The Ghost House by Helen Phifer

Book Blurb

‘A ghost story and a police procedural all rolled into one with bags of tension… I couldn’t read it in the dark!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A stunning Halloween read’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I finished it in the early hours as I needed to find out what happened!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

While on a break from work, trying to put the pieces of her life back together, the role of caretaker to a beautiful, crumbling mansion in the woods seems like a good escape.

But something about the house puts her on edge, and her suspicions are confirmed when she finds the diary of former resident Alice. The house holds a dark connection to a series of terrible murders committed over one hundred years ago.

And when a search for a missing girl turns into a hunt for a serial killer, Annie fears that history may be repeating itself. But as the past collides with the present, has Annie’s unofficial investigation put her in the killer’s sights?

The first book in the Annie Graham series will have you hooked!

Look out for more from the series:

The Ghost House
Secrets of the Shadows
The Forgotten Cottage
The Lake House
The Girls in the Woods
The Face Behind the Mask

Readers love the Annie Graham series!

‘This is a fantastic story… An excellent combo of “who-dunnit”, tragic timelines and haunted houses’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book had me reading into the early hours of the morning, I just loved it… I was there with Annie and felt the hairs stand up on a few occasions. Great start to a new series’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book is raved about by all who read it and rightly so… It is a startling good read which grips you from the first few pages… I COULD NOT put this book down!’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘There were times I totally lost myself in the plot… I even found myself sat up at 4am racing through the last couple of chapters as I wanted to know what happened. I loved it’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best Book Editors Review

This was my first-time read from this author and I was blown away. First off, I have to say that Helen comes from the same town as me and shame on my town for not making more of her. I wasn’t aware of her books until recently, despite her being a very accomplished author. The story is set around the beautiful 11th-century Furness Abbey. I walk my dogs in the woods behind the ruins. It’s one of my favourite places. The story is a crime, thriller, and mystery, with elements of romance.

Detective Annie Graham investigates serious crimes involving girls going missing connected to a haunted house and its dark history. However, she is personally invested in the old mansion and the farm close to it because her brother owns them. The detailed character work makes Annie relatable. She isn’t a supermodel and wonders why anybody would be interested in her.

The eerie descriptions of the house make the reader feel every creak and the supernatural balances well with everyday police work and adds twists to the plot, creating gritty realism and horror. Fans of paranormal mysteries will find The Ghost House a great read, with softer elements that make it a classic in the genre. Highly recommended.

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About Helen Phifer

Helen Phifer is the Bestselling writer of the hugely popular Annie Graham, Lucy Harwin, Beth Adams and her current series featuring Detective Constable Morgan Brooks published by the fabulous Bookouture.

She lives in the busy town of Barrow-in-Furness surrounded by miles of coastline and a short drive from the glorious English Lake District.

Helen loves reading books that scare the heck out of her and is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. Unable to find enough scary stories she decided to write her own and her debut novel The Ghost House released in October 2013 became a #1 Global Bestseller.

She has written over twenty books in various genres, and you can follow her over on Instagram Helenphifer

Or find her over at her website helenphifer

Other Amazon Reviews

Fiona Wilson

Much more than a ghost story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 November 2013

Verified Purchase

For a long time now I have been looking for a book which is different to the usual YA/NA books I’ve been reading lately. This book was it! The moment I finished this book I had shivers down my spine, it was so good. It is the best book of this genre I have read in a long time.

Annie is looking for somewhere to get away for a while after a traumatic experience. Her brother gives her the opportunity when he asks her to look after his farmhouse while he is away. Close to the farmhouse is an old mansion which she also keeps an eye on.

Annie has the feeling that the house is haunted, and those feelings get even stronger after she finds an old diary in the mansion and starts reading it.

The diary is written by Alice, a maid from 1886, who works for The Lord and Lady of the mansion. Lady Hannah takes a shine to Alice and looks after her until her untimely death. Lady Hannah’s death is the catalyst which sets into motion a chain of events which leads from the 1800’s to the present day, as Annie unfortunately discovers.

This isn’t just a ghost story, however. It is so much more. Throw in a police investigation into a missing girl, which turns into the hunt for a serial killer; a man from Annie’s past who is out for revenge; a policeman who takes a shine to Annie; a phsychic who fears the worst; oh yes, and a killer who has his sights firmly set on Annie, and you get just a small idea of what this story involves! There are also mentions of a famous serial killer from many years ago.

The author weaves the story between the 1800’s and the present day so well that I had to constantly remind myself which was Annie and which was Alice. She also uses different POV’s from the killer, phsychic and Annie’s ex among others.

This is a genuinely good story which really held my attention and had me wanting more. I honestly didn’t realise where the author was going with things until I read it, and that is the best kind of book for me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries and ghost stories. But even if you don’t like those genres, give it a go. You may be pleasantly surprised.

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Amanda bonsell
5.0 out of 5 stars omg what a fab debut book you all got to read you will be hooked to it i wasd
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2014
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THE GHOST HOUSE BY HELEN PHIFER
ARE SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB BOOK
The blurb
There’s not much that scares Annie Graham. Not even the horrors she has witnessed during her years on the police force.

When she agrees to look after her brother’s farmhouse, she finds herself 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.

Shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award 2014
WHAY I SAY
I pick this book for are book club read on my blog and face book page as i loved the cover and the blurb
I had never read any of Helen books before i got to say i loved this book it was so good it full of twists and turn a bit of a paranormal what a great debut book by Helen
I not sure if you call the book a thriller , a romance, murder mystery it got it all in this book .

Annie a police officer she off work as she recovering from a nasty injury i got to say i would of liked to hear how she got injury a bit more . She gone to her brother house to look after his dog he the caretaker of a farm house but on the ground there this amazing old house Helen brought the house alive for me i like hearing about all the rooms
Annie seems to be pull into the story’s of this old house just like i was she finds a old dairy she starts to read it but then things start to happen around her why ?

Then with got a young girl gone missing
Another girl been found dead
There seem to be a serial killer on the lose
We get pull into the story ( i not going to tell you about it as i want you to read it for you self )
Annie talks to a medium about what going on around her he wants to tell her but he does not tell her all he can see around her and the house it not good news but he will try to help her by going to see her again

The past and the present seem to mix into this old house so well the plot had me grip it very easy to follow

The ghosts of Edward and Alice were my favourite characters they were fascinating to read about (i love another book just about them)
I just want to read to see what was going to happen next
The book so gripping what a debut book
The suspense is very good
The whole book held my imagination in some places it sends a chill down you

All the characters were realistic you do feel for them all
The settings were very good you could see them in your mind
The crime scenes were described very Sensitively a memorable novel i love it 5 stars i have read the book twice now i keep read again

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No gimmicks, just great writing and great story.

Reviewed in the United States on 2 February 2016

Verified Purchase

A wonderful well written book that keeps your interest until the end. There were some interesting twists as well as an imaginative and interesting thought on a real life criminal from a century before and how he might have been a fictional character in this book. The characters were well developed as was the plot and it wasn’t your typical, girl sees ghost, paranormal mystery. It does have some scary and creepy parts but they were well done. Best of all this well written author didn’t follow the trend that other authors are doing by leaving you a cliff hanger so you have to keep buying books to eventually reach the end of a story. But then, Helen Phifer writes a terrific, can’t-put-it-down, original story that is so well done it doesn’t have to resort to such gimmicks. I can’t wait to purchase the rest of the books in this series because I know they will have endings and I can buy them when I can afford them. Books that well written, well thought out and developed are certainly worth having. Because you will want to reread them again. Books that I bought just to reach an ending to a never ending cliff hanger were books I shall never read again because they weren’t as good as this one and they couldn’t keep the same quality of writing throughout their series.

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