The Wharton Debt

The Wharton Debt: A Gothic Horror Romance

When a cold case leads investigative journalist Ellie Cross to an abandoned hotel, she discovers the building's secrets are more than just historical—they're deadly. And her husband made a deal with its ghost fifteen years ago.
The Wharton Hotel has been closed since 1973, but it remembers every guest who stayed. Every promise made. Every debt owed.
Ellie Cross built her career uncovering the truth about unsolved mysteries, but nothing prepared her for the Wharton. Room 237 shouldn't exist. The woman in white shouldn't be real. And Dan, her steady, loving husband of seven years, shouldn't be hiding a supernatural bargain that's about to come due.
Fifteen years ago, at his lowest point, Dan made a deal he doesn't remember. Now the hotel is calling in the debt—and the price is Ellie's life. Unless she can solve the mystery of Margaret Holloway, the 1920s bride whose murder created the curse that's trapped souls for a century.
As Ellie races to break the cycle of death and debt, she uncovers the hotel's tragic history: lovers betrayed, promises broken, and desperate bargains that echo through decades. With Dan's guilt threatening to destroy them both and Margaret's ghost growing stronger, Ellie must make an impossible choice: flee and let the cycle continue, or stay and rewrite a century-old curse—even if it costs her everything.
In the end, some debts demand payment. But love might just rewrite the terms.
Perfect for readers who loved:

• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Wharton Debt is a Gothic horror romance featuring:
A married couple fighting for their relationship and their lives
An investigative journalist heroine with agency and intelligence
A haunted hotel with a century of secrets. Atmospheric 1920s gothic horror meets modern mystery. Ghosts with tragic backstories and real stakes. Romance that survives supernatural horror. A redemptive ending about sacrifice and choice
Content note: This book contains adult themes, supernatural horror elements, discussions of death and grief, and mature romantic content. Perfect for fans of dark romance, gothic thrillers, and paranormal suspense who want genuine scares alongside genuine love.