Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this one. Much appreciated! Below you'll find my honest review.

Grady Hendrix has done it again! Yet another Stephen King-type transformation of something ordinary into something scary, gross, terrifying, and pure horror.

This one takes a normal thing - the death of parents and the subsequent "what do we do with what they left behind" and gave us a much deeper unpacking of the "what they left behind." A lifetime of baggage isn't the only thing that the Joyner siblings are having to clean up.

I don't want to spoil anything, because Hendrix's books are always a trip. But I'll never look at puppets or dolls the same way... like they weren't creepy enough already!

Definitely highly recommended for horror fans.

My favorite so far of Hendrix's stories. I never thought I would thoroughly enjoy a book with creepy haunted dolls considering how much I avoid them in my media consumption. The book is well written with twists and turns you don't expect keeping the reader engaged for the entire book. I didn't even find the middle section slow although it was a little slow to start.

I have never read anything by Grady Hendrix, but do have a few other books by him. I wasn't sure what to expect while reading this, and even though the puppets were creepy, when I found out the real story behind Pupkin I felt sad.

Pupkin and Nancy have been together since Nancy was a young girl, and he was always part of Mark and Louise's life as well. But, when Nancy and her husband die in a car accident things change. Mark and Louise haven't gotten along in years, and as the story goes you find out that the reason for some of the animosity is Pupkin. Their Mom (Nancy) had him involved in almost every aspect of their lives, and now that she is dead it is time for someone else to help Pupkin.

A weirdly enjoyable book and I can't wait to read more by this author. It was so different from anything else that I have read.

Grady Hendrix has done it again with another terrifying tale that is so much more than a haunted house.

Louse and Mark are siblings whose parents have just died and who must now work together to get the family home ready to sell. However, there is more to the story and it unravels slowly but surely. Everyone is keeping a secret or has memories that differ. The mother was a puppeteer and the house is filled with dolls and puppets, one of whom seems to have a life and will of its own.

It comes across at first as just another dysfunctional family story but develops into so much morel Anyone who finds dolls and puppets creepy might want to stay away as this story will haunt you.

I've read every book of Grady's and loved them all, but this may be his best: it's as deep as it as creepy. Three years into a global pandemic and we are all basically walking haunted houses, but this novel's exploration of grief, family trauma, and secrets is cathartic and will leave you feeling less alone. As with all Grady Hendrix novels, there are great Southern characters (especially mothers and daughters) and campy, scary AF supernatural scenes, what I didn't expect to find was the mature and complex exploration of grief and family legacies. If all this sounds too heavy for a horror book, don't be deterred, it's still a wild ride that will have you side-eyeing every inanimate object in your house as soon as the sun goes down and turning the pages until you find out how the brother/sister protagonists survive!

Thoroughly enjoyed Grady Hendrix's latest book! Great mix of humor and horror. He took a fairly common childhood memory and turned it on its head.

Although a bit overlong, a very satisfying horror-hits-home tale. This is by far my favorite Grady Hendrix novel yet - it isn't too maudlin, doesn't rely at all on metatext or images (which always display horribly on e-readers), and is genuinely fun. Thank you for the ARC.

As a big Grady Hendrix fan, I was thrilled to get a copy of his latest. After being slightly let down by Final Girls, I was pleased that this book returned to more of a traditional narrative style. I enjoyed the turns from humor to terror to a combination of both.

As someone who recently went through selling a family home with siblings and the associated grief, I thought Hendrix did a good job of capturing the experience when the family dynamic is complicated. I did feel some of the minor characters where not developed quite enough, but they served their purpose in advancing the story.

I anticipate this will be made into a movie/series, with the gothic setting and exploration of family and grief.

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.