The haunting of room 904 A novel

Wurth (White Horse) disappoints in this underdeveloped paranormal horror novel. Indigenous paranormal investigator Olivia Becente bounces from case to case while reeling from her sister Naiche's suicide. Then a mysterious organization of socialites who call themselves the Sacred 36 asks her to investigate room 904 of Denver's storied Brown Palace hotel, the site of Naiche's death. Olivia learns that her sister's soul is trapped there by an ancient curse--and after her mother checks into the hotel, she may be the curse's next victim. Wurth puts a refreshing twist on standard paranormal investigation procedurals by incorporating Indigenous faith traditions and real historical elements, like the Sand Creek Massacre, but the herky-jerky plot lacks focus, careening between digressions and miring itself in a series of interpersonal dramas and romantic misadventures among a thinly drawn supporting cast. Meanwhile, attempts to cut the scares with humor lend the prose a flippant, and occasionally juvenile, feel. Wurth's diehard fans will enjoy the tough as nails narrator, but those seeking narrative cohesion will struggle with this. Agent: Rebecca Friedman, Rebecca Friedman Literary. (Mar.)

Olivia Becente, a successful paranormal investigator in Denver, abandoned her academic career after the death of her sister Naiche. That loss awakened her supernatural abilities. Then the hotel where her sister died contacts Olivia about a job. Every five years, a woman dies in room 904, three weeks exactly after their stay. Nothing has been able to prevent the deaths. Unlike the other ghosts Olivia has encountered, whatever is haunting the Brown Palace does not need to tell its story so that it can leave this world. These spirits do not want understanding or redemption. As the explanation for the haunting is revealed, readers will be quickly drawn into the story, driven forward to find out more. The book explores guilt as a kind of haunting and is a contemporary ghost story with great crossover potential. Wurth (White Horse) takes the idea of a haunted house and makes it something entirely new. The book leaves readers wanting more stories about Olivia and her friends. VERDICT A ghost story cleverly blended with a mystery, ideal for those who appreciate genre-blended horror and fans of books such as Shutter by Ramona Emerson.--Lila Denning