When Detective Maria Miller walks up creaking stairs into the attic of the old brownstone she senses this isn’t an ordinary crime scene. The brutality of the murder is enough to shock even an experienced detective like Maria. But there’s something else. An unsettling presence seems to lurk in the shadows sending a chill through Maria’s bones, making her desperate to run back down the stairs and never return…

The killing is identical to the murder of a young woman sixty years before, a crime that tore a family apart and sent shockwaves through New York City. In both cases, a satanic ritual was performed inside the attic. Candles surrounded the body. Satanic markings stained the walls.

Has the killer returned all these years later? Is there a copycat? Maria won’t let fear stop her from finding answers. But just when she makes a breakthrough in the case, her relentless pursuit of the truth brings evil to her own door…

50 Chapters | 280 Pages | 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I am a massive fan of Phifer’s works so when this was released it was a no brainer that I would get it. Life has been incredibly stressful at the moment and while my reading suffered in January, in February I find myself in need of a book to escape reality. This was simply perfect for that.

When Phifer first started to release books on Amazon, she was self-published, and she released a series of books that mixed both crime and the supernatural together. I was ecstatic to find that she’d jumped back into the realm.

The book is told in two primary parts, present day and 1952. There are also snippets of p.o.v. from other characters. Right away I knew that I was reading something good. It was that edge of your seat, book craving of goodness that alerted me I’d found a gem.

We start of with a graphic murder and from there I was a little confused as the point of view shifts rapidly before settling once more. I enjoyed Maria Miller as the main character, she had an element of grit and purpose. She was competent and fierceness. I did feel like there was more to learn about her that I didn’t get. It wasn’t that she was underdeveloped or too perfect, just that I wanted more from the character. If this becomes a series, I’m sure there will be more to discover with her.

Frankie, her partner in crime was an interesting fellow. I am glad that he had a fully filled background because at the beginning I worried he was going to fall into the wimpy character of ‘side character falls in love with main character’, and that would have made me angry and been a total cop out for the characters. I enjoyed that Frankie worked well with Maria but also had the space to focus on his own life and problems.

Harrison was a bonus that I wasn’t expecting would turn into a character, but I think he provided light-heartedness and gave glimpses into what Maria would be capable of further down the line.  

In 1952 the characters of Emilia and Missy take centre stage. They were the opposite of Maria and essentially became the glue that held the 1952 story together. The 1952 story was compelling and intoxicating to read, it managed to stand alone but also explain the present story.

I read this on kindle, but it is a book I would like to own in paperback. I made several highlights which I have tried to explain below.

Chapter 7 – “They might not have known about the murders in 1952 that took place inside it, but he did, thanks to the Ouija board.”

This was early on into the book and is from a point of view that isn’t Maria. It was interesting at the time, not because it linked the two stories together but because it gave insight into how the person of interest had found themselves in this predicament and going forward, showed their descent into chaos.

Chapter 12 – “A thin hand reached through the gap in the door and took the badge out of her hand.”

This was uttered in a normal setting, and it struck me because it’s the kind of sentence that you’d see acted in a horror film right before the character dies. It felt important while I was reading and gave me a kick of adrenaline.

Chapter 12 – “The foreboding sense of dread which shrouded her entire body made her knees go weak. Her gut instinct told her to get the hell out of there; her stubborn cop mind chose to ignore it.”

I think this was one of the most highlighted parts of the book. It’s a great two sentences. When reading I really felt what Maria was going through. I had the same curiosity to find out what was happening with the same ‘don’t go in’ mantra going through my head. It artful in the way that I was able to visualise the scene perfectly but could also envision this in a film sequence.

Chapter 14 – “He was a pawn in this game between good and evil, fighting on the side of the darkness that he knew would consume him and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it.”

Another interesting moment, from the person of interest’s view. I think I found it so interesting because it strayed away from the usual point of view you’d expect from this kind of character. We’re used to reading the depravity of their crimes and the messed-up sense of righteousness in their minds. But this made me view them in a different way, still dangerous, but poorly as well.

Chapter 19 – “She loved him, but it would be too much effort juggling work and a relationship for them both.”

I feel like there are a lot of crime stories with female leads that could benefit from a line like this. There is always the easy option to pair them with but I appreciated that this deviated from it and that putting it in writing almost cut itself away from that plot point.

Chapter 20 – “Again, feeling that knot of fear in her heart that she had inadvertently stumbled upon something she didn’t understand.”

This was a turning point in the story for me. The elements of crime vs. supernatural are all over this book, but this point for me, showed where Maria’s mindset changed from what was expected to what she was open to experiencing.