A review by eggcatsreads
It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

4.25

A supernatural thriller where a literal haunted house might not be the deadliest thing new homeowner Ronnie must survive. 

This was a fun read - told in two competing timelines of the current day and the 1930s -  where we can slowly piece together how this decrepit house became the way it is - and how, exactly, it became haunted by ghosts. Ronnie, still struggling after the death of her brother and fighting her own OCD, uses the insurance money to purchase this (extreme) fixer-upper of a house. She’s told it might be haunted, and given many warnings about such “dangers” of the house - but, she’s determined to see her project through. 

While renovating she finds the diary of silent film star Venita Ross, who chronicles her life up until the tragic death of her daughter. With both her and her daughter’s killer trapped in the house for the rest of eternity, Ronnie might not be able to trust anyone (or any ghost) she meets - lest she meet the same fate as every previous owner of the house. Coupled with someone whose interest in the house seems a bit more than natural, Ronnie has to depend on herself - and maybe even the ghosts themselves - to save both her and the house.

This was a fun read, and I loved how the story uses both timelines to slowly tell the full picture. A combination of a historical fiction and a supernatural thriller, this book ticks off many boxes of genres I really love and enjoy. Many aspects of this book reminded me of both Laura Purcell and Anna Mazzola, and I believe any fan of supernatural gothic horror would love this novel. My only issue is that I wish there was a bit more explanation about the deal and entity that Sloan made, but I understand the ambiguity being necessary to tell the story in a realistic way. 

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this e-ARC.