I was about to write that I have always wanted to read a book by Helen Power, when I read on the blurb, just now, that this is a <i><b>debut</b></i> novel by a GR Friend...I realize now that I thought I was reading a book by Helen Cooper. I still want to read one by Helen Cooper, but I am blown away by the fact that this is a debut novel by Helen <b>Power</b> – and it is unlikely I will confuse this author with another in the future. I thought the book was brilliant, so, to coin an expression in Yiddish, "Skoyach" (Bravo)!

There are quite a few ghosts roaming around Thorwald Place, an exclusive and pricey apartment complex in downtown Toronto. Our MC, Rachel (aka Kae), a recluse hiding out from the person who murdered her husband two years’ earlier, chose to live in Thorwald Place because of the Doorman and the reputed highest level of security. Aside from CCV cameras throughout, the posh building boasts a library, work-out room, and numerous other attractive amenities. Rachel is a translator who can work from her laptop. Never, or infrequently, leaving the building is a non-issue for her. She has almost no contact with her neighbors. Her only contacts with people from outside of the building, are with her best friend Catalina, the company that sends her texts for translation, and Luke, a colleague from the victim’s hotline where she volunteers her time, four hours a night, counselling callers and dispensing information on where and how to get help. Her last two calls were from a battered housewife in distress and a mysterious threatening call, stating that the caller knew who she was, identifying her by her true name.

Rachel is not about to wait around for the caller to discover where she lives and within minutes, she has packed her bags and is out the door, traveling the elevator to the basement to flee the building. She never makes it out of the building because she is murdered as soon as she exits the elevator.

Now, you might think that is a spoiler, but it is not. It happens right in the first few chapters of the book. For the rest of the book Rachel is, for the most part, invisible to the living, and trapped inside an impenetrable transparent bubble with a height as tall as the elevator shaft and a furthest circumference that does not exceed the boundaries of the building. She is somehow linked to the elevator, and while inside the bubble she has free access into all apartments of the building, provided she is on the floor where the elevator has dragged her. She cannot communicate (i.e. she cannot warn those in need of help, nor can she take action to prevent harm), she cannot move items including push the elevator buttons to control where she needs to be; she cannot be seen nor can she be heard or felt.

Soon she sees that her husband’s identical twin brother, Will, has moved into her apartment, and is busy searching through her possessions. Next, Catalina, who also happens to be a police detective on leave, shows up and eventually links herself with Will as the two attempt to track down the person/s who murdered his brother Jay and, most recently, his wife Kae, Catalina’s best friend. Rachel/Kae watches as the two of them work together to try and uncover the murderer/s. While this is happening, Rachel is dragged by the elevator from floor to floor, and she learns about the lives and trials of all her neighbors.

There is at least one other ghost in the building at any given time, a part-time ghost, and a demon. There is also a wife-beater, a bat-crazy mother/part-time widow, a teenage goth, a bereaved mother and widow, a psychic, a hit-man, an aging socialite, and a doorman with some peculiar pastimes.

Everything about this book is perfect – the characters, the plot, the writing style. I loved it and read almost uninterrupted. The narrator, Rachel Fulginiti, was also excellent, although I did have to listen at 1.25 speed. Over the past two years I notice that nearly every audio I listen to has to be sped up, so as not to lag. I think there must be some kind of (slow) speed requirement narrators are forced to adhere to (LOL).

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for an audio of this book, and Kudos to GR Friend Helen Power. It was my pleasure to listen to every minute!

P.S. Dear NetGalley Friends and Colleagues. This book is current available on NG as Listen Now.

First off I want to thank @netgalley & @camcatsbooks & @powerlibrarian for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one. I listened to it, it was amazing. The narrator was fantastic at doing all the voices for the different characters, and there are quite a few. Her emotions and feelings were felt through her voice.

It was such a refreshing take on ghost stories. Reading the story from the ghosts perspective, I loved that. Rachel the main character was so easy to get attached to, with all her past struggles, what she dealt with and her mental health. She was easily relatable. I loved that the setting was close to my home in Ontario, that some spoke French which is my main language at home, it just made me feel even closer to the residents.

I loved getting to know all the residents of Thorwald Place through Rachel. I was so invested in all of the neighbor's stories. It was truly heartbreaking at times. I loved the multiple timelines as well as the jumping to and from one apartment to the other.

Throughout the whole book there's twists and turns that will keep you guessing. I truly enjoyed this one through and through. I am definitely going to be reading more from Helen.

If you want a paranormal thriller with secrets overload definitely try this one out !

If you like slower mild mysteries this is the book for you. I didn't like the main character and would have rather had a book solely based on any of the side characters.

Over all the story was written well and all the plot points wrapped up in a bow at the end. But for me most of the twists and suspense fell flat.

I really like this story. I'm still not sure if I believe in ghosts, but if they're real I hope that it goes something like this story did. So much going on in this condominium complex and I glad I was able to learn of the conclusions.

This well crafted murder mystery/thriller/ghost story, told from the perspective of the victim, is a great read. The main plotline is unique, and running alongside this are several sub-plots, which all have something interesting happening. It is not difficult to become captivated by this story - I was certainly engrossed from beginning to end. I'm tempted to comment on the implausibility of so many residents having dark secrets - but I guess you can never know what happens behind closed doors .....

Overall, this is a fast paced story, which is full of misdirection and surprise. This isn't my normal read, but I did enjoy it and am excited to see what the Author comes up with in the future. Many thanks to NetGallery for the "Listen Now' - I wasn't expecting to like this book so much, therefore I am highly delighted!

Written in the perspective of Rachel Drake, who is brutely murdered in the beginning of the novel, a ghost who is forced to follow the elevator she died in and the adjacent rooms on the floor it lands on. In these rooms we meet the seemingly normal tenants who, behind closed doors, hold many secrets. Rachel seeks justice for herself and tries to help her fellow residents along the way.

The narrator for this was really good and did an amazing job on keeping me intrigued with subtle voice changes for the different characters. This story also holds variety of really interesting subplots and just exquisitely interesting writing. I loved looking into the different residents lives and learning about their big array of secrets. You just can't get bored, I was sucked in and needed to know what happened next - there's a perfect balance of spooky, creepy horror and mystery/thriller making this impossible to put down. I will definitely be checking out any of Power's other works.

I listened to this book on audiobook. I found it very interesting and well written. This mystery adventure kept me on my toes from the beginning. The narrator was very good as well which can sometimes make it break a book. I would recommend to other. It was a scary read to me which I love and included suspends and had me wondering what was happing next. Great book and narrator

I really enjoyed this book.
It had all the aspects of a thriller novel, but it was done in such a way as to stand out in an over-saturated market of books that have a tendency to all feel the same.

Rachel Drake's death was only the beginning. Her Spirit In the afterlife, tied to the place of her murder trying to find out who killed her is the hook that got me to pick up this book. The writing and the playout of what happens next were well done and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

I enjoyed the concept of this book although I did find it a bit slow at times & lost track a bit with all the characters. Well worth a read though & look forward to more by this author

This gave AHS Hotel vibes, albeit MUCH tamer. Written in the perspective of Rachel Drake, who dies shortly after the novel starts, we follow her as she drifts throughout the confined space of the elevator and adjacent rooms. In these rooms we get to meet fellow tenants who have SO many secrets. It’s juicy, y’all. This was so much better than I expected. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of The Ghosts of Thorwald Place by Helen Power.

Rachel is terrified. After putting herself in hiding, it seems her stalker has finally found her and is making threatening calls to her employment. But Rachel will have the unique opportunity to find out who has been wishing her harm and who is innocent AFTER her murderer has finally gotten to her.

This is a story of a haunting, except for the ghost is in search of answers and justice. Rachel sticks around long enough to know who has been terrorizing her all these years, as well as helping other residents of her apartment on the way. I was instantly hooked and I loved the mystery side, as well as the humanitarian side. It's side, dark, but also very fun. Great for October!

Rachel is a volunteer for an abuse hotline and although she’s used to creepy people calling with death and sexual threats she’s never had one that knew her name and not “Rachel”… Her real name! Despite living in an affluent secure high-rise she is alarmed and quickly packs a bag. She is on the run from the man that murdered her husband and she is so frightened. Unfortunately she only makes it to the elevator where she is murdered… But by who? Instead of transcending to the afterlife she instead is tether to the elevator and it’s surrounding areas but you can only leave it when the elevator isn’t in motion. This is how she begins to get to know her previously unknown neighbors and the more she learns about them the more suspects she has to who murdered her? I listen to the audiobook and enjoyed this way more than I thought I would and I really thought I would like it but I absolutely loved it. She has some really shady neighbors and we get to know all of them as the sea in the ending is one I kind of thought coming but not really… Good either way it’s a fun journey to the end and the end is really good. I love this book and highly recommend it I’ve never heard of this author before but will definitely be looking for more books by her and although this book has paranormal aspects to it The book is a very serious one and isn’t campy at all. This is a very original take on hauntings in one I seriously enjoyed. I received this book from NetGalley, cam cat books and I P B A but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

The Ghosts Of Thorwald Place - Helen Power

Audiobook review

I'm getting more into Audiobooks, I find they help me broaden my reading of other genres outside my normal. I'm increasingly open to paranormal elements and ghost stories so this fitted in nicely.

Rachel Drake's husband was murdered, she has run away from her old life and lives as a 'shut in' in Thorwald Place a luxury apartment block. Until she gets murdered that is.

After dying in the elevator her spirit is tethered to a small range of movement, she travels up and down with the elevator and can walk through walls into the apartments.

Who killed her? Will she ever find out who killed her husband? Is she doomed to an eternity in spirit limbo? It's a sprawling murder mystery, with ghosts!

There's a lot of characters, plenty of little subplots, lots of observations on the lives of the residents. There's a clairvoyant, a teenage goth who wants to summon demons and there might already be a few resident ghosts in the darker corners of Thorwald Place.

The narration by Rachel Fulginiti is very good, clear and distinct and varied between the many characters. She captures the fear and creates tension very well.

There are some really good darker chilling moments. I liked the voyeuristic spirit limbo aspects, the paranormal chills, the atmosphere and the varied subplots, probably more than the mystery elements.

Very enjoyable overall and I'm pleased I took a chance on listening.

Thanks to Netgalley and CamCat Books

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio copy in exchange for my review.

I love ghost stories. I hated this book. The overall premise of the book told from the victim's ghost's POV is interesting, and Rachel/Kay has this whole backstory. But she's SO judgmental! Chapter after chapter is the character's ghost watching the residents of her apartment building and judging every single thing they do, the choices they make, the way they dress, what they do. Minute after minute of an audiobook listening to this much judgement on a person's life, their weight, their downtime, their reading material - it's too much!

Interesting idea, but this needs some help. Sorry, but I have to rate it 1 star - I really, really hated it.

This is definitely one of my favorite books for the year. The plot was interesting and it didn't disappoint. There was a lot of characters for an audio book but I eventually could remember who was who.

For just a ghost spying on people's lives and only catching glimpse the characters had a lot to them and were equally entertaining to learn about and heartbreaking.

There is also such familiar horror elements that added a creepy factor laced in this dark apartment complex.

There are so many secrets to unravel and twist left and right.

Wonderful narration, subtle changes in voice to indicate character change. Beautifully interwoven story with various characters and plot lines that intersect! Fabulous book!

Wow! This book The Ghosts of Thorwald Place has every creepy nuance one wants to read in a horror story! It was great! I listened to the audio version and the narration was wonderful! Artistic and clear! No kidding, this book has it all! Weird people, lots of scary and not so scary ghosts, creepy people, an assortment of all kinds of humanity! It was a quick audio book and loads of fun to listen to. Thanks to Netgalley and CamCat publishing for the arc…. Loads of scary fun!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I really liked reading this book! ngl it was nothing like i expected and i say that because for once i actually read the description lmao but i really liked it, would recommend.

A fun mix of mystery and horror; would make for a great beach read or sick day. The first-person narration can be a bit slow, but overall the book moves along at a good pace.

The Ghosts of Thorwald Place
by Helen Power, narrated by Rachel Fulginiti

Rachel Drake has been hiding since her husband was murdered. Her nice multistory apartment building has elevators, a gym, basement storage, and a concierge. But what it can't do for Rachel is keep at bay her fear that her husband's murderer can find her. She's changed her name, cut off contact with everyone she knew, and never leaves the apartment building. She does hotline volunteer work from her apartment and has made only one friend and she keeps even him at a distance.

And then she is murdered in one of the apartment elevators and her life becomes a different sort of nightmare. That elevator is now the center of her life...I mean, death. Tethered to that elevator, she goes where it goes, her leash only so long. But the things she learns! The secrets her neighbors were hiding! She isn't the only one living a life of agony and grief. She isn't the only one who felt threatened, was threatened. And Rachel is sure that one of her neighbors is her killer. But what to do? How to communicate with the living and how to avoid the dead and the dark, shadowy thing that looms over everyone?

You would think that living in a fancy, expensive apartment with all kinds of amenities would be a nice, safe, existence. But this story shows that danger lurks around every corner and in the homes of most of the people that Rachel now watches. There are so many potential murderers here, the put together wife isn't so put together, the ordinary man is anything but ordinary, even Rachel's own neighbor doctor is hiding something. But every time Rachel gets close to learning something new that elevator yanks her to another floor.

That narrator does a good job of voicing the many characters that populate this story. Rachel appears to be in a hopeless situation, with no way of moving on or communicating with those who need to be warned of their own dangers. It was interesting trying to ferret out the potential killers and finding out that this apartment was never a safe place for anyone.

Thank you to CamCat Books and NetGalley for this ARC.