IT WAS HER HOUSE FIRST by Cherie Priest – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
Published by Poisoned Pen Press on July 22 2025
Genres: Adult, ghost story, Horror
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A twisty haunted house story with lots of surprises, It Was Her House First is a suspenseful thriller with engaging characters—both living and dead.

“Every stair, every step, Venita dragged 1932 behind her like the train on a wedding veil. Everything her wake touched lit up and returned to its original state. The carpet runner, the polished wood, the light fixture above her head—which was no longer a terrible seventies model. It was a crystal piece, long gone and forgotten by everyone alive.”

I’m shocked to admit this is my first time reading Cherie Priest, and now I need to catch up with her extensive backlist! It Was Her House First was fantastic, a haunted house story that mixes home renovation and ghosts in some unique ways. If you enjoyed The September House, I think this will work for you too, although the books are very different and I don’t want to mislead you by comparing them.

The story revolves around an old mansion in the Seattle area that has just been purchased by Ronnie Mitchell. Ronnie recently lost her brother Ben in a freak accident and was shocked when he left all his money to her, and so she impulsively decides to buy Amundson House sight unseen in an auction—and wins. The house is literally falling apart, with extensive water damage, a bad roof and even a huge hole in the floor of an upstairs bedroom. Ronnie has inherited everything left in the house, dead rats and all—as well as a few ghosts.

It turns out the house has quite the history. In the 1930s, it used to belong to the beautiful film star Venita Amundson, her husband Oscar, and their little girl Priscilla. But after a series of tragic events, which involved Oscar’s good friend Bartholomew Sloan, the entire family perished—including Sloan. Now, in addition to the moldering walls and discarded furniture, the house is also home to the ghosts of Venita and Sloan, which is one reason it’s been so hard to sell.

Armed with a team of specialty contractors and her good friend Kate, Ronnie is determined to bring the house up to specs and restore it to its former glory. But when an outside threat upsets her plans, Ronnie just might need some help from the dead.

This was so much fun! Priest is a seasoned writer who really knows her craft, which makes the reading experience even better. I loved her take on the haunted house trope, and while some elements might be familiar, she did some interesting things with the ghosts that made her story feel fresh. For example, the ghost of Bartholomew Sloan adds his voice in alternating chapters, and he has a big secret that he teases until late in the story, adding a bit of mystery and menace to the tale. Sloan’s chapters are a great source of information about the past and what really happened to Venita, Oscar and Priscilla, and I loved the way his story slowly unfolds, drawing the reader into the sordid mystery surrounding those events.

Ronnie is also a fantastic character, and most of the story is told from her first person perspective. She has a guilty secret that ties into her brother’s death, and she’s trying to make amends by using his money in a way he would appreciate (he was the one who got her interested in construction work and remodeling). She also has chronic anxiety and is very honest with the way she deals with it. She’s smart and tough and isn’t afraid of the ghosts, and I really liked her for that! Ronnie is a bit of an unreliable narrator, however, as she drinks quite a bit and takes edibles at times, so sometimes it’s not clear whether she’s actually seeing the ghosts or simply dreaming. Normally that kind of vague storytelling would be a negative for me, but here it worked.

Hovering over the story is the ghost of Venita, a powerful presence even though she doesn’t appear until later. Ronnie finds her old, waterlogged diary in the attic, which reveals several shocking secrets about her death. Pages of the diary are scattered throughout the book, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

And of course, if you’re a fan of home renovations, Priest infuses her story with lots of well researched details. Ronnie has a background in construction, even if she isn’t a licensed contractor herself, and not only that but she can envision the house’s original beauty and wants to bring it back to those standards.

I loved the exciting build up to the end and a thrilling confrontation between Ronnie, the ghosts and that “threat” I mentioned earlier. Even better, the resolution was so satisfying, and while I won’t give anything specific away, I will say the way things ended up with the ghosts made me smile. Readers who love character driven stories with plenty of mystery will love this book.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.