Book Number 2 in the Maria Miller series, and boy is it a good one!
*can be read as a stand alone, however with all book series, it does have references to Book 1 throughout*

Riley and her friends sneak into an abandoned psychiatric hospital late one night, you know, a little bit of ghost hunting like all the teens seem to be doing these days. Once inside the group do some exploring and Riley is seperated when she discovers some old books. When her friends find her again, Riley asks if they've seen anyone else in the building and before they know it something they cannot explain happens, and it's not until the teens are outside catching their breath that they realise Riley has disappeared into thin air.

Alternating between 1960 and the present day, I couldn't get enough. With a mix of ghosts and police procedural, it's got me downloading her 1st installment and all her other books as I type!
I listened to this in one sitting and it's reminded me how much I enjoy a little ghost story!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Helen Phifer, Dreamscape select and Storm publishing for the audio Arc of Her lost Soul.
Narrated by Stephanie Canon

This is the second book of Detective Marie Miller book series by Helene Phifer. I read Her Lost Soul as a standalone without the fist book and it all made great sense without the first book. Stephenie Canon has got a great voice for this narrative and doesn't over pronounce or not too zealous with her story telling. Neither is she monotone. I felt she had the right pace for what she was reading.

I loved the supernatural creepiness of this book. The beginning is both creepy and captivating. As Marie Miller starts delving into the old, abandoned psychiatric hospital where a teen goes missing. The concept and how they got her back was well done and unique. I have read books with similar premise and i've always enjoyed this Syfi, supernatural element and in Helens book., it's well balanced.

I'll be looking into reading the first book in this series as Im keen to know more about Detective Marie's Millers background as its an underlying plot but not incredibly important to the storyline itself.

3.75 rounded to 4 on Netgalley

Four teenagers enter the old, abandoned psychiatric hospital, but only three come out. What happened to Riley Holt and will Detective Maria Miller be able to figure it out before it's too late?

This was classified as a thriller, but really it's just a straight up ghost story horror. There are paranormal aspects to it, which is just not my thing.

However, the writing was good and it was able to draw me in and keep me interested. There were a few things that were too far-fetched for my liking, but overall, I enjoyed the book.

What I did love was the nod to Marilyn Monroe and how well that storyline revealed enough that you knew who the author was talking about, without actually saying her name.

If you don't like paranormal elements or time travel, this book is not for you. If you are able to look beyond those elements, this is a quick, enjoyable read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because of Marilyn!

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Dreamscape Select for an advance audio of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again I did not realize the book I was requesting was the second in a series, but I actually listened to this one without reading or listening to the first one, as my initial attempt to listen to that earlier book didn't go well. I found myself more engaged with this storyline, and found it perfectly easy to listen to without the benefit of the earlier exposition of character or plot. I really enjoyed the narration and the blend of detective story with Supernatural elements. I enjoyed it so much that I went back and gave the first book in the series a second look, and found that I enjoyed listening to it now that I had a familiarity with the author's writing style and the characters. It's a dark yet fun series, if that isn't too contradictory sounding, and I'm definitely looking forward to listening to future titles. They are quick and easy stories that are engaging and populated with a cast of characters that I have enjoyed getting to know and look forward to getting to know further

Name of Book: Her Lost Soul
Series: Detective Maria Miller Book #2
Author: Helen Phifer
Narrator: Stephanie Canon
Genre: Paranormal Crime Thriller
Publisher: Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing
Pub Date: February 28, 2024
My Rating: 4.22
Pages: 242

Riley Holt and three of her friends decide to explore the old mansion in Beacon Hill that used to be a hospital for mental patients. Their plan is to do a bit of ghost hunting. Only Riley Holt doesn’t leave. Her father is the Chief of Police and although he leads a search, it appears his daughter has vanished; He calls for assistance from the Manhattan division.

Detective Maria Miller and her partner Frankie Conroy like the challenge of solving cases that others have not figure out.

When they begin this investigation, they learn about some troubling things that occurred there. While interviewing former staff members, they begin to feel that one employee may know more than he is telling them.
Story is told in two timelines,
The past is in the 1960’s when it was a functioning psychiatric facility with a spooky atmosphere Present day it is abandoned but still creepy.

Story is a fast dark and creepy read. I liked it better than the first as I had a difference expectation this time.


Personal Note: I did not realize when I request this that I had read "The Haunting on 10th Street".
My confusion was because it was listed as the first book in the series - ‘Ghosts of New York”. It was published as “The House on West 10th Street” back in April 26, 2018.
That story ends with a bit of a teaser for Book #2 in ‘Ghosts of New York’ series; with the creation of “The Strange Case Review Team’.

I remembered that the story wasn’t bad however I wasn’t a fan of the New York cop macho nasty language although I do understand the language is realistic!- as I am sure if your job is with nasty criminals it would be natural to talk nasty.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing for this early Audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 28, 2024.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator was great! She really ups the suspense level. This is the second book in the series and I think its a very cool, different premise. The first book was a little scarier to me but both are the creepy paranormal type. Highly recommend this series for anyone looking for a good mystery that delves into the dark side.

I listened to this while running my errands and doing my chores. I loved the narration! The entire story is fun. It is also just creepy enough. I love the asylum setting, the time travel, and the demon.
What a wonderful fun audiobook!
I could definately listen to more of these.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book.

I absolutely enjoyed it! It was such a good mystery/thriller with a bit of horror thrown in. I liked the story and the plot and I really enjoyed all of the characters. I highly recommend this book!

Riley is the daughter of the town's police chief. Her and her friends go to the local sanitarium, which has been closed and abandoned for years. They love ghost stories and ghost shows on TV. But when they do, Riley goes missing.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Select for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Back to the Future x Ghostbusters x Marilyn Monroe

This was a solid horror, but I found it under mystery/thriller so I was disappointed by how heavily supernatural forces play into the plot. I prefer mysteries that have a plausible solution (ie: psychopath, sure, wicked spirit, not so much).

Premise - When a teenager, Riley, disappears in an old mental hospital that once held Marilyn Monroe captive, detective Maria Miller and pal are on the case. This time, they’ll have to go back to the 60s to preempt the modern teenager’s murder.

📚 Series or Standalone: series, but works as a standalone
📚 Genre: horror
📚 Target Age Group: adult
📚 Cliffhanger: no

✨ Will I Reread: no
✨ Recommended For: Stephen King fans, Halloween lovers

💕 Characters: 3/5
💕 Writing: 4/5
💕 Plot: 3/5
💕 Pacing: 4/5
💕 Unputdownability: 2/5
💕 Enjoyment: 2/5
💕 Book Cover: 4/5

Thanks, NetGalley and Storm, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.