Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Paperback. 352 pages.
Silent film star Venita Rost's malevolent spirit lurks spider-like in her cliffside mansion, a once-beautiful home that's claimed countless unlucky souls. And she's not alone. Snared in her terrible web, Inspector Bartholomew Sloan—her eternal nemesis—watches her wreak havoc in helpless horror, shackled by his own guilt and Venita's unrelenting wrath.
Now the house has yet another new owner. This time it's Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman who buys the run-down place sight unseen. She arrives armed with an unexpected inheritance, a strong background in renovation, and a blissful ignorance regarding the house's blood-soaked history. But her arrival has stirred up more than just dust and decay. In the shadows, unseen eyes watch. Then, a man comes knocking. He brings wild stories and a thinly veiled jealousy, as well as a secret connection to the house that can only lead to violence.
Venita's fury awakens, and a deadly game unfolds.
Caught between a vengeful ghost and a ruthless living threat, Ronnie's skepticism crumbles. The line between living and dead isn't as sharp as it seems, and she realizes too late that in Venita's house, survival might be just an illusion."
If you can't wait for October to start reading about some delightfully haunted mansions, then look no further because It Was Her House First is here! I didn't expect to become as invested as I did in this book, but Cherie Priest's dry wit, haunting atmosphere, and delightfully character-driven horror story grabbed me from page and didn't let go (much like Venita Rost can't seem to let go of the mansion...)
It Was Her House First follows Ronnie Mitchell as she purchases a crumbling old mansion that she quickly finds out has a more tumultuous--and deadly--past than she knew about. The mansion once belonged to Venita Rost, a silent film star, who is now one of the many spirits that reside within it's deteriorating walls.
I really liked this one! I had good hopes for it, but, as mentioned, I didn't expect to fall into this story and become as invested as I was. I think it's largely due to Ronnie's narrative voice that I have to thank for that, as she made it so easy to become invested in both her own story and that of the mansion's. Ronnie is very much a highly competent protagonist, which I always find refreshing in any haunted house type of story since it makes everything feel just a bit more believable and like a situation I can really put myself into without feeling overly frustrated by excessive dumb decisions.
The story mainly follows the perspective of Ronnie, but we also get some chapters intermixed that feature some ghostly characters and I think I ultimately appreciated getting the extra backstory and intrigue that the ghost chapters provided. Everything worked together well, and I think Priest did a great job of slowly allowing our ghastly and murderous tale unfold as we learn more and more about each character and some of the causes of the dastardly deeds that occurred in the house.
I loved the tone of this book--it's got a very dry wit and self-awareness to it (largely due to our narrator, Ronnie) and it worked so well. I love this type of horror and how it's very straight to the point with things and somehow manages to incorporate very eerie and questionable occurrences with a subtlety that translates into a strong sense of uncertainty. I wouldn't say the atmosphere was overly dark or terrifying, but it definitely had a strong sense of foreboding as an overtone that made me feel like constantly looking over my shoulder. I appreciated that this book didn't feel overly descriptive, but still managed to incorporate absolutely everything I needed to feel invested and understand what was going on. And I truly enjoyed getting to hear about Ronnie's plans to restore the house, I love a good project! If you like T. Kingfisher's horror, then you will probably like this one, and vice versa.
I'd definitely say It Was Her House First moves on the slower side of pacing, but I never found it boring. I feel like everything that occurred in the first half and build-up to more intense moments was perfectly executed and paced and worked perfectly for the story Priest was telling. I will say that I think I kept expecting a little bit more to happen on the way to the climactic moment, but I wasn't upset with the plotting that was there.
Overall, It Was Her House First is a wonderfully eerie, clever, and satisfying haunted house novel that balances horror, drama, and wit beautifully. Cherie Priest does an excellent job of slowly revealing a dark, terrible past while keeping readers invested in her clever and relatable protagonist. If you like your horror to be complete with sharp writing and compelling characters, then be sure to add this one to your summer TBR.
