Fiction Friday: How To Sell A Haunted House

Grady Hendrix serves up heartache and haunted dolls in this chilling, sharply funny tale about family baggage that refuses to stay buried.

One evening, I leisurely browsed through the bookshelves of a local Barnes & Noble, looking for new additions to my ever-growing library. To my delight, I stumbled upon a collection of Grady Hendrix’s stories, an author I had somehow missed despite my avid interest in horror literature.

Hendrix is an author, journalist, public speaker, and screenwriter known for his best-selling 2014 novel Horrorstor. His writing style seamlessly weaves the supernatural and psychological horror with emotional depth, providing a treat for any horror literature enthusiast.

In How to Sell a Haunted House, this emotional depth is particularly striking, drawing readers into Louise’s world and making them feel a part of her journey.

The story starts with Louise, the protagonist, in a situation that immediately sets a tense tone. She is urgently concerned about breaking the news of her unmarried pregnancy to her parents, a problem that many of us can empathize with, and the tension escalates when she learns of their impending visit.

The first few chapters delve into Louise’s narrative, offering readers a deep and intimate glimpse into her world and emotions.

Louise’s decision to move from her family in Charleston, over two thousand miles away, to San Francisco is a significant event in the story. As readers learn more about Louise’s thoughts and reasons for the move, they will understand why she felt the need to distance herself from her family, seeking a fresh start and independence.

We sense that there is more to that story than what the author tells us, and we can’t help but imagine possible scenarios for those reasons.

When she chronicles her life growing up, Louise tries to paint herself as a martyr and her mother and Mark as the enemy. It’s as if Louise is trying to win the reader over, to sympathize with her life growing up.

A phone call from her brother, Mark, informing Louise of their mother’s death begins the roller coaster ride through her past—a past Louise must come to terms with if she wants to save her daughter’s life.

Three generations of terrible secrets and lies, including a long-buried family curse and a tragic incident from Louise’s childhood, come full circle, explaining the void between these siblings.

This journey is filled with suspense and unexpected twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the next revelation.

How to Sell A Haunted House is a story about the complex dynamics in families and how, in the end, we are all human.

As humans, we make mistakes, which is normal. Still, it is in the handling of those mistakes that not only affect us personally but can also impact our future generations if we aren’t honest with ourselves and accept accountability.

It is a deep, multi-layered story with a paranormal thread that weaves all the elements of family and emotions into a genuinely scary story that will make you think long after you put the book down. You will compare your family with Louise’s, which is the hallmark of a great story.

It was a gripping read I couldn’t put down, and one I can’t stop talking about.