Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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I really struggled through the first third of this book. I found it to be pretty slow and almost too domestic for my liking. But then things went off the rails in true Grady Hendrix fashion. The second third was SO GOOD, SO CREEPY. I absolutely loved the reveal of the main antagonist and its nature and behavior were so unsettling and off-putting. The expounding of Mark's past was so insightful but I wish we got more of it. Now onto the reasons I'm giving this four stars instead of five: it felt like everything wrapped up pretty neatly after the grill, and that everything after Louise went back to California was almost part of a sequel book - it all felt a bit disjointed. The different parts could have used more connective tissue, in my opinion, to draw a line through the story - from California, to the House, to California, to the House. Overall, a solid book with a very unsettling and creepy antagonist that I keep thinking about.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a true book of horror! It reminds me of Chucky, the famous evil doll of horror movies. but there is so much more here. Some of the descriptions of the horrible actions that take place in the house in question in Charleston, SC, had me checking that my doors were locked and that I was safe. The family from which Louise and Mark spring is more than a little strange. This is my first time reading a book written by Grady Hendrix, but I have already added his other two most recent publications to my TBR pile. I know I'm late to the party, but I love it when I discover a new, exciting, and talented writer! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC.

A new Grady Hendrix? Yes, please! This DRC was delivered to my Kindle at the same time as a high profile author's newest (literary) title and I was like, oooh, which one do I read? The answer was obvious: the trashy horror, natch.

Ohh, and this was supremely trashy. THIS BOOK HAS EVERYTHING. Family dysfunction! Creepy dolls! Vengeful taxidermy! A Radical Puppet Troupe! Your requisite "the killer is dead//THE KILLER CAME BACK!" trope! A ~*puppet golem*~.

Unlike the unsettling slow ooze of Just Like Home, the characterization here seemed to swing on a pendulum in service to the plot. Which I kind of didn't mind? Again, campy horror is Hendrix's thing, so I'm not really seeking nuance.

Unless you are truly freaked out by animate toys, this isn't a keep-your-lights-on-all night kind of story. As long as you know that going in, readers will find a lot to enjoy here, even if they are occasionally biting their knuckles at the sheer cracky over-the-topness of it all. Hand this to horror fans who prefer their stories with a dash of tongue-in-cheek.

This book is so good. Creepily good. Spookily good. Terifyingly good. Made my skin crawl multiple times! I dont like to write spoilers or summarize books in reviews but know that this is another Grady Hendrix homerun. The characters were relatable and quirky like most families. I'm pretty sure I read some of the dialogue in the voices of my own family members! Highly recommend.

Wow! Grady Hendrix delivers another page turning, twisted tale. Just when I thought it couldn't get any crazier, crazier happened and it was AWESOME!

This book hit a little different for me than his previous books. I recently lost my father, so this story kicked me in the feels more than once. But joining Louise and Mark and their journey of grief actually helped me deal with my own grief.

Thank you Grady Hendrix for another fantastic book

I always appreciate a good horror story from Grady Hendrix. The way he crafts his stories keeps me entertained and I cannot put them down. The novel's characters are troubled but don't realize how troubled they really are. Scary dolls and puppets and ghosts oh my! When the novels twists and turns I wanted to stay up later and later to find out what was going to happen next. I recommend this to all horror fans!

I remember a movie from...sometime in the 80's called, creatively, "Dolls". Or, I don't really remember it but I have a faint idea of certain scenes, moments that, believe it or not, still occasionally haunt my nightmares. So, this was a difficult book for me to like, because the reading experience was decidedly unpleasant. That's clearly what he was going for, so kudos, I guess, but...I'm really going to try to forget this ever happened.

When someone asks me for horror recommendations, I always mention Grady Hendrix first. Each book of his absolutely hooks me into it immediately. How to Sell a Haunted House is another one to add to that. Focusing on family and grief, it’ll make you tear up as much as it makes your skin crawl. The characters are complex and so human and real, as is the story. Within the the horror genre, I think family dynamics is something that will always resonate with someone, somewhere. Fear and monsters can enter a home at anytime. This book had me feeling nauseous to crying and back to hiding under a blanket within seconds. Hendrix has such a grip on this genre and can orchestrate masterpiece after masterpiece.

Grady Hendrix captures relationship dynamics so well: he just happens to situate them within the most hellish of circumstances. This book has some genuinely creepy moments with dolls, puppets, and even a little body horror involving needles and power tools. You can't tell if this book is about a ghost, a demon, possession, or scary ass puppets until the very end- but it's worth the read. Southern family dynamics abound, and this book will make you want to call or text your siblings. It scares you and simultaneously gets you in the feels. Highly recommend.

Grady Hendrix does it again! I'm a long time fan and have read all of his previous books so I went into this read with high expectations. and every single one of them was surpassed. A delicate look at the stages of grief and the way different people heal paired with gut wrenching horror and some of the most skin crawling scenes? Sign me up! I think I've developed a fear of puppets now.

I just love Grady Hendrix and everything he's written! I was so excited when I received the ARC for How to Sell a Haunted House. and I wasn't disappointed!

When Louise finds out her parents have died in a car accident, she heads back to Charleston where she and her brother Mark need to clean out and sell the house. The only problem is, the house is haunted!

This title was a quick read and so much fun! Possessed puppets anyone?
Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

How to Sell a Haunted House is a horror story about an actual haunted house, haunted in a unique way, but the real horror comes from the secrets one family keeps. Louise and Mark are two estranged siblings who are forced to reunite after their parents are killed suddenly in a car accident. Before they can sell their parents' valuable property, the brother and sister first have to clean out a house full of creepy dolls and menacing puppets. They also have to cleanse the house from a sinister presence and figure out what the heck happened with their parents before their deaths. I loved that the author explored the way that our family's past haunts us; I wasn't expecting to read a metaphor about generational trauma, but I'd forgotten that horror is supposed to be smart and make us think. This was my first book by Grady Hendrix, and I'm looking forward to reading more from the backlist. Thanks so much to Netgalley, Berkley, and the author for the librarian preview! I'm looking forward to adding this one to the library and booktalking it with our students.

Just too many puppets! Louise has always felt as if her younger slacker brother Mark got rewarded for his ongoing bad behavior from their enabling parents. She has worked hard and built a life across the country in California with her young daughter Poppy. She returns home to South Carolina for some holidays, but mostly she prefers to keep her distance. Then she gets a call that her parents have died so she returns home to attend the funeral and sort out their estate. Her father has assured her that she will inherit everything, trusting Louise to provide Mark his share in a way that ensures he won't be broke again in a year. But not all plans turn out to be foolproof . . .

One thing the siblings agree on is that the family home should be sold. As they are clearing it out, they become creeped out by the many puppets their mother made as part of her "Christian puppet ministry." The strange puppets and dolls are everywhere, and the siblings have an inexplicably difficult time getting rid of them. Their mother's favorite, Pupkin, holds an especially large place in the family history. Many odd noises and occurrences happen as Louise tries to come to terms with her new reality and to get the house ready to sell. Their real estate agent Mercy, who also happens to be their cousin, informs them that they will have a hard time selling the house until it's cleansed, what with it being haunted and all. Luckily, Mercy's mother has had a lot of experience clearing out demons and spirits from haunted houses, so there should be no problem there.

The story just seems to drag on and on. There is, of course, a lot of family history to be unraveled to explain how things got to this point and why Louise and Mark don't get along. Then there is the long, drawn-out, and extremely tedious portion of the book where Mark reveals why he became the apparent loser he is. Lots of struggles with the entities ensue (which might be interesting on film but are very boring to read) that also slow the book down. There are some funny bits, but overall, the story is just too slow-paced and puppet-laden to really keep the reader's interest.

Grady Hendrix certainly knows how to spin a yarn, and How to Sell a Haunted House does not disappoint.. Louise is living in California with her young daughter when she gets devastating news from her brother Mark in Charleston that begins a series of events and mysteries from the past that must be dealt with. Add to that a cast of unforgettable cousins and assorted family members full of love and Southern sass, and let the games begin. The haunting of the house is of a most unique kind, and the resolve to the problem is a bit drawn out, but, then again, this is no ordinary haunting.

Grady Hendrix shows that the truly terrifying isn't necessarily slasher blood and guts. It's the little things, like secrets, guilt, and misunderstanding that create actual horror.

Grady Hendrix writes one heck of a horror story and How To Sell a Haunted House does not disappoint.

Louis and Mark have survived the pandemic but their parents did not. However, their bank accounts did not and the only thing that they have of value is this house - this haunted house.

Full of chills and thrills, the book also explores the ideas of both familial and physical ties.

Here are two things I love. Hendrix’s books and haunted house stories. Here I something I am legit afraid of: creepy dolls. Now, in my case, my love of the first two overrode my abject horror of the latter, HOWEVER, HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE legitimately freaked me out such that the next time I accidentally come face to face with an antique doll or a puppet of any sort, I will undoubtedly run screaming. This novel did for me what Joe Hill’s NOS4ATU did: which is give my adult ass a new phobia (in that case it was covered bridges. Oh, and pinwheels which some old neighbors of ours LOVED) and, in this case is a couple of things I already found distasteful and now want to burn in hellfire. Also, the next time I have to sleep in my best friend’s mother’s sewing room, I won’t. Sleep, that is. Even though she’s a quilter and there was nary a puppet in sight. So, thanks for that, Grady.

There is a kiddo involved in the plot which can be hard for some people. The good news is (spoiler) as in many of Hendrix’s books, the currently living kid is alright at the end so go in knowing all will be well on that front, however, there is discussion of childhood trauma and a child dying in the past. Keep away if that’s going to push too many of your buttons.

Well plotted, great beats. Maybe a TITCH too long but that’s my main complaint even about most of the books I five star these days and it may very well be me and my long Covid attention span.

I think FINAL GIRLS SUPPORT GROUP remains my favorite followed by SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE but HOW TO SELL is definitely up there with MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM. And THESE FISTS BREAK BRICKS.

I felt a little misled about the title - and it's such a great title, I have to give credit there - but this was a whole different kind of story than I was looking for. This isn't about a haunted "house" so much as about haunted "things" ...but I will leave it at that and just admit that I don't have a lot of complaints otherwise. Overall, this is a super-fast read, and in spite of not being really into this type of "ghost" story I have to admit it's still everything you'd expect from Grady Hendrix: Southern-fried horror with a dose of humor and a bit of commentary about the strengths (and weaknesses) of motherhood. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for review.

I was afraid the title was misleading, but stay with it. About a third of the way through, the story takes a turn, and yes, we are haunted all the way. Another good Hendrix read, with more horror tropes than you can shake a stick at. Horror lovers should be pleased,

Louise Joyner has barely seen her brother, Mark, since she left home for college and never came back, so when she learns of her parents’ accidental death, it pains her to leave the comfort of her home and her young daughter in San Francisco to have to visit her family home and sort out their burial arrangements with her lazy, entitled brother. Even still, Louise, ever the realist, is prepared for the worst – or so she thinks. Because Louise is sure this whole ordeal will be cut-and-dry: get to Charleston; organize the funeral; avoid her brother; deal with her parents’ assets; and be back home in two weeks. But even best laid plans can’t contend with the skeletons in the Joyner family closet, and when strange sights and sounds begin to disturb their childhood home, Louise is quick to learn that her version of reality isn’t at all what it seemed.

As my first novel from this author, How to Sell a Haunted House did not disappoint. I never could have imagined a story beginning with a petty sibling squabble over inheritance would turn into such a complex narrative examining the psychological depth of guilt and loss through multiple generations. Hendrix teases the reader with one-dimensionality only to ultimately provide a masterclass on multifaceted storytelling that keeps you on your toes.

This is a novel fixed around the unravelling of juicy family secrets, and the way in which each revelation is delivered is so satisfying and methodical that you’re at the edge of your seat at the first hint of a new one about to be told. I loved the way the author told this story and embedded twists at just the right time. Hendrix does an outstanding job of making you think you know his characters to the point you’re sure whose sides you are and aren’t on, only for your perspective to be turned upside down in the next instant.

This novel checks all my boxes for what a horror novel should be to keep the genre fresh and evolving. Between emotional and creepy, paced and urgent, How to Sell A Haunted House never fails to hit the sweet spot that keeps you turning page after page. If Hendrix’ other titles have only a fraction of the suspense and depth of this one, they’d be well worth the read.

Thanks to Berkley, NetGalley, and the author for this incredible read.