4.5* rounded up!

First things first, let's just say that as my first Grady Hendrix novel this absolutely did not dissapoint!.. what a tremendously horrific, creepy little book 😵‍💫 as a little girl I was absolutely terrified of my Grandads Clown/Puppet collection - and this book has just 100% reaffirmed my fears of those gnarly, creep AF vile little creatures 😂

I’ve recently listened to my first Grady Hendrix audio book so I was really excited about being included for this one.

This was such a great read! A mixture of horror and dark humour, I really wasn’t disappointed.

I loved the way that the horrors gradually came to life; as each chapter progresses the realisation that everything is not as it seems becomes crystal clear.

Pupkin is the craziest, scariest character I have come across in a long time - I really won’t see puppets in the same way again.

I was pleased that Mark and Louise finally found out the truth about their childhood abc were able to rebuild their own relationship in the toughest of circumstances.

I loved the narration of this - there was just the right amount of feeling and understanding of the book itself.

What a strange and wonderfully weird tale. I haven’t come across this author before but for something a kittle different, I’ll look out more books by him. This is a very odd story in some ways; it’s partly conventional but there are bits of almost fantasy stuff thrown in to the mix. That said, on the whole it works as an entertaining romp through the haunted house theme.

Siblings are clearing the parents home and it’s possessed. They work together to rid the house of demons. But wrapped around that are their stories and a slightly odd sub plot but best of all, there are some genuinely scary moments. I always think it’s very difficult to create hirror with just the written word. But a skilled author knows how to build tension and then hit the reader with graphic unexpected and keep them reading ( or listening) through that tension. The book has a few of those moments and they are carefully crafted. For that alone, this is worth a go and I can forgive the odd bits that didn’t quite gel.

Narration throughout is excellent. Just perfectly paced.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I feel slightly conflicted on How To Sell A Haunted House because one the one hand (lol), there were some genuinely scary and intense moments that had me on edge which is exactly what you hope for in a horror novel, and it also explored grief and complex sibling relationships in such a beautiful way that I was even tearing up by the very end.

But then there were also zombie squirrels dressed as Baby Jesus and a really bizarre 9/11 subplot that threw me for a loop. I know that Grady Hendrix likes to lean into the zany and camp side of horror, but I felt it veered a little bit too far into the genuinely-weird, rather than the uncanny-and-unsettling weird which is when I would lose all the immersion and atmosphere to the storyline.

That being said, if you’re seeking a fast-paced and sometimes disturbing horror that features characters that manage to be unreliable but still likable, then I would recommend it. The audiobook in particular was great, and both narrators did a fantastic job.

Thank you to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for providing me with an Audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

Another hit from Grady Hendrix. I’m a big fan of hi work and was excited to read this book. However I thought I’d try out the audiobook. The narrator was clear and it as easy to listen too. The story follows Louise who travel home after her parents die. She has to deal with their belongings along side her brother. They soon realise that the house is haunted and must work together to rid the home of the spirit who has been possessing their mothers childhood puppet. Not what I was expecting. The possessed puppet was an interesting take on a haunted house but it was well written and an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book! I really enjoy the way that Grady Hendrix creates a story that encompasses that really classic horror that is sinister and creepy, but it also doesn’t take itself too seriously. I love the way you can be reaching to turn the lights back on in one page and laughing out loud by the next.

This wasn’t the premise I was expecting from the title of the book, but I was definitely still gripped in - as soon as there was mention of a doll/puppet collection I was transported back to the 90s and all the porcelain doll stories we hold each other as kids. That’s the other talent of Hendrix - the ability to use popular culture and nostalgia to appeal to your senses.

Overall this one was action packed, relatively fast paced with a good few twists and turns. I really enjoyed how this one turned out - I mean it was absolutely mental, but it’s part of its charm! I think this is my new favourite of Grady Hendrix’s books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my audio copy.

This was my first Grady Hendrix book and I didnt know what to expect! I went in blind as I was drawn in by the title and cover alone, I did find it slow to start off but then it gripped me, i enjoyed listening to it and most if the time it was completly weird and not something I normally listen too but at the same time I couldnt stop as I wanted to know what happens the main characters Mark & Louise and of course Pumpkin!! It was weird, creative and just mad at times but I can't wait to read other books by this author, I think listening to this is the better option as the narrotor did a great job. Thanks to Netgally for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Grady Heindrix or should I say listened too! I was drawn to this book by the title telling me straight away it was horror! Oh how I love a good horror book. Being British it did take me a while to get comfortable with the American accent of the narrator. But once I got used to that I found this a very addictive story which gave me plenty of entertainment driving to work.

I have to say that it isn't what I was expecting though…. There i was expecting a haunting house story. When it is a creepy story about puppets.Kind of like the puppet master. If you have ever seen that!
I think this book would make a brilliant movie if your not scared of talking muppets that is!

I will definetly be reading more books by this author.

I rarely listen to audio books, but as I was traveling for 8hrs by car, this was perfect. It's not the story I was expecting. It's definitely got Chucky vibes and I didn't connect to the characters but it was very enjoyable and absolutely horrific at times. She scenes were very gory. I think I would have preferred to have read this as opposed to listen as the puppets voice did grate on me quite a bit. Overall an interesting premise and entertaining

Fun, creepy, and a fab read!

If you like all of the creepy doll movies like Anabel, or Chucky, then you'll love this one.

I love Riley Sager, he doesn't take himself too seriously, and seems to have so much fun writing his books.

Well well well. what can I say - Grady Hendrix's books are a bit like lottery! Some of them are amazing, and some of them less so. Sadly this was not my fav. Firstly, it's about PUPPETS. Secondy, it's about POSSESSED PUPPETS. Thirdly, it's about god damn PUPPETS. Did I say it's about creepy puppets? Ugh..
I just found the main characters so pedestrian in a tedious way. Louise and her brother Mark, their petty conflicts and the diiding of the house. I guess I expected a similar scenario to Horrorstor but it was just the creepy dolls. It would have been so much better if it were shorter: I thought it would be over after their first battle, but the whole going back to Poppy and then back to the house and back and fro was just a bit tiring to read. The best part of the book was Mark's story from college - that was a powerful bit!

This was my third Grady Hendrix book. I really enjoyed the set- up of the book. Louisa finds out her parents have died and she returns to Charleston for the funeral and to deal with her parent's house. The house is crammed full of puppets and dolls, as Louise's Mum has a Christian puppet ministry. The start of the book is eloquently written and I really felt the grief of Louisa and her brother. The family dynamic was interesting. Who will inherit and why? Who has the final say on funeral arrangements? Unfortunately that's where the positives ended for me.
I had gone into this book cold and had I been aware that the haunting related to puppets I definitely would not have been as interested. I felt that the haunting aspect just became very ridiculous and some of the scenes had me rolling my eyes to the very back of my head!!
I genuinely believe that this is a love it or hate it book - I think it would really appeal to some people who like the whole Chucky vibe but unfortunately this one was not for me.

This was absolutely brilliant but absolutely horrific.I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. It isn't for the faint of heart especially if you have any squeamishness around dolls/puppets! The book follows Louise Joyner, a single mother based in San Francisco. Louise receives devastating news that both her parents have died and must return home to settle their estate whilst dealing with her distant and estranged brother. From the start Louise knew something was off about their parents house but as a logical person refused to believe until there was no more denying 😱 A great book that kept me gripped throughout. There were some but very few gruesome moments, it mostly centred on creepy and spine tingling. I really enjoyed seeing how Louise developed through this book and how her perspective on her upbringing and her brother would come into question. Highly recommend 😁

I think this might actually be my new favourite Grady Hendrix book. I was so on edge and captivated by this book I just couldn't stop reading.

Grady Hendrix is peerless and I love him for it. This is absolutely the way I want to consume horror - with an enormous dose of gut-busting, wheeze-inducing humour to go with it. I listened to the audiobook, superbly narrated by Jay Aaseng and Mikhaila Aaseng. Pupkin's singsong voice will haunt me forever. It takes real skill to simultaneously amuse and terrify a reader, and Hendrix has the ability in spades. I thoroughly enjoyed 'How To Sell A Haunted House' and I can't wait to see what Grady does next. I'll leave you with this eerie quote from the book:

"A puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor."

I didn't even need to read the premise before requesting this book because Hendrix has become one of my auto-buy authors. I was sure I'd enjoy it regardless of the plot, and I wasn't disappointed. The plot of How to Sell a Haunted House revolves around loss, grief, and sibling relationships, and it definitely has the Grady Hendrix supernatural element.

The story is about Louise, a woman in her thirties, who receives the news that her parents have died in an accident. It's her brother Mark who breaks the news, and he does it in the most inconsiderate phone call you can imagine - their relationship has never been good and Mark comes across as unreliable and uncaring. Louise races to her childhood home to find out what happened and the tension of her sibling rivalry with Mark begins to unfold.

It's fraught with messy family history, but the main problem in the book is the parents' house is haunted by a malevolent hand puppet from Louise's childhood. The puppet, Pupkin, is sinister and scary, and his dialogue is hilarious in an insanely creepy way - it really reminded me of a cross between two Stephen King characters: IT and Annie Wilks from Misery. I think I'll have the sing-song words 'COCK-A-WEE-WEE!' stuck in my head for a very long time.

I really enjoyed this book and I thought the narrators were outstanding. There were parts that genuinely made my skin crawl because I'm a bit of a wimp!

Thank you to Netgalley UK for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Format: Audiobook

Plot:
When Louise’s parents unexpectedly die, she and her estranged brother Mark are left with the challenge of what happens next. In the sorting, the clearing, the selling of their parents' whole lives. It is messy, with a complex family history putting additional strain on the grieving siblings. But there is something happening in their parents house - and as much as the siblings want rid of the responsibility, that doesn’t prove to be as easy as they hope.

At the heart of this book, it is about family and grief. It is about the decisions that are left to those left behind. Add to that a flair of the Hendrix paranormal, and these characters unexpectedly find their situation much more intense and much harder to comprehend.

Pros:
I’ve definitely struggled in the past with Hendrix’s character choices. I’ve struggled to care about a lot of them, finding them a bit too flat or predictable, or just straight up unlikeable. However, I think that kind of works in places here. I think having the difficult relationship between Louise and Mark helps the story. I think it shows a very realistic side of grief, one that stands to win a lot from someone’s passing. Mark is a petulant child trapped in a man’s body, and the delight he feels for his new position is sickening, and contrasted with Louise I think it adds a really interesting dynamic to the story. Even when Louise is revealing her own challenges with her parents, she still has a greater, or more traditional respect for their death than Mark does. It’s not one note, it is complex, and I think shows a really well developed set of responses to grief. I think my appreciation for this part o the

Not so pros:
I want to preface by saying I think my struggles with the book are really just personal taste. From what I’ve seen people either love or hate Hendrix’s books. I don’t think I’ve hated them, I think I’ve just been really disappointed by the execution, when I’ve been so excited by the premise.

The choice of the paranormal here doesn’t necessarily appeal to my tastes in horror. I generally don’t care for the paranormal - which is how it is advertised. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the horror choices, but again, I don’t think this makes it a less successful book, I think it really just is a matter of taste.

I think Hendrix also makes some odd choices as the siblings enter the wider world that feel a little too surrealist for the tone of the book. More eye-rolling from me, but that would perhaps help to further unnerve for a reader who craves this kind of story. It felt at times that we were inventing years of these characters' lives just to try to over explain the central horror, to give it more impact, but I felt it actually did the opposite and ended up feeling a little too long. This isn’t helped with how cyclical the story is. Louise is staying then she’s going, then she’s staying then she’s going - I’d be pissed if I were her family too.

There are also a few technical things, where we’d be told something and then that be contradicted later in the story, which to some might feel aids this creation of Louise as an unreliable narrator, but for me felt like an author forgetting they’d told us something already.

My final not-so-pro, is the tone of this book. Where the first half feels so grief heavy and so well-explored in this dynamic, multi-dimensioned tone, it then switches into campy comedy horror in the second half. I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t even really unnerved. I found this change really jarring, and during the moments of tenderness in the latter half of the book, I couldn’t feel as deeply as I did in the first half.

Final:
It’s not a bad book - technical errors aside. Like Hendrix’s other books, it really is going to be a matter of taste.

Does the horror in this book really creep you out, and so that can sustain your whole reading experience? If yes, then you’ll probably love it. Or, do you like campy horror, and that’s what you seek out in his books? If yes, then again you’ll probably love it. If you’re a Hendrix fan, I think this will do all the things you love.

If like me, you sit on the fence with him, I think you’ll run into the same problems as with some of his other books.

Really well written and really well narrated.

Normally I'm okay with horror that sits outside the realms of possibility but this one has too many elements that sit in the possible zone and was far to creepy for me. I noped out quite early on!

If horror is your thing and you can handle creepy dolls, this will be very much up your street.

Have recommended it to all the horror people I know.

- Great narrators. Considering some parts of the material and how hard it was to bring nuance to that, they were very impressive.

- This is my first Grady Hendrix book and you can bet your fur I'll be reading more. I was captured from the start by the clear, compelling characterisation combined with just enough emotional drama to infuriate and force you to keep reading. Louisa is the main POV character with a single change to her brother's perspective. Hendrix does a great job of bringing us in on her side - even though we're not sure we like her - really doubling down on that loyalty and then dropping a bomb that has us questioning everything. He plays our sympathies back and forth between Louisa and her brother like a master musician. At which point the supernatural plot, hinted at before, unfolds with disturbing rapidity.

Not everyone is going to find the mechanism by which horror is delivered here creepy. However, I challenge anyone not to find the very human explanations behind the supernatural aspects both horrific and unsettling. Hendrix has managed to combine elements of classic ghost/ haunted house stories with a homage to the slightly ridiculous but nevertheless disturbing 'doll' horror movies. Previously I would have claimed that making such a feat work in a convincing way was impossible which shows what I know.

The heart of this story is an examination of the invisible threads that run taut between family members, tugging on unhealed wounds. The 'it's not fair' feeling of having a sibling and the way we will inherit small personal traumas from our parents who have in turn inherited them from their own parents. This is a conversation about familial love which is often neither dignified nor tidy, as well as a look at how we engage with the concept of death. A final theme is confronting our own child-adult divide - the point where we stopped being one and became the other, and how even trying not to repeat mistakes that happened to us in our childhood, we might still unwittingly harm our own children. One person's heart-warming tale is another person's slasher movie and most of us are too firmly stuck in our own POV to notice.

Masterfully done. A surprised but very enthusiastic five stars for this gleefully macabre and intelligent horror.

How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix Narrated by Jay Aaseng and Mikhaila Aaseng this is a supernatural horror book and was so creepy I loved it which made it a great audiobook. I found it so cleverly written, it was fast paced from start to finish that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. But don't start reading it at night time when it's a full moon. Every little sound you hear, will have you looking over your shoulders! Creepy!!!

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.

Louise does not 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, This is one of them! This house has other plans for both of them and comes alive!

I highly recommend this book and audiobook.

Big Thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for providing me a ARC copy for review.