Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror - Supernatural Thriller - Ghosts
Publisher: Berkley - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
ISBN: 9780593201268
Read: March 28-30, 2023
Disclaimer: I purchased a hardcover copy via Amazon. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis from Publisher: 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.
Most of all, 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. Unfortunately, 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.
But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…
Review: Dear Grady Hendrix... Get out of my freakin' head!
As a born-and-raised Southerner, How To Sell A Haunted House hits just a liiiiiittttllllle too close to home. (No pun intended.) Why do I say this? Well, let's see...
Book: Protagonist suddenly loses both parent.
Me: Lost both parents suddenly but years apart.
Book: Protagonist must contend with colorful family members.
Me: I mentioned I'm from the South, right? Colorful family members are the only family members we have down here.
Me: Was a part of a puppet troupe in high school and knows the ins and outs of such all too well.
Book: Creepy dolls galore.
Me: Loves creepy dolls...except clowns. Clowns are creepy in general.
Therefore, I must kindly ask Mr. Hendrix to please refrain from getting into my head when searching for material for his next book. (Naturally, I jest. I have no relationship with Mr. Hendrix--personal, professional, puppet-based, or otherwise in this realm of existence or any other.)
Needless to say, I loved this book. Even though the arguments between Louise and her brother, Mark, became a little tedious because they kept stomping over the same patch of ground, they were still believable as siblings. It's in the nature of Southern siblings to drag up every hurt and slight ever committed against one another. If there's one things Southern family are good at it's holding grudges. The other is keeping secrets, and there are plenty of both in How To Sell A Haunted House. There are also plenty of creepy dolls. So many creepy dolls.
Overall, if you're looking for a modern-day Gothic ghost story, check out How To Sell A Haunted House. You'll never look at dolls, or your family, the same way again.
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