Hey there, you freaky fuckers, welcome back. Today, we’re trudging through The Haunting of Room 904, the latest from Erika T. Wurth, a Native American writer who’s got some chops but didn’t quite bring the heat this time. Wurth’s White Horse was a gut-punch debut that had me hooked, but this follow-up? It’s a lukewarm ghost story that won’t haunt your dreams—or your bookshelf. Let’s break this down.

Erika T. Wurth’s a legit talent—mixed Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee, Colorado-bred, and rocking a PhD. She’s a creative writing prof with a knack for weaving Indigenous identity into dark tales, as seen in her short stories, poetry, and White Horse, a debut that hit hard with its raw grief and barroom grit. She’s not afraid to tackle history’s ugly side, and that’s her calling card. The Haunting of Room 904 is her second crack at a novel, aiming for paranormal thrills with a cultural twist. Spoiler: it’s got heart, but it’s missing the spark that’d make you give a damn.

Here’s the deal: Olivia Becente’s a Denver paranormal investigator who ditched her shrink gig after her sister Naiche offed herself five years ago. She snagged Naiche’s knack for chatting with the dead, and now she’s the chick you call when your eBay mirror starts whispering creepy shit. The plot kicks in when the Brown Palace Hotel—a real Denver joint—rings her up. Every few years, a woman checks in, winds up dead in Room 904 (no matter her booked room), and Naiche was the last casualty. Olivia’s got baggage, so she’s on it.

Cue a muddled mess of a cult, a pissy journalist, some backstabbing pals, and vague hints about Naiche’s secret life. The hauntings supposedly link to the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864—where U.S. troops slaughtered Cheyenne and Arapaho folks—but it’s more background noise than backbone. Olivia’s trying to break the curse before another gal croaks, but it’s a slog that feels like chasing a ghost who forgot why they’re mad.

Wurth’s tossing some weighty stuff in here, but it lands like a wet fart. Grief’s the biggie—Olivia’s moping over Naiche, and it’s supposed to hit deep, but it’s more whiny than wrenching. There’s a sisterhood vibe, blood and found family, that could’ve tugged heartstrings if it wasn’t so half-assed. The Sand Creek Massacre ties in, hinting at colonial vengeance, but it’s a footnote, not a fire. Room 904’s a cursed trap, sure—past sins on repeat—but it’s more confusing than chilling.

Symbolism’s there if you squint. Mirrors and haunted trinkets (dybbuk boxes, eBay junk) nod at trapped trauma, but they’re props without punch. The golem’s a cool idea—protection gone rogue, like history’s fuckups—but it’s barely fleshed out. The cult’s a power grab metaphor that fizzles, and the Indigenous, Jewish, and Mexican spiritual mashup feels like a neat trick that forgot the payoff. It’s all “ooh, deep,” but it’s shallow as a kiddie pool.

Wurth’s got a rough edge to her prose—think barstool banter meets ghost story. The Brown Palace starts off eerie, and her dialogue’s got sass, fitting Olivia’s ragtag crew. But it’s a mess that can’t find its footing. Pacing’s a slogfest: a quick hook, then a middle that drags like a hungover Monday, and a climax that’s more “eh” than “oh shit.” Transitions are nonexistent—you’re here, then there, good luck keeping up. She drowns you in details—history, rituals, random eBay ads—until you’re bored, not immersed. The writing’s raw, sometimes juvenile, and while Olivia’s voice has grit, the rest feels like a rough sketch that didn’t get finished. It’s not awful, just uninspired—like Wurth had ideas but forgot to glue them together.

Credit where it’s due: the premise isn’t terrible. A haunted hotel room tied to a massacre, with a Native heroine? That’s got potential to grab you by the throat. Olivia’s a decent lead—tough, flawed, carrying her sister’s ghost like a backpack—but she’s stuck in a story that doesn’t care. The Indigenous angle’s a fresh twist in a sea of basic ghost tales. There’s a flicker of something here, but it’s dim as hell.

This book’s a snooze, plain and simple. It’s overstuffed—cults, ex-boyfriend bullshit, a pointless blogger, historical asides, a whiny friend named Sarah who’s dead weight. Wurth’s juggling too much and drops it all into a pile of “who gives a fuck?” The middle’s a bore; you’re wading through trivia while the plot naps. The hauntings should spook you, but they’re a jumbled mess—too many spirits, no focus. The cult’s a yawn, the ex-drama’s a waste, and the Sand Creek tie-in? Barely there. The ending’s a shrug—ties up some loose ends, leaves others flapping, and feels like Wurth just wanted out. Characters like Sarah and the journalist are filler; cut ‘em, and nothing changes. The “she suicided” phrasing is still weird as fuck—someone, anyone, edit this shit. It’s got the makings of a decent yarn but settles for mediocrity, leaving you wondering why you bothered.

So, The Haunting of Room 904 is not a trainwreck, but it’s not worth your time either. There’s a kernel of a good story—Olivia’s cool, the premise has legs—but it’s buried under a pile of meh execution and wasted chances. Wurth’s got talent, and I’ll still check her next swing, but this? It’s a ghost that doesn’t haunt, a thriller that doesn’t thrill. Skip this one, you freaks—you’re not missing a damn thing. Go re-read White Horse or watch The Conjuring instead; your spooky soul will thank you.

Stay scared, you lazy bastards.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this audiobook. I found it to be too confusing to follow along and I was losing the story trying to figure out who was talking and if it was a present or past discussion. I'd love to return to this book again but I'll stick to the ebook.

A soul searching book centered around a paranormal investigator who gets caught up in the incident that took the life of her sister. I enjoyed the exploration of the MC’s relationship with her family and friends, though we only hear the “voice” of her sister at the very end of the narrative. This was probably a device choice, but I felt it missed the mark on endearing her to the reader. There were a lot of moving parts, which made some elements seem superfluous until they did eventually roll into the resolution, but they slowed the pace along the way. The sheer number of characters was also a bit overwhelming. I felt like they could have been combined with some editing and not lost cohesion.

My main critique was with the title and cover. This book was heavily influenced by the author’s Native American background and traditions and I felt like some nod to that would have been nice in the marketing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I did not like this book that much. It started off just too intense and almost got a little confusing! I did like the narrator

Thank you Flatiron and Macmillan Audio for my free ARC of The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth — available 3/18!

» REVIEW «
Sadly, this book was a miss for me. I really loved White Horse, Erika's previous novel, but I feel like the quality of story and writing in Room 904 took a wild departure from that previous work. I don't have much to say about this novel except that for me, it felt disjointed, unpolished, chaotic (and not in a fun way) and poorly dev-edited. I think there were just too many disparate components mixed in here, so I never found myself immersed in the story of the main character. Enjoyed the narrator of the audio version, though!

The Haunting of Room 904
Erika T. Wurth
Pub: Macmillan Audio
Format: ARC audiobook from @macmillan.audio
#MacAudio2025
Expected Publication: March 25, 2025
2/5

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC!

I have heard many good things about White Horse, Wurth’s 2022 publication, so when I had the chance to listen to this book early, I jumped on it! Unfortunately, it did not pan out how I hoped it would. The premise is fantastic: A native woman who has a supernatural gift, and uses that gift to help others. On the five year anniversary of her sister’s mysterious death, though, Olivia needs to figure out how to stop a ghost that is haunting the Brown Hotel to keep her from killing other women. I was so pumped. Not only did I love the representation of a Native woman as a main character, flashbacks to a Two-Spirit person who was murdered in a brutal massacre (and is taking their revenge), AND have it wrapped in horror? I’m so in.
What I actually read was a different story though. The characters were more sketched out rather than fleshed out, leaving me feeling no connection to really anyone in the story. I also feel like Wurth felt she needed to put in certain characters, and instead of feeling like a natural flow to the narrative, they felt more like a square block getting jammed into a circular hole. Olivia’s friends were confusing to me, because they didn’t really add much throughout the story (plot or otherwise), except the very end, and even then I don’t think they were necessary. Other characters were also written in a stereotypical way: spoiled-rotten rich and abusive ex-boyfriend, mysterious occult bad boy, and snarky and funny main character who doesn’t need anyone (but actually super cares). While these are all good jumping off points, they didn’t have depth to them and because of that, I frankly didn’t care what happened to anyone.
I also felt like the story had a number of scenes that kind of felt like a total 180 to the point of the book. There were a few times I wanted to shake everyone and yell “You have a deadline and you need to finish this job! Stop flirting with everyone and work on saving the lives you claim you care about!” Needless to say I had to take a few breaks because I was getting frustrated. Overall, this story felt less like a horror and more like a story about… honestly, I’m not really sure, it kind of felt all over the place. So, this book sadly goes onto my two-star pile, and I will continue on my quest to find my first solid horror novel for the year.

CW: suicide, racism, sexism, stalking by ex, loss of a parent.

5 stars to the audiobook; Ina Barrón's narration is amazing!
The story, though, left me with mixed feelings.

I'm going to start with the things I liked.
The diversity was great.
Strong but not abnoxions main female character is something I want to see more of in all sorts of books.
Thoughtful discussions about grief (though I wished for more depth, especially in Olivia's conversation with her mother).
The paranormal scary moments were scarce, but their atmosphere was on point.

Now, to the things I didn't like.
I think some of my disappointment came from incorrect expectations. I went into it expecting paranormal horror, something akin to Stephen King's Room 1408 movie. And it was absolutely not it. It is a paranormal thriller (as the description states, I wish I had read it earlier).
A big part of the story revolves around the main character's sister's suicide, but I didn't feel connected enough to care about that plotline.
I was curious enough about the mystery to finish the book, but the ending felt underwhelming.
Some of the twists were very predictable. Some of the characters felt redundant, like that friend who was afraid of the paranormal but was coming to seances anyway. Not sure what her role was in all of this.

If you're looking for a spooky time, this is not it. If you're looking for a paranormal thriller/mystery, you might enjoy this story. If you're thinking about getting an audiobook, it's a strong yes.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook arc!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the book #TheHauntingOfRoom904 by #ErikaTWurth. This creepy and spooky book literally sucked me in until the final chapter. Olivia has a gift that allows her to communicate with the dead. Her sister, Naiche, also had the gift before she died. When she is contacted about a new job at a hotel where every few years a woman dies in room 904. As she investigates this case she starts to see similarities to her sister’s death. Is it all related?

4/5 Stars
I would describe this story as a thriller, horror and a mystery. Typically, these are not the main genres I consume, but I was very intrigued by the premise. Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the early access to this audiobook.

To start off with, the production was flawless and I loved our narrator, Ina Barrón. I also really appreciated the representation of Native American culture and the queer community. The reality of racism and the vile rhetoric surrounding immigration were also handled with such care and carry even more significance in today’s political climate.

I enjoyed the production and the surprise ending. I felt the pacing was off at times and the story moved a bit slowly, but overall, I really enjoyed this one and I’m going to convince my friends to read/listen so I can discuss it with them in more detail!

First off, thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced readers copy.

I found this book to surprise me over and over again. I loved the premise and was so excited. But I did not realize how deep into the paranormal aspect this book went into. I was confused at some parts, not realizing where we were or what was happening. I felt like the plot almost wasn’t controlled enough to make sense. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I did get super confused during parts of the story.

One thing I will add is that I so thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, Ina Barrón. She did the book so well. I will be looking out to read more books she has narrated.

Thanks again NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Erika T. Wurth, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. Ina Barron’s narration made for an engaging listen! The supernatural elements and compelling storyline kept me hooked—it was fast-paced, hard to put down, and truly a page-turner.

An interesting paranormal story wrapped in a murder investigation that ties back to a long ago massacre.

I really loved the parts of the story where different items on Ebay and other sites were described - whether it was new gear for a paranormal investigator or something some just swore was haunted, they added a great break to the intense and unsettling story and I loved each one that we got. I liked when Olivia and her team tried to investigate if the item was truly haunted and, if yes, how to help the spirit held there break free. These were my favorite parts of the story!

I liked Olivia, our main character. She's an interesting investigator, the real deal, and I liked that she took each job with a passion and empathy I think is needed when dealing with spirits and the loved ones left behind. But somehow the strong beginning - the volatile ex-boyfriend, the amazing best friend, the mysterious Room 904 and sister's death - seemed to get bogged down in the details. There were so many different things we were learning - mysterious groups, daggers, police, friends, a random blogger, alibis - that didn't even touch on the actual paranormal mystery. As each new encounter came to unveil another piece to the puzzle, I realized I'd completely lost site of what we were even putting together.

I did love the narrator - as I did this as an audio - and I think I held in there until the very end just for that. I had to listen to the last 5 chapters twice because I kept missing key things and was trying to piece the ending together. I did find this entertaining but I didn't love it like I thought it would.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I may be the only person in the world who didn't read Erika T. Wurth's recent novel, White Horse, but I have been wanting to so badly, so I knew that I would make sure to prioritize her next novel. Her upcoming 2025 horror novel, THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 is the perfect horror novel for me right now. I am not sure if it's because I did a complete rewatch of The Conjuring series and the Insidious series but this book was exactly what I needed.

After unexpectedly inheriting her late sister Naiche’s ability to commune with the dead, Olivia Becente becomes Denver’s top paranormal investigator, though the loss still haunts her. When the historic Brown Palace hotel seeks her help to solve the recurring, unexplained deaths of young women in room 904, Olivia’s search for answers entangles her with a dangerous cult, a vengeful journalist, betrayals from those she trusts, and shocking truths about Naiche’s hidden life.

THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 was excellent. It had all the medium/spiritual/conjuring vibes that I was hoping for! I listened to this book on audio and I would highly recommend doing that as I was completely engulfed in Olivia's journey. I loved the queer representation with some of the other characters and I loved the journey these characters went on to find out the truth. You will see Olivia go down unexpected paths, with some awesomely creepy moments to enjoy. The story talks about some serious topics affecting the United States right now as well, including immigration and racial bias. I found those topics expertly weaved in and very thought-provoking. I would absolutely LOVE it if Olivia returns in some capacity for future novels as this world was just too juicy to let go. THE HAUNTING OF ROOM 904 will be in my top reads for 2025 and I can't wait to see what Erika T. Wurth has in store for readers next!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was good. I DNF this one at 30% because I struggled to get into it, it seemed like a lot was going on but it didn’t hold my interest. I’m sure this will be a favorite for some but it’s just not the book for me at this time.

DNF at 30%. I really tried to enjoy this, especially that everything surrounding this story was so attractive. The curiosity of how the author was going to spin this was intriguing, truly. I wanted to know why every few years a girl is found dead in Room 904, but it just wasn't enough for me to stick through it. Not because of the plot, more like the structure of the story itself.

There were way too many characters just only 15% in. The story then became too choppy. It was hard to follow through and read as if the author was so excited to bring forth the story and couldn't narrow down to some solid points. Blame this on editing or whatever, but what a great storyline, but not-so-great execution.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for a copy of this. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this author’s previous book, White Horse, but this was way too slow paced for me. I couldn’t unfortunately even get into it. I’m sure I was just not the right reader for this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read.

Erika T. Wurth stuns me yet again with a propulsive new novel about a Native American medium/ paranormal investigator, Olivia, who confronts the mysterious death of her sister, Naiche.

Olivia was never supposed to have the ability to see and hear spirits, but after the passing of her sister, the ability was passed onto her. Years after her sisters death shes a prolific paranormal investigator working with her best friend Alejandro. Together they confront all sorts of strange and dangerous entities wreaking havoc on their communities. Olivia recieves a call from the Lamdmark hotel in Denver, inquiring about an investigation into room 904 where the death of Naiche occured. Unraveling historical secrets and cultish underbellies, all while placing themselves at the center of paranormal danger, is the only way to stop this cycle of deaths that have been occuring every two years in room 904.

The Haunting of Room 904 was such an exciting paranormal horror, with elements of true Native American History, a smidge of romance, and back to back high tension action scenes. I flew

I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed the idea of the novel. However I found the book bogged down in parts. I joyed the narrator for the most part, but the character Sarah was really hard to enjoy. 3.0 stars.

Twisty, atmospheric grief horror that kept me on the edge of my seat. I love how atomospheric her writing is and the plot kept me invested.

The premise of this one piqued my interest. A paranormal investigator gets tapped to determine what is causing the deaths of multiple women in room 904 of the Brown Palace. Throw in her personal ties to that room and the possible connection between a cult and the deaths and I was intrigued.

Unfortunately, while the premise had be hooked, the execution left something to be desired. There is a lot going on in this book. Some things felt a bit extraneous. Some twists felt perhaps unnecessary. I wanted more development for some characters and wondered why others were even included.

I did like the paranormal bent and found the indigenous history and spirituality and the Jewish folklore included in the novel interesting, but the way all of those pieces come together can be confusing for the reader.

Ultimately, it was a quick read for me, but it’s not a book that I would pick up again.

I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed Ina Barrón’s pacing, inflection, and vocal choices for the characters. I was able to easily keep track of which character was speaking.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.