Requiem for Miriam is a chilling paranormal crime thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat at every harrowing twist and turn. Fast-paced and immersive, this book will have you hooked from the very first page and leave you haunted in the best way possible. Set in New York City during the 1980’s, the book follows a couple who is part of the richest, most successful, and elite circles of New York. For anyone looking in from the outside, the couple seems to have it all; but in reality, that is certainly not the case. Their thirty-three-year-old marriage is hardly ideal; Sidney Friedlander, Miriam’s husband, has serious anger issues and constantly has affairs with younger women. As a result of a horrific series of events, Sidney murders his wife. With her last breath, Miriam curses Sidney and promises to haunt him for life. We follow Maria Rodriguez, a young detective in the NYPD, as she tracks down Sidney to seek justice for Miriam’s ghastly murder. She is helped by Miriam’s ghost and Raphaella, a Haitian psychic.

Len Handeland has written this supernatural thriller in very easy-to-understand language which draws the reader in and keeps them immersed in the eerie plot. He also breaks up the creepy events with bits of humor and keeps the mood light. Furthermore, the intriguing characters we meet in the book are diverse and well-rounded. It’s easy to understand the characters and their motives and the reader soon starts empathizing with them. I especially loved the great representation in the book. Maria, my favorite character, is a strong, confident Puerto Rican woman in the police force. She has to constantly fight to prove herself capable and themes of racism and misogyny underlie her interactions with her fellow officers. The LGBTQ+ community also finds representation in this riveting thriller which was a pleasant surprise.

Requiem for Miriam is an engrossing and suspenseful supernatural mystery novel. I would definitely recommend this haunting novel to readers who enjoy the paranormal genre, or anyone looking for an eerie mystery. It will give you chills, make you laugh, and keep you guessing until the last page.

Pages: 340 | ASIN: B0B25PHZB4