4/5 ⭐️

If you take the creepy mirror from the movie Oculus and put it in a creepy room like the one in the movie 1408 and then add an expiration date for its victims like in The Ring you have the makings of this book.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book and never really knowing who was good or bad. I appreciated all of the representations within this story as well. Overall, a solid and creepy thriller.

The Haunting in Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth is a gripping paranormal thriller with a strong storyline and a great cast of characters.

When Olivia Becente's sister Naiche died by suicide at the Brown Palace Hotel, Olivia inherited her sister's gift of being able to hear and speak with the dead. Wracked with guilt over not being there for Naiche, Olivia throws herself into paranormal investigations with her best friend Alejandro. When the Brown reaches out to Olivia for help regarding a haunting in the same room where Naiche died, Olivia is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. According to the Brown, every five years a woman who checks into the hotel will suddenly appear in room 904 and then three weeks later will die by suicide. What is really happening at the Brown Palace? And will Olivia finally find out what really happened the night Naiche died?

I have never read anything by Erika Wurth before but after reading the synopsis I knew I had to give it a shot! I really enjoyed the way Olivia is investigating other cases as well as trying to find out what happened to Naiche. Olivia is a great main character and I really liked how Wurth melded the paranormal elements with the historic events of the Sand Creek Massacre. Definitely going to keep an eye out for more from this author!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erika T. Wurth, and Flatiron Books for this ARC. Expected publication date is March 18th 2025.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
I devoured this book.
It was amazing, addictive, and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Oh boy. I had really high hopes for this one.
I think the problem for me was zero connection to the characters, and there were too many lores going on. It was hard for me to follow. I think I was maybe expecting something a little different - but I know people much smarter than me will enjoy this!

I really really wanted to love this book. The description really grabbed me. I love a good spooky paranormal story. Sadly this was not that. So much potential but it just didn’t come together as well as it could have. Honestly it was rough to keep reading/ listening to the end.

I did receive an advanced e-pub and audiobook from NetGalley Flatiron Book and MacMillian Audio.

Wurth got a lot of buzz for her debut novel, White Horse. I was under the (mistaken) impression that Wurth wrote literary horror novels, which I was less interested in. But I was wrong! This was more of a thriller horror, with a paranormal investigator (Olivia Becente) trying to process the apparent suicide of her sister in Room 904 of the luxurious Brown Palace hotel. The book opens with a bang with Olivia trying to put to rest the spirit of a haunted object, which turns out to be that of Nese, a two-spirit who was murdered in the Sand Creek Massacre (a real-life massacre of the Cheyenne and Arapaho by the US military). There are connections between the Massacre, an occult group, and Room 904 that Olivia has to piece together before another woman is killed.

Sometimes the book jumped too quickly to the next scene without needed resolution from a previous chapter and there were a few plotholes (I never understood why Olivia never did any research/genealogy/visit archives which could have given her helpful information). But these were rough edges that didn't hamper my enjoyment of the book. I'm excited to see what Wurth writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth. All opinions are my own.

I did read "White Horse" from the same author and enjoyed it, so requested this one especially because of the title of the book. For me any type of haunting is a good read. This story is mostly about two sisters and their family and friends trying to keep something from happening again. One sister is a paranormal investigator, and the other died of suicide during a ritual for a cult. This book had all the things you need for a good book. Like I said before the title and synopsis intrigued me. Unfortunately, the plot was all over the place for me and lots of moving parts that just seemed choppy and Un cohesive. After a long, boring middle section of the book, the ending didn't satisfy me as well. I did like the culture and history aspects to the story.

Would I read from this author again? For sure, seeing how I liked the book before this one. Will other readers enjoy this book? Absolutely. It just wasn't for me. The Haunting of Room 904 will be available at all major book retailers March 18th. Happy reading!

When Olivia's sister, Naiche, dies, she feels as if the world as she knows it has forever changed. When she inherits her sister's ability to talk to spirits, the changes take a twist. Olivia begins using her gift to help solve crimes law enforcement has not. The story starts as Olivia's way to work through her grief by helping others, then quickly morphs into a battle between Olivia and the resident spirits at the Brown Hotel.
Erika T Wurth has developed a grounded, realistic character in Olivia and surrounded her with a cast of characters that stand out for their quirks, yet still manage to be a found family, protecting each other. The atmosphere Wurst develops at the Brown Hotel carries the weight of all of the events that could happen in an aged facility that features a transient customer base. There is no limit to what our imaginations can believe as our nerves stretch tight. Creepy, yes, but the goose bumps are worth it.

The Haunting of Room 904 is an inventive, paranormal thriller that is a page turner. Scary and dark, with grief at its heart. It's terrifying,

Strong female paranormal investigator storyline but contained several different subplots which could be distracting. Heavy on the spirit/haunting theme with historical background references.

My biggest problem with this book is that the writing felt incredibly disjointed, which made it hard for me to be swept up in the book like I wanted to be. However, I mustered through and did finish. Being a Colorado native I quite enjoyed reading a book that highlighted a hotel that is really near and dear to my heart the Brown’s Palace. I think the idea that the hotel calls a woman into the room to make amends for past deeds is extremely interesting, and the fact that it tries to claim two people from the same family adds to the drama. There are a lot of dark personal issues that plague the main characters. I also love that there are a couple of large historical events that are explored highlighting their dark nature and showing the perspective of the typically marginalized throughout history, showing them in a light that shows their humanity. In the end though the disjointed writing style and to many plots going on a once really took away from my overall enjoyment of this book.
Thank you so much to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

The Haunting Of Room 904 by Erica T Worth, I listen to the audiobook narrated by Ina Barone, who has a very relaxing yet awesome voice for this type of story. The story is about Olivia, who on the night of her Doctoral graduation found out her sister committed suicide and she has been living with the trauma and guilt of it ever since, but that isn’t the only change in her life. She has also due to her sisters demise gain the ability to speak to the dead and experience their thoughts and emotions something she has turned into a business along with her best friend Alejo/Alejandro. Lately the haunting she’s been called to,. Has something to do with her and her sister‘s death but what it is she cannot quite figure out. When the hotel where her sister died call asking for her help to intervene on the haunted room where her sister was found. Olivia doesn’t know if she wants to do it or not, but she soon realizes if she wants the answers to her sister‘s death and the strange hauntings she’s been called to. She’s going to have to take the job and it will change her life forever. I really really love monster stories, and when the golem came to life, I was so super excited. This was such a great book, I want to say I had the Kindle version of this book as well but found myself when wanting to read it mainly picking the audio for the great narration. I love the fast pace narrative. all the crazy stories that were in the main story like the one about the hotel the Wolfman the really isn’t much negative. I can say about this book. I do think Olivia was made out to be almost like a supernatural person with her life partner being gay Alejo, whose name kept changing in the book from Alejo to Alejandro and that was annoying. I found it odd that the only people she knew were lesbians and I found Sarah to be such a job. I would not bring her to any escape room haunted intervention and don’t know why Olivia did Olivia seem like a much smarter person than that but I digress in my last complaint is stalker. Josh seemed like a cartoon character and not a real person. Other than that, I really really like this book I do want to say, however in the book she states that Christians Catholics and white people only believe in God and Satan and I must disagree. There are many colors to white people; there’s Muslim white people, buddhist, Wicken, in every religion in between. To say that every white person believes in Christianity… I do, but I am one person and there are many others that don’t. Some people don’t believe in anything. sorry for my tiny rent, but generalizing is a pet peeve of mine and I wish it didn’t annoy me so much when people say one group of people do an absolute when that is impossible. This book was great. I definitely recommended that was just one small sentence that I made into a mountain. I apologize. Read the book or even better listen to the audio version. #NetGalley, #McMillanAudio, #EricaTWorth, #TheHauntingOfRoom409,

Olivia never saw herself as a Paranormal Investigator, but when her sister dies, and she begins seeing spirits, it seems the natural course of action. Using her Native American roots, she helps others rid themselves of unwanted spirits. However, she begins to have dreams of Naiche, her sister, and begins to realize there is more to her suicide and death, and maybe her spirit is not at rest either. And what is the connection to the historical Native American Massacre? This novel is excellent for readers who love a good mystery and the intertwining of historical concepts with fiction.

The Haunting of Room 904
by Erika T. Wurth
Pub Date: Mar 18 2025

The Haunting of Room 904 is a paranormal thriller that is as edgy as it is heartfelt and simmers with intensity and longing. A terrifying and resonant novel about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth about her sister’s death.

It was an excellent book, It had all the medium/spiritual/conjuring you would expect in a paranormal story.

I found it to be a great read with reliable characters with real emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed the supernatural and cult elements of this story. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #Flatironbooks for an early E-ARC of this great book!

Hotels are one of my favorite settings for thrillers, and this premise immediately grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, the writing felt disjointed and didn't keep me engaged, so this was added to my DNF pile.

Rating 4.25 ⭐️

Set in Denver, The Haunting of Room 904 follows Olivia, a top paranormal investigator who inherited powerful medium abilities from her sister Naiche, who tragically took her own life at the Brown Palace Hotel in room 904. Throughout the book, Olivia is called in to solve various paranormal cases, all while trying to uncover the truth behind her sister’s death and break the curse haunting room 904. The mystery-solving element reminded me of Scooby-Doo and the gang, which made it even more fun!

The book also brings awareness to the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, weaving flashbacks of the event into the paranormal storyline. I appreciated how Erika included educational resources at the end to further explore this part of history.

As a Mexican American, I felt a deep connection to the characters, and I loved how the book mentioned Mexican folklore, like La Llorona. The story also touches on serious issues such as wealth privilege, racial bias, immigration, substance abuse, domestic violence, and toxic relationships.

Overall, I loved the paranormal horror aspect, and I can easily see this story translating into a gripping movie. It was an engaging read with a perfect mix of supernatural suspense and real-world social commentary.

🎧 Audiobook Review:
The eerie intro and outro music were the perfect touch, setting the ideal mood for the book. I mostly listened to it at night before bed, and Ina Barrón’s narration was simply phenomenal. It kept me hooked and added the perfect spooky atmosphere!! 👻

I highly recommend anyone that is interested in the novel to listening to the audiobook. For those who gave it a low rating, I encourage you to give it another shot with the audiobook—it really enhances the experience, especially with the pronunciations and the spooky vibes.

Thank You Flat Iron Books, Erika T. Wurth, & Macmillan Audio for allowing me to review the ebook Arc and Audiobook of The Haunting of Room 904!! ❤️

I was eager to get my hands on this book. A horror with paranormal elements and a mysterious death had all the of the qualities to be a great read.
Olivia Bacente was never supposed to have the gift; that was always her sister Naiche. But after Naiche is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Olivia begins seeing spirits. Within years, she becomes a highly sought-after paranormal investigator, but her sister's loss always haunts her. When the Brown Palace contacts her about the unexplained occurrences where a woman dies in Room 904 regardless of which room she checked, she may finally learn the truth about her sister. However, nothing is as it seems when she faces a vindictive journalist, a dangerous cult, and the shock of her sister's secret life.
This book just wasn't for. It seemed like it would be a compelling read a horror with paranormal elements, but it ultimately fell flat. There were so many things happening in this story that it just became a distraction, and I lost interest. I still think that the premise is good, and with some adjustments, it could work. But it just wasn't for me, and had it not an ARC, it would have been a DNF for me.
Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like this book has so much potential, but it had so much going on at the same time that I had difficulty keeping up with the plot/subplots. I think there are some important topics being touched on, but the flow and writing didn’t match or seem appropriate for those topics, if that makes sense?

I think I might have enjoyed this more on audio. Although it fell a little flat for me, there were still parts I enjoyed and the creepy paranormal elements were fun. I still would read more by this author.

Olivia’s younger sister Naiche died by suicide several years ago. Now the hotel where Naiche died wants Olivia to come, as a paranormal investigator, to figure why women are killing themselves in room 904 of the hotel.

Unfortunately, I did not care for this book at all. I thought it was very disjointed and skipped all over the place. I’m still not sure why certain characters didn’t tell Olivia crucial information. There was also a repetition in the writing of certain phrases, particularly involving eyes: they squinted (15 times) and narrowed (a whopping 45 times) so often that instead of following the story I found myself wondering which bodily movement description would pop up next.

I was reminded of a Scooby-Doo episode more than once while reading this book.

I enjoyed this story. The vibes were creepy, the characters were believable and compelling, and the idea for the story itself was great, too. I also really liked the setting, I thought it added a nice depth to the story. I love watching/listening to ghost hunting shows as background, so this read felt oddly comforting to me. This was a solid ghost hunting/ghosty mystery story.