How to Sell a Haunted House

Louise must return to her hometown of Charleston after her parents die in a car accident, forcing her to work with her estranged brother Mark to get their childhood home ready for sale. The old house contains her mother's vast collection of handmade puppets and dolls, including a family heirloom puppet named Pupkin that holds particular significance. As Louise and Mark sort through their parents' belongings, strange events begin to occur in the house. The siblings must confront both supernatural forces and their complicated family history, uncovering long-buried secrets about their childhood and their mother's obsession with her puppet collection. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, the novel combines elements of traditional haunted house stories with family drama and psychological horror. The story explores how childhood memories shape adult relationships and the ways family trauma can manifest across generations. The narrative examines themes of inheritance, grief, and the powerful hold that childhood fears maintain over us, even as adults. Through its blend of supernatural horror and family dynamics, the book considers how the objects and stories we inherit from our parents continue to influence our lives long after they're gone.

Readers found this horror novel slow to start but intense once it builds momentum around the 100-page mark. The puppet/doll elements resonated as both frightening and emotionally impactful. Liked: - Family trauma themes feel authentic - Creative puppet/doll horror scenes - Strong character development - Effective mix of humor and scares - Satisfying ending Disliked: - Slow first quarter of book - Some found the sibling conflict repetitive - A few readers wanted more traditional haunted house elements - Several noted the content warnings for grief/death were needed Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (67,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (13,000+ ratings) StoryGraph: 4.1/5 (8,000+ ratings) "The puppet scenes will stay with me forever" - common reader sentiment "Takes too long to get going but worth pushing through" - recurring feedback "More about family dynamics than haunted houses" - noted by multiple reviewers

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager A woman returns to her childhood home-turned-famous-haunted-house to renovate it for sale, confronting both family secrets and supernatural events that mirror her father's bestselling book about their time there.

The Good House by Tananarive Due A woman inherits her grandmother's home with a history of powerful magic and must protect her family from dark forces tied to her ancestral legacy and the house itself.

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc A couple's new house reveals increasingly disturbing phenomena while their marriage deteriorates, forcing them to face both supernatural manifestations and their own psychological unraveling.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Two sisters live in their family estate after a tragedy, maintaining strict routines and protecting family secrets until a cousin arrives and disrupts their isolated existence.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward A reclusive man lives in a boarded-up house with his cat and daughter, hiding dark family secrets that unravel through multiple perspectives and revelations about identity and trauma.

🏃‍♀️ Dolls that appear to move on their own are a documented paranormal phenomenon, with famous cases like Robert the Doll in Key West's Fort East Martello Museum drawing thousands of visitors annually. 🏠 Charleston, SC (where the book is set) consistently ranks as one of America's most haunted cities, with its historic homes being frequent subjects of ghost tours and paranormal investigations. ✂️ Author Grady Hendrix worked extensively with puppeteers and doll collectors while researching this book, incorporating authentic details about puppet-making techniques and doll history. 👥 The book's themes of sibling relationships were inspired by Hendrix's own experiences with family dynamics and estate settlement after losing loved ones. 📚 This novel marked a shift in Hendrix's writing style, featuring deeper emotional complexity compared to his previous works like "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires" and "My Best Friend's Exorcism."