Her Lost Soul (Detective Maria Miller #2)

Gripping, thrilling and dark! Her Lost Soul is the second book in the Detective Maria Miller series. This book can be read as a stand along but you will be missing the backstories of several of the characters, so I do highly recommend reading The Haunting on West 10th Street first. It’s a fantastic book and a fast read. Speaking of fast reads, this book was fast, creepy, and hard to put down read. One thing to note, this is in the Horror category but there is no gore in it. Some horrific things happen but they are on the tame side, and I doubt readers will lose any sleep over this book. This is a creepy, sinister, and haunted feeling book. Think of it more as a supernatural crime thriller that does not disappoint.

Four teenagers enter the abandoned psychiatric hospital, but only three come out. Riley Holt never made it out of the building. Her three friends had no idea what happened to her inside the building. A search is conducted and her father, who is the local police chief, is leading the search. The teenager appears to have vanished leaving no clues behind.

Detective Maria Miller and her partner Frankie Conroy have made names for themselves solving cases that others cannot solve. Their cases have a supernatural element to them. When they begin their investigation, they investigate the facility’s past and 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.

This book was told in two timelines, each being equally engaging and interesting. The psychiatric hospital was atmospheric and spooky. In the present day it is an abandoned facility but still has a creepy and chilling feel to it. In the past, it is a functioning psychiatric facility in the 1960’s. In both times, there is a sense of unease. Characters feel unsettled, the little hairs on the back of their necks sticking up. Fight or flight is kicking in, but why? What dangers does this building hold?

I loved the creepy and chilling vibe in this book. I found this book to be a gripping, atmospheric, tense, spooky and fun read. I enjoyed both Maria and Frankie. They are great characters and have fun banter and dynamic between them. I enjoy the bond that they have. Another bond to note is the friendship that forms between a Hollywood starlet and a teenage girl in the 1960’s timeline.

Don’t let the spooky aspect of this book scare you away. Again, this is more of a police procedural with a supernatural element. I enjoyed this book that was not only entertaining, but it also showcased relationships in many forms i.e. between friends, between family members, between co-workers and between the physical world and supernatural world.

This series is a gem. It is entertaining, spooky, captivating and a fun fast read. This book is low in pages but packs a punch. I was so excited when I saw this book was available, and it was worth the wait. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Gripping, entertaining, spooky, chilling and well written.

#HerLostSoul #NetGalley #HelenPhifer #StormPublishing

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.