, which ranges between horror, crime and romance. Helen does a great job of interweaving the past and present, and her descriptive narrative really brings you back to the spooky old house of yesteryear. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next in the series, 'Secrets of the Shadows.'

[Bex0188 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Ghost House sounded like a story I would enjoy. Unfortunately I was unable to finish it due to the fact it clearly had not been edited properly. The book was littered with grammatical mistakes, shocking sentence structure and even the odd spelling mistake. The writing style adopted by the author was to me reminiscent of a school child writing their first story which unfortunately meant that the story was hard to invest in and the characterisation was a little flat. I was so appalled by the quality of writing and editing in this book that I sent my copy back to Amazon for a refund stating that there are issues with the quality of the product. I would avoid unless you want to fill a couple of hours getting frustrated by the obvious mistakes in the book.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was hooked from page one. I loved the twist in the middle of the book and immersed myself in this wonderful story.

Annie is the battered wife of Mike and is staying at her brother's house in Abbey Wood to recuperate: the house being the caretaker house for The Manor House, which has stood empty for decades, is said to be haunted. Annie finds the diary of Alice Hughes which starts in 1886 when Alice was 15 and reads with incredulity everything that happened to her during her time in the Manor House, whilst working for Lord and Lady Heaton and their son, Edward.

I loved the mix of modern day and 19th century events and the twists and turns were great. I even gasped aloud at an event which takes place with Alice and Edward.

So then why not 5 stars - I was absolutely shocked to come to the end of the book and not know what happened to Alice as she was a wonderful character. I felt cheated and a little perplexed, to say the least.

Great book which is let down by a loose end which I would have liked to have seen tied up.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover initially drew my attention. I enjoyed the storyline, but there were parts that I found irritating due to the amount of times certain words were used in some paragraphs. It's an easy read and held my interest until the end. I would probably try more books by this author.

[S. Wigget · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers....

No. Just...no. Rape victims don't fall in love with their rapists.

Early in the book, I thought I liked it, since it addresses domestic violence, and since not all the characters are straight. As I kept reading, a couple of male characters tended to say sexist shit, and female characters didn't call them out and acted perfectly fine with it. Yuck. When I got to the (not graphic, thank Goddess) rape scene and then continued reading, with Alice claiming to have fallen in love with the psychopath who murdered his mother (obviously) and raped Alice, I couldn't keep reading.

Excuse me while I go back to reading Virginia Woolf....

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd really give this book four and a half stars because apart from the one flaw I'll come to later, it really was pretty damn good.

It was a perfect mixture of crime and good old fashioned ghost story. Annie is a Police Community Support Officer taking time off work after surviving a brutal attack by her (now ex) husband. She is staying at her brother's house while he is out of the country. She loves the little cottage and the woods surrounding it, getting away from everything is exactly what she needs to get her life back on track. Her brother works as a sort of upkeep guy on a creepy old abandoned manor house in the woods. When Annie goes exploring there, some seriously scary stuff goes down, and it becomes clear that the house is haunted. Annie discovers the house's dark past through the diary of a young servant named Alice, from the late 1880s. As Alice's dark tale reveals the house's terrible past, a man starts murdering young women in a brutal fashion in the present. Annie finds herself caught between the two, and it's difficult to tell whether the ghosts of the past or the monster in the present are the most dangerous.

The story really kicks off in the first chapter, and the 'scary' moments genuinely creepy. We also get insights into the mind of the modern-day killer, and it seems his urges may have links to the ghostly goings on.

The main character, Annie, is really likeable - funny, and smart, and refreshingly normal, but vulnerable and damaged too. There's a great supporting cast of characters- her best friend at work and her boss are particularly nicely fleshed out. I liked 'Derek' the medium too, he seemed nicely grounded and not at all like certain other mediums named Derek, ahem. ;)

What lost the book half a star is some pretty shoddy editing. At one point a minor character's name changes from 'Edith' to 'Ethel' and sometimes words are incorrectly repeated. There are numerous such errors, which are all relatively minor, but they're grating and at least some of them should have been caught. There are little slips in lots of books, but there did seem to be a lot of them here.

However, the story and characters were great. I was personally more interested in the horror/ghost story side of things than the crime side, but the two genres mesh perfectly, and I think the author maintains a good balance.

I would recommend this to fans of crime fiction (as long as you don't mind quite a bit of blood and violence) and especially to lovers of good, old-fashioned ghost stories.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not read further than a chapter in this book before stopping. I try not to read reviews before I read a book because I don't want it spoiled at all, but boy should I have glanced at them. The sentences were a continual train of thought without stopping. So many more colons and semi colons than any book I've seen. I just couldn't get into the story because of the glaring errors. It's great that this author wrote a book and somehow had it published, but please don't waste your money on it. The premise sounded very interesting and I was excited for so much more. Unfortunately i just could not ignore the numerous errors and unusual story telling style.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was terrible. I never did get hooked at any point. If an eighth grader had to make up a ghost story, this would be it. However the teacher would see that she didn't have the required number of words when she finished, so she added adjectives and adverbs wherever possible, in order tocomplete the word count. Juvenile effort is the best I can say.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems this title is another that’s recently been made available for audio. I really love the fact that more titles are becoming available all the time. I really do miss physical copies. So it’s nice to still feel included. This has dated though, I must say, especially given the language and relationships between the police characters.

I had a quick look at other reviews to see if it was a me thing, while I obviously didn’t see the written work ,and the narration really was brilliant, I could tell that there were issues with punctuation and grammar it crossed over into the audio, which was a pity. You can tell where punctuation should’ve been, but to be honest it didn’t ruin my experience of the novel. Frankly it was all a bit silly, I love a dual timeline story, and when you consider that it is a ghost story it works, not perfectly by any means, but it was a cosy listen that didn’t require a lot of thinking. I’ve no idea how the rest of the series is pitched. If it continues as a detective series I’d like it to be a bit more serious.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up due to the narration being so well delivered.

My appreciation to Harper Collins U.K. audio and NetGalley for this ELC 🎧

[Ollie Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really really enjoyable read. I have to admit I was skeptical about whether or not the book was for me in the first 50 pages but after that it was a quality read.

Wouldn’t say ghost thrillers is my go-to preferred genre but thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and even more so the characters and their development across the novel.

Love a ghost story and a thriller? Pick it up ✅🥳

[Amanda Bayliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting!

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a paranormal thriller which I would rate 3.25 stars, it was engaging and had some good build up. I think it could’ve been slightly shorter and linked some of the clues a little better to the past, but all in all a decent read.

[Beth Bedee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Ghost House" weaves together the stories of a ghost from the past and a modern-day killer. This held my interest, but it wasn't great. I felt that the end became predictable and was a bit of a letdown. The story was interesting, but the writing was just o.k.

I was most interested in the diary portions set in the late 1880s. It provided an interesting twist midway through the book. I would have actually preferred if the entire book focused on that story. The ending left me with several unanswered questions.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it, but it just wasn't that good. There were no howlers with spelling or grammar in the copy I had but honestly - who the hell TRADEMARKS everything they name drop? Seriously?!? Get a grip! And then the whole ghostly/otherworldly premise was never satisfactorily explained either. It just kinda...happened. I'll read the next one, but keep my expectations suitably low so as not to be disappointed.

[Melissa Mioni · Rating 2 out of 5]

An editor would have been a nice touch! My head is reeling from grammar crimes! How could this book have made it on to the shelves? While the story was good, it looks ass though it were written by a 6th grader. Ouch, I hope the IQ glitch in my brain can heal over time.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look I tried my best, this is my third attempt but I can’t.

[River Scott Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've finished reading The Ghost House by @helenphifer, and I rate it 5 stars 🌟

After many years on the police force, Annie Graham never expected that it would be her personal life, leaving her physically and emotionally scarred.

While Annie is on a break from work to recover, she takes up her brothers offer to be a caretaker of a beautiful old crumbling mansion in the woods she thinks it's the perfect place to escape. But something about that house feels strange, and so Annie seeks to finally find out the truth about that once beautiful mansion.

This is the 1st of 6 books in the Annie Graham series, and I absolutely loved it. What I liked is we get to meet Annie whilst she's on a break from work, so we get to know her character a bit personally before we she her in her work mode and that made me connect more with Annie I thought her character was brilliantly written I like her personality and how she is with people I also liked how loved and respected she is in her job and her boss calling her "Our Annie" so you get the impression of how close-knit they are and that makes me want to read more books in the series.

My favourite character in this book, however, is Alice. I thought her character was beautifully written and plotted. I loved getting to know her. I wanted to protect her. I wanted everything to go well for her, I really enjoyed her story. I was listening quietly whilst she was telling me her story. I am, though, still devastated about Alice.

I thought the plot of the whole story was fantastic it was just brilliant. I loved how it all played out piece by piece until it was game together to a deadly conclusion. The ending of the book was a perfect fit for both the characters and the story. I'll not say too much, but I'll say a famously unsloved crime is mentioned in this story and is cleverly done

I was thinking it would be great to have a story about Alice's mother whilst she was working at the mansion. I feel she has a good story to tell.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghost House is an atmospheric and gripping blend of crime thriller and supernatural suspense. Annie Graham is a strong, likable lead—brave, sharp, and just skeptical enough to make her plunge into the eerie unknown feel all the more compelling. From the moment she steps onto her brother’s property and is drawn toward the decaying mansion in the woods, the story doesn’t let go.

The past and present are woven together through the discovery of Alice’s diary, creating a chilling mystery that unfolds at a satisfying pace. The haunting elements are done with just the right amount of dread, and the connection between historical tragedy and current events adds real emotional depth. The big twist is especially well-executed and makes the entire journey worthwhile—it’s the kind of reveal that lingers after you’ve finished the book.

Even with familiar elements like ghostly mansions and long-buried secrets, the story feels fresh, thanks to Helen Phifer’s strong writing and pacing. It’s an engaging and eerie read with just the right mix of heart, horror, and mystery. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good ghost story with real stakes.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story was ok but felt like there was too many stories going on in one book, having a murder investigation and a ghost story in one book is a bit too much. Gave a whole new theory on Jack the Ripper though. Wasn't happy to find that its part of a series and even more unhappy to find that you can only get the other 5 just on kindle. After reading it I wouldn't really go out my way to recommend it as it was ok but probably one I'll eventually forget I've even read.

[Lois Wakefield · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This was a very grippy book with a lot of unexpected plot points and although the story kept my on the edge of my seat and a little bit stressed out (as you want in a thriller) I would say there wasn’t enough shock factor in this book. Nothing felt super gasp worthy. But as a whole I did enjoy the story.

[SarahRobins_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read plenty of books by this author and this being her first it wasn’t the best I’ve read. A little bit flimsy in places and cheesy. But still worth a read if you like a bit of ghost thrown in with crime! Helen is one of my fav authors so I had to read this.

[nickiknackinoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

This is a new author to me so I read this by recommendation. I'm glad I did!. The characters structurally likeable and the story was good!. I'm very pleased to know that the next book features the same characters fighting crime so I will enjoy the next book too!!!.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice little pallet cleanser. I loved the diary entries in this and would have loved to learn more about Alice’s story.