Grady Hendrix has a fantastic ability to tell unique tales that make you think and because of this I have been drawn towards his books over and over. This goes for How to Sell a Haunted House, which had been at the top of by too-be-read list for a bit. However, what felt like a book with an intriguing premise turned into a story that fell a bit flat to me.
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…
To start, How to Sell a Haunted House hooks you with a great portrayal of family disfunction and mystery. The author excelled a capturing the awkward and somewhat relatable moments during family reunions where old wounds resurface under duress. The tension between siblings is palpable as they grapple with their new responsibilities. The early chapters in this novel is where the book succeeds.
As the story progresses beyond the great setup, it begins to falter a bit. The haunting elements that should amplify the suspense at moments felt more kitschy than chilling. While Hendrix has been known for infusing humor into his horror stories, here it can detract from genius fear that might have emerged from the haunted dwelling. Instead of building dread and anticipation, some scenes veer toward the absurdly comedic — which lost me at times.
I really wanted to like this book. It is as simple as that. After appreciating Hendrix’s storytelling in The Final Girl Support Group and Horrorstör, plus his outstanding short story Ankle Snatcher for Amazon’s Creature Feature in 2023, I was hoping this would be more of the same. What I was left with was a novel with great energy and promising early chapters and a slower and goofy remainder.
Despite these critiques—and perhaps because expectations were high coming off previous successes—it remains that Hendrix will continue to tell stories that have a good mix of horror and humor (even if they balance is off) and do it at a skillful level. How to Sell a Haunted House was just not for me.
How to Sell a Haunted House is available at bookstores everywhere from Berkley Books. The audiobook, narrated by Jay Aaseng & Mikhaila Aaseng, is available at Libro.fm!
