How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix delivered a creepy tale with dolls as siblings try to prepare their parents’ home for sale after they died unexpectedly. A twisty, atmospheric tale that will have you keeping the lights on.
How to Sell a Haunted Houseby Grady Hendrix
Genres: Horror
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating:
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.
Mostly, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. But she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.
Some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…
✔️ Creepy dolls whose eyes follow you across the room
✔️ a twisted backstory about a childhood girl and her favorite toy
✔️ Evil entities and shocking twists
✔️ imaginary pets
✔️ chase scenes involving axes
I listened to The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and was curious to try this author again. How to Sell a Haunted House was a twisty, atmospheric tale with suspense, gore and fear filled moments.
The story involves Louise, a divorced mother of a five-year-old who gets the news from her estranged brother Mark, that her parents have died. She really doesn’t want to go home and leave her daughter with her ex, but she flies home to help Mark bury their parents and clean out their home. The home is filled with her mother’s dolls and puppets. When they arrive in the home, things don’t feel right and the attic hatch is nailed shut.
The story that unfolds shares some strange moments in their childhood as things in the home seem to move around. The story took on some dark tones and the more they tried to clean out the home, the more things escalated.
The pacing was well done as the buildup and suspense grew. By the time we knew what was going on, Hendrix threw another twist into the tale and plenty of horrific moments. You’ll never look at puppets or dolls the same. LOL I would love to talk more about some details and events, but don’t want to spoil it for you. Let me just leave you with this; if you are a fan of some of the darker Goosebumps episodes, you’ll love How to Sell A Haunted House.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix Share on XStay Caffeinated!
Never miss a post by adding Caffeinated to your Inbox
Katherine
I’m hooked just reading the blurb and I love your comparison to the Goosebump books. This sounds like such a good creepy read.
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
I do enjoy this author! And dolls and puppets already creep me out thanks to movies like The Conjuring and even old Creepshow or Fear Street shows, lol. Can’t wait to get my hands on this one. Great review!
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
This would probably terrify me and it’s hard to do that with a book for me. I am intensely afraid of puppets and dolls! Never had a puppet, thank god, but I did have dolls when I was really young and got rid of them because I was afraid they’d come alive while I was sleeping and come after me. Thank you, Twilight Zone Talkie Tina episode! Having said all that can you believe I might want to read this? Lol. I have a love/hate relationship with horror, thus the nightmares. Fab review, Kimberly!
Silvia
Is it weird for me that this sounds horrifying but fascinating right because of it? Too late, I said that 😛 You know I love dark reads with unexpected twists, so of course you intrigued me with this review!
Kimberly
Yes…. and no it’s not weird!
Bookworm
I need to read this one! Great review, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Kimberly
Thanks. I was glad I read it 🙂
Wendy
This makes me wish I was more comfortable reading scary stuff.
Kimberly
LOL, I feel you Wendy.
Debbie Haupt
OMG I’m on the fence about this Kim. Yes I like creepy but is it creepy enough to just give me the shivers or will it keep me up at night afraid of things that go bump in the night. But wow what a premise, dolls and puppets, estranged creepy bros. Oh my decisions decisions LOL
Thanks for my conundrum 😉
Kimberly
Hmm, it was creepy with some moments of true horror.
Sophia Rose
Oh my, that is a creeper one. I’ll leave it alone and enjoy it vicariously through your review. 🙂
Nadene
Oh my! I think I want this one. Great review, Kim.
Kimberly
It was Nadene!
Melliane
ooooh now I want to read it too!
Kimberly
Enjoy!
Laura Thomas
Ooh, this sounds right up my alley!
Kimberly
Happy reading!
Victoria
Oh wow it has creepy dolls- interesting
Kimberly
Oh, the dolls were so creepy!