2.5 stars rounded up!
Phantom is about a broke young woman who just lost her job and has a crazy ex. When she is invited to an art exhibit from an old friend, she meets a man. The man offers to buy her hand for 1 million dollars. Eventually she agrees. After selling her hand, she has extreme phantom limb pain and she seeks out medical help. She joins a drug trial that has a weird side effect. She starts to feel what her hand is doing and she thinks the Phantom Strangler has her hand and is using it to kill people. She tries to seek out the strangler and stop the murders.

This book was just ok for me. I’ll start with the stuff I liked and then the few major problems I had with this book. I think the premise was interesting and original. It’s not like other thrillers I’ve read. You do have to suspend disbelief for this one but that wasn’t a problem for me. I think the twists were pretty good. I liked the it was set in Chicago, however, some lines made me think that the author has never been to Chicago or didn’t research it because some parts were just not accurate. I think the writing was good and the story was fast paced.

My major problem with this book was the main character. Talk about annoying! She sold her hand for a million dollars and then complained the whole time about losing her hand. She’s the one that made the choice to sell it! She was also very rude and mean to people for no reason. Like grow up and be nice. I think we were supposed to feel sympathy for her but I just couldn’t. I can’t stand when people don’t own up to their actions and choices. There was also a random romance thrown in that was completely unnecessary. She’s fearing for her life and trying to solve this murder and then all of a sudden she’s jumping into bed with this guy? Like why? Normal people don’t act like that.

Overall, this book had some major problems (for me at least). I think the premise was good and original it just didn’t work for me. Thanks so much to netgalley and Camcat books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley, CamCat books, and Helen Power for the opportunity to read this book I’m exchange for my honest review.

This book started off very strong, in a good way, and I didn’t want to put it down at first. Roz, who was behind on her rent, running away from her drug lord ex boyfriend, and who didn’t have any leads in the job/art world got offered $1m for her hand. Her dominant hand. Meaning she would have difficulty doing everything including artwork, for the rest of her life.
Eventually, she takes the deal and after a bit finds out Chicago’s “phantom strangler” has it because of the sensations she’s been feeling in it.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Roz, the characters in general felt undeveloped and lacked depth, and shortly after she lost her hand I started getting bored. The end wrapped up on a cliffhanger and in an odd way; not how I’d prefer a book be left. But a solid 3.5 and at no point was I on the verge of not finishing. It was suspenseful enough and the plot was original enough.

Thank you netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dnf at 21%. Usually I’d try to push through to 50%, but I’m going into a reading slump and I just don’t care enough. I don’t enjoy the tone of the story, something just feels idk like annoying? The main character isn’t likable or the type of character I want to root for. Just boring and annoying. I expected this to be a lot more fun, but it’s just not.

Also, the way OCD was mentioned twice within the first 80 pages and misrepresented. Literally giving “omg girl you’re so ocd 😋😋🙄” stop. “Her desk was tidy, and it crossed my mind that it might be she that had a touch of OCD.” (Real quote this time.) being “tidy” means you have a ‘touch’ of OCD? Girl. 😭. Your desk is clean? Lemme give u an OCD diagnosis rq. Stop it… get some help. Use google.

Really enjoyed reading this, despite all the MC’s head noise.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

Regan is in need of money. Badly. When a mysterious stranger offers her a million dollars and safety from her unstable ex in exchange for her left hand, she can’t afford to refuse. Afterwards, she has insufferable phantom limb pain. Desperate for relief, she enrolls in an experimental drug trial only to find out that the drug has a peculiar side effect—giving her a psychic connection to her missing limb. She soon discovers that Chicago’s long-dormant Phantom Strangler is now wearing her hand and is using it to kill.

When I first picked up this book I was intrigued by the premise. The synopsis promised a unique story.
It was fast paced, spooky and an intense ride. Halfway through the book you begin to question if you can rely on the narrator. It was definitely an interesting turn of events.

TW: Substance abuse, addiction, death, loss of a limb, alcoholism. May be intense for certain readers.

I want to thank NetGalley, Helen Power and CamCat Books for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

It took me a while to get into the story, I felt like the first 30-40% dragged on a bit too much for my personal liking. Plus, the main character is very unlikeable, which didn't bother me anymore towards the end of the novel, but really took me out of the story at the beginning. The reveal of who the phantom killer is was pretty obvious in my opinion, but I did like that it was that person/I was hoping for it to be them. In my opinion, the novel could have been about 50-100 pages shorter, to make the story more concise.

I really liked the first half of this story, but somewhere along the way I lost interest. It felt pretty repetitive and I found myself skimming some parts. The romance was pretty unnecessary. Honestly I’m kinda getting tired of this unreliable narrator trope because of their drinking problem. I feel like there are better ways to make a character unreliable than drinking problems. On the plus side this book was really easy to read and I really loved the concept of this book, but it could have been executed better.

Would you sell your hand for a million dollars? Regan “Roz” Osbourne is broke. Her ex-boyfriend won’t take no for an answer, and no one is taking her art work seriously. So when a mysterious stranger offers her a million dollars and safety from her unstable ex in exchange for her left hand, she can’t afford to refuse.

A fascinating story with lots of great twists and turns.

Phantom review

4.5/5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Books for the opportunity to review this awesome book! Would you accept one million dollars in exchange for your dominant hand? What would you do if you started experiencing phantom limb pain and hallucinations that your amputated hand was committing murders? This is the premise of Phantom, Helen Power’s thriller about Roz, a down-on-her-luck woman who accepts one such offer, and has to live with the deadly consequences. I loved this book! And while I figured out the big reveal at the end, it didn’t detract from the solid story.

What to expect if you pick this up: This is a fast-paced, twisty thriller with a lot of misdirection and a hefty dose of desperation. Roz is not exactly the most endearing main character, but she isn’t supposed to be. It doesn’t mean you still aren’t rooting for her to solve the mystery of the Phantom Strangler. I’ve never considered what it must be like to lose a limb, and this story makes you live the experience. The writing is accessible and engaging.

You’ll like this if: you’re looking for a fresh concept in a thriller, you like serial killer themes, and you need a fast-paced read!

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How does one broke woman in Chicago take down an international organ smuggling corporation? I couldn't put this book down - it had a great mix of crime, thriller and romance! Would you sell your left hand for a million dollars? After reading this... Most likely not lol

Such a strange, fun novel! I just saw the brilliant Australian horror film Talk to Me, also featuring a creepy, disembodied hand, so when I saw this cover I couldn’t click fast enough! This was definitely a whole different premise and genre even (the cover makes it look like horror and, in fact, it’s listed on Goodreads as a horror novel but Phantom is more of a thriller). Lucky for me, I love both genres equally.

I’ve seen some reviewers dock points for some of the more unbelievable aspects of this book, such as the psychic connection stuff and the advanced technology that would be required to allow an amputee to completely heal from surgery in a matter of hours, but it’s a book, guys! Anything is possible! That’s part of why I love reading so much.

Anyway, this was a quick, really enjoyable read. Definitely a fun way to get lost for a few hours. Although the narrator was unreliable, something I think is WAY overdone these days, Roz was unreliable in a way that made perfect sense with the rest of the story. She’s got some substance abuse issues and is on a drug that’s causing her some hallucinations (or is it?) all while dealing with some truly out there situations. Who wouldn’t be questioning everything?

I loved this novel and can’t wait to see what Power writes next! 4.5 stars.

I found myself really loving Helen Power’s first novel, The Ghosts of Thorwald Place, in spite of my general chicken ways about horror, so I decided to give Phantom a try. And it was enjoyably twisted, though I might have nightmares. Which means she did her job!

Roz is broke, a failed artist, drinks too much, and mooches off her roommate. At a gallery opening for a former art school classmate (Roz keeps getting rejected from every gallery), she receives a creepy proposition: she’ll be paid handsomely in exchange for her left hand. Uh, what? But Roz becomes desperate, and does it. And though the windfall is nice, the phantom limb pain is not, and trying to get rid of the pain leads her into a web of what really happened to her hand.

Spooky and creepy as hell, this comes out in October and will be perfect. Roz is a pain in the ass, but her story is messed up enough to draw you in. I also appreciated Power’s playful library scene - she’s an academic librarian herself, and it’s much, much funnier reading it as a librarian.

Phantom follows Roz who is going through a rough point in her life she broke up with her boyfriend, lost her job, and no one is taking her art seriously. Just when Roz lost everything a stranger offers her one million dollars. The catch is that she has to give them her hand in exchange for the money. She can afford to refuse so she agrees. Immediately after her amputation, she starts experiencing severe phantom limb pain. She agrees to a drug trial that will help with the pain. As a result of the drug, she starts to develop a physical connection with her missing limb. She soon discovers that a killer named the Phantom Stranger is now using her hand to kill. 

This was one of the most interesting books that I have ever read. This was one of those books that I truly had no idea what direction it was going to go. I really enjoyed this one though. I did think it was a little slow and drag out. But the last 20% was wild. If you are looking for a good horror/thriller book to read for spooky season I suggest this one. This is one that I will be thinking about for a long time. 

Thank you Helen Power, CamCat Books, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I wasn’t sure when I started this book what I would think of it. Its genres are horror, mystery and science-fiction, and I can be particular about what I like in those genres. This left me delightfully surprised - I know it’s a book I’ll remember for awhile!

Regan (Roz) is living in a dicey part of Chicago with a roommate who is rarely home. She is a starving artist who works part-time at a casino, and can never pay her half of the rent. She’s financially running out of options when she gets an offer she can’t refuse - at least not after a few whiskeys. She meets a dashing man who offers her one million dollars - for her hand. Her dominant hand. Her hand that makes her art. When she makes her decision, she’s barely able to lift her head off the bar…but this isn’t the kind of contract where things like being of sound mind matter.

Roz wakes up at home, two days later, with no hand and a healed stump. She has a million dollars in her bank account. Life is good, until she gets phantom limb pain. No doctor will prescribe her narcotics without her seeing a psychiatrist and attending an amputee support group, especially because of how much she drinks.

Her new psychiatrist is aware of a new drug trial of a non-addicting pain medication (where have we heard that one before?). Ryofen has not been tested on humans, but Roz is willing to do anything to stop the pain. She is not supposed to drink alcohol while taking it, but sobriety is not an easy thing for her. Let’s just say, there are some side effects…

Roz occasionally annoyed me with how stupidly she behaved, but I think that was kind of the point - this is a person who wasn’t stable even before she sold her hand. When an author veers into science-fiction, unless there is a relatively logical way to explain things, it will seem cheesy and far-fetched. An alternative option is to somehow admit to how outrageous it sounds, and I felt like this book did both of those things. The main character knew she couldn’t tell her story to anyone without sounding crazy, and there were also some parts of it that could be realistic.

Overall, I thought this was a very original story with just the right amount of detail, characters, and suspense. It was mind-blowing in some places, and thoughtful in others. The plot was so fresh and the writing was so good that I have to give this one five stars!

(Thank you to CamCat Books, Helen Power and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released October 10, 2023.)

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

Roz is broke, her art isn't taking off and her ex boyfriend is being a pest. So when a mysterious stranger makes her a weird and random offer - safety from the ex and one million dollars, it's an offer she has trouble refusing. Now experiencing phantom limb pain after the amputation, Roz is put into a clinical drug trial. But that trial comes with strange consequences, including psychic visions of her hand. But the real twist is her hand is now the hand of a serial killer.

Phantom was a mix of sci-fi and thriller all rolled into one. It was weird and wacky and often completely unbelievable - but it was written well enough that none of that mattered! The plot holes didn't matter, the why would she didn't matter. I genuinely believed I was losing my mind along with the MC.

If you need a hit of random, a few laughs and whole bunch of what the actual heck did I just read. This is for you. Thank you to NetGalley, CamCat Books and Helen Power for an advanced copy. Phantom releases 10th October, 2023.

This is a wonderful dark psychological crime thriller, that kept me guessing right up to the end. When you reach the depths, the choices made are not always the best, and they can have major and devastating consequences to you and those around you. This is the second Helen Power book I have previously listened to the audio version of The Ghosts of Thorwald Place, which was also good. I looked forward to reading more from this other. Thank you to CamCat Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I am starting to think Helen Power can do no wrong. Her first book was so unique to me and I was so worried about her sophomore book. She has such a talent in writing such lively characters who stand out for me. There was a good amount of misdirection. The balance from thinking you know things, being thrown off, but the twist is not from left field, Only let down for me was the ending,

Thank you Netgalley, Camcat books and Helen Power for the ARC of this book.

This was such a unique read that really had me invested the whole time. It was a fun read that combined the some of the best parts of horror and thriller.

I enjoyed the way this one was told through multiple POVs and the suspense was excellent. I loved the twist at the end and think the author did an amazing job at writing this overall.

Despite being a bit far fetched i really enjoyed this and Will be on the look out for more by this author.

actual rating: 2.5/5

“phantom” by helen power was uniquely crafted following roz osbourne, a struggling artist living in chicago. dealing with her obsessive ex and drinking problems, roz had to make a deal with a man who wanted to have her hand (literally) in exchange for a million dollars. with her apartment falling apart, roz had no choice but to give in. a couple of days passed without roz knowing, she experienced limb pain, feeling as if her missing hand was engaged in something sinister. this led her to undergo an experimentation with a drug that cures phantom pain. as with any experiment, roz experienced side effects from the drug. adding to the tension was the feeling that her sold left hand was now connected to the serial killer who had returned after an odd hiatus.

the whole synopsis of this book piqued my interest, prompting me to request it on netgalley. it started fast, and tension was quickly established. however, in the middle, the pace slackened a bit, focusing mainly on rozʼs therapy and group sessions regarding limb pains. the second half rekindled my attention. other than the romantic interest involved, the plot twists were also surprising—even our narrator became unreliable, adding to the sense of eagerness to uncover whoʼs who in the story.

it almost became perfect: the plot was cool—i hadnʼt heard of that before—but the execution ruined the build-up. as much as i didnʼt want it to happen, i already knew who the phantom strangler was even before we reached the second half. the part nearing the end was messed up and concluded with an annoying and unsatisfying ending. it seems like the author is planning to stretch it out into a sequel, but “no, thank you” for me.

for me, the story could have worked better if they had split the perspective and alternated between them. the romantic element wasnʼt good either; it left me cringing at the end. however, this could work for dark romance readers, which i am not. 💀

Phantom is a beautifully written, unique read. We follow Roz, a starving artist trying to make ends meet in Chicago. Roz is down on her luck and is on the verge of losing it all when she is invited to an art show hosted by a past classmate. While there, she meets a wealthy "benefactor" who offers her a scandalous deal- trade a limb for a million dollars. This leads Roz down a wild chase to find out just where her purchased hand had ended up and what it was being used for.
This book is full of twists and turns. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was thrown for a major loop. At risk of spoiling the book, I'll keep my mouth shut here. Just know what this will certainly be going down as one of my favorite reads for 2023!
TW: Substance abuse, death, loss of a limb, etc.