Louise does not get along with her brother. She feels like he is given everything despite not trying while she has had to work for everything. When he calls her to tell her that their parents have died in an automobile crash, she has to leave her 5 year old daughter and go back home to Charleston to help take care of things. When she arrives at her parents' home, she finds that the attic drop down door has been boarded up. While in the house, weird things start to happen: the TV turns itself back on again, dolls from her mother's collection change position, and strange noises begin. When her brother turns up after a man who claims he is there to clean out the house, she is very angry that he didn't wait for her to take care of anything before she got back. He also says he had their parents cremated and plans to scatter their ashes on the beach. Louise doesn't think this is right. She send the man who wants to clean out the house away and takes the papers about the arrangements he's made and takes off. She goes to see other family who live in the area who empathize with her. Eventually, the siblings wind up back at the house to find that everything is not quite right (or ready to go on the market). In the meantime, Louise's child Poppy is having mental health and health issues while she is staying with her father's family. In the end, everything comes to a crazy conclusion.

The book is set up with the Kubler-Ross Stages of Grief as section headings which frame the story appropriately to it's parts. I personally enjoyed the story. Grady Hendrix did an excellent job of framing everything well and gave a little humor to his horror as always. I know that it is not for everyone and if you have a fear of puppets or dolls, this is not the story for you.

This was one of the best books I've read in a while. It spooked me, creeped me out, and made me cringe and I loved every second of it. Grady Hendrix knows how to tell a story and he nailed it! Will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

I've been watching and reading horror for decades, and puppets never scared me. That all changed after reading "How to Sell a Haunted House."

Two siblings (Mark and Louise) are brought together after their parents die in an accident; one wants to sell the parents' house, and the other doesn't. They don't want anything to do with each other due to their differing perspectives on their traumatic childhoods, and Louise wants nothing more than to get home to her daughter. This sounds mundane, but it isn't. Their mother filled the house with her handmade puppets, and those puppets really don't want the house to be sold. Especially the one who their mother treated as if it were a person.

The puppets were relentless. It was as if they were puppet "Terminators" who were given their mission and would do anything to keep anyone from getting in their way. I actually felt worn out (but in a good way) by the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s always a pleasure to pick up a Grady Hendrix novel. I know to expect some fun, southern horror, walking the fine line of campy and creepy, that I've come to love. It’s its own vibe.

How to Sell a Haunted House follows Mark and Louise, 30 something siblings as they reunite after years of not speaking to take care of their parent's estate following their tragic death. As the title suggests, creepy things start occurring in the family home and Pupkin, their dead mother's favourite puppet, appears to be at the center of it all.

This story is filled with iconic moments. The needle scene... the saw scene...the HAMMER scene... oh my god the PUPPET COLLECTIVE SCENE!

The book explores the theme of generational trauma and the different ways Mark and Louise (and arguably Louise's daughter) carry this trauma, and how it's affected their lives and them as people, both physically and mentally. Pupkin at times gives off third sibling energy, seemingly carrying this generational trauma as well. He has trouble accepting the loss of Nancy and doesn't understand the concept of death, as he himself is unable to die. Towards the end of the novel Louise slowly shifts into the role of the mother. She manipulates Pupkin by using similar tricks her mom used on her when she was a child. These lies and manipulations help Louise control Pupkin, even after admitting at the very beginning of the book that she would never lie to her children.

I was surprised to learn that this title is due to be released in January, and not October. This made for the perfect Halloween read.

This is quite the title that grabs you! And it definitely delivers.

Meet a brother and sister (Louise and Mark) that lose both their parents to a car crash. Louise and Mark do not get along and the death of their parents so not bring them closer together. When the house is left to irresponsible Mark, Louise is beyond shocked. But, Louise is left all the contents of the house; which includes all the puppets!

And so begins the tale of how to clean out this house chocked filled with puppets that come alive and the insanity that ensues. A fast-paced read that will no doubt be a best seller for Hendrix and his ever-growing following.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Two siblings inherit a haunted house full of their mom's puppets. There's only one way this can go -- poorly. It gets worse as the sibling rivalry has wedged them apart, and their opinions on how to handle the house couldn't be more different. Anyone with siblings can imagine the feuds that follow.

Grady excels in the three H's: horror, heart and humor. This one leans heavily on the horror and heart, but the comedy is still aplenty. I once again connected my heart and soul to Grady's characters as they battled the paranormal happenings at their parents' house. By chapter three, I was nearly in tears; by the end, I had a whole new outlook on puppets and how terrifying those innocent little combination of craft supplies can be. The exploration of grief and family will also stick with me.

If you've enjoyed Grady's work in the past or want to give him a try, this is for you. He's in great form and still putting out incredible horror novels that everyone can enjoy (and be frightened by).

This was my first book by Grady Hendrix and definitely won't be my last! How to Sell a Haunted House is definitely the perfect book to read in October and I was hooked from the first page. The atmosphere of this book was very haunted and it struck the right tone.

I really enjoy Grady Hendrix, and I was so excited to have a chance to read this it started out well and the premise was so promising. But the puppets. It's a big no from me on the puppets. I eneded up skimming the last quarter, just to get finished .

I have read a few of Grady Hendrix's books, and I have enjoyed them all, but this one I had me hooked. I believe the family's history and dynamics make the story hauntingly beautiful. After all, what haunts us the most is trauma, family secrets, and grief. Mr. Hendrix did a great job of representing those and twisting it into a more physical and sinister representation.

THIS MADE ME SO NERVOUS. I have been looking for a spooky read that really creeps me out and when this ARC popped up, I figured it sounded as close to what I was looking for as I could get and wow was it. How to Sell a Haunted House is my second book by Grady and while I did not like The Final Girls Support Group... I really loved this. It was creepy and eerie and truly had that haunted feeling in its pages, so it was exactly what I was looking for. I HATE dolls and when I realized that was where this was going, I knew this would hit just right.

Grady pulls all the creepiest parts of what a crazy dollhouse would feel like and perfectly encapsulates the uneasiness that even the strongest non-believer would feel if they were standing in a house like that. I felt uncomfortable, stressed out, and scared and that is exactly what you want from a spooky read.

I'm so happy I saved this for spooky season, it did not disappoint.

when I first started HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE I thought to myself, huh, I might be a little too much like Louise to really enjoy this book. I didn't mean it in a way that the book would be bad; I meant it like it was gonna be genuinely scary. like Louise I have an uncomfortably distant relationship with my brother; like Louise I have complicated feelings for my parents and my childhood. and most especially, considering the direction this book veers in, like Louise I am afraid of puppets and dolls.

this did in fact turn back to bite me in the ass. this book is wild. the second you think you're on the same page, that you understand everything that's really happening, you are very quickly corrected. I legitimately never knew what Pupkin was gonna do next. I'll tell you what though, there is no power in heaven or earth that could drag me back into that haunted house after what happened to Louise and Mark.

I really loved that this horror novel made room for character and relationship development too. both Louise and Mark grow as people and the shifting of their relationship is sweetly depicted. I'm a huge fan of horror stories that leave space for love and Hendrix excels at it. by the end of the book I was unapologetically huge fans of this brother and sister duo. it made me miss my own brother somehow, and we haven't even fought evil puppets together.

this book is for you if ;;
+ you're afraid of puppets
+ you're afraid of dolls
+ you received a phone call one night with awful news of a loved one's death
+ you distrust little children. esp little children with puppets and/or dolls
+ you have a complicated relationship with your antagonistic sibling and wish everything was easier
+ you've considered even once that everything might be easier if y'all survived something horrific together
+ you have a weirdly religious aunt
+ you've got ride or die cousins
+ you've had to sell an inherited childhood home
+ you've had to sell a haunted house 👻🏠

shout out to me for starting this on Halloween & shout out to Hendrix for that one line that confirmed Louise was some kinda queer 🏳️‍🌈

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this spooky arc!

Coming from someone who typically enjoys Grady Hendrix, I really enjoyed this one as well. I can always count on him to write a horror book to suck me in.

Grady Hendrix is one of the most creatively dark writers working today. His newest, How to Sell a Haunted House, is just as disturbingly creepy as one would expect from a story following the death of a local Christian puppeteer and her husband. Tonally, I think this reads more like some of Hendrix's earlier work, like Horrorstor, but with a dash of the interpersonal drama found in The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is the first novel I read by this author. For the first third of the book, I thought it wasn't particularly creepy or scary, but but have no fear, the scares are right around the corner! Really enjoyed this book and the sense of humor of the author. I will definitely check out Hendrix's other works. I highly recommend for horror and humor/horror fans. I will to suggest this title to patrons at my library and plan to avoid creepy dolls at all costs!

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

I'm a huge Grady Hendrix fan, so I was super excited to get How to Sell a Haunted House. I think what Grady has come up with here is not only a fantastic novel of horror and scares, but a great exploration of grief and the process of grieving. Hendrix has demonstrated, time and time again, a unique ability to write a book that could be a blockbuster horror flick while at the same time diving into something deeper and more meaningful, intertwined with the ghouls that haunt us. I was thoroughly impressed by this work, captivated as usual, and can't wait for its release to share it with friends of mine. Well worth the wait!
The only thing that kept me from giving it five stars (I would give this 4.5!) is that my attention waned during the more intense scenes - I think the writing could be sharper there, and edited to be easier to follow. That was *literally* my only complaint - I think this is an incredible work of fiction and I will continue to be a huge fan and follower of Grady's work. Excellent read!

Absolutely terrifying. I had to read this during daylight hours, and I may never play with another puppet again.

Grady Hendrix is always added to the top my TBR pile. I love his writing, his twisted sense of humor and his unique ability to creep me out and make me laugh at the same time.

How to Sell a Haunted House is such a wild ride. It is the story of estranged siblings, Mark and Louise Joyner that find out that their parents have died in a tragic accident. As a result they are left dealing with their belongings, house and mysterious clues left in their home. Oh and their mom has a lot of puppets, that’s right puppets. Trust me they are terrifying.

This was a slower pace than his previous books. That is not a bad thing either. I feel these characters were better developed and as a reader I could relate to their actions because of that. This was not as funny or campy as his other books but I liked it just as well. I experienced several cringy moments and was haunted by some of the scenes that took place throughout the book. The ending was great!! So glad I read this during Halloween!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️

#NetGalley #GradyHendrix #HowtoSellaHauntedHouse

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Well, this was probably one of the strangest books I've ever read. The plot is on the verge of absurd and I found myself laughing out loud several times. It did hold my interest, but I'd have a hard time recommending it to someone without a lot of caveats.

“A puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor”

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing and Grady Hendrix for my copy of this book. Why did their parents flee their home in the middle of the night? What had them in such a rush that they were killed instantly in a car crash? That’s what Louise and Mark Joyner want to know. The estranged siblings lost their parents in an instant, but nothing has prepared them for their next task- selling a haunted house.

Their mother collected puppets, and the house is filled to the brim with the dolls of their childhood. Each sibling is harboring a dark secret about one puppet in particular- Pupkin. He led them through their childhood, and seemed to take on a life of his own…but now he has a life of his own? Going through the house, Pupkin comes alive in a new and terrifying way. He doesn’t want the house to sell, and Mark and Louise start to realize that the only way to break away from their past might be to burn it all down.

Thoughts: Hendrix has the uncanny ability to write horror in a funny and entertaining way. This story made me scared to sleep with the lights off, sick to my stomach, and laughing out loud all in the same few chapters. It is first and foremost a horror book, but the undercurrent of meaning behind the plot touches on how sometimes we feel like puppets, controlled by our childhoods. Our past can keep us safe, but it can also bind and suffocate us.

Memories are subjective, and nothing really is as simple as we think. This book exacerbated my already fragile fear of puppets and took it to a whole new level. I found myself wanting to look away from the book, but simultaneously obsessed with finishing each chapter. Fans of The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires will fall in love with How To Sell A Haunted House. 5 stars!