How to Sell a Haunted House

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Wildly entertaining."-The New York Times

"Ingenious."-The Washington Post

New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.
 
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.
 
Most of all, she doesn’t 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, and their home has other plans for both of them…
 
Like his novels The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and The Final Girl Support Group, How to Sell a Haunted House is classic Hendrix: equal parts heartfelt and terrifying—a gripping new read from “the horror master” (USA Today).

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Published Jan 2, 2024

448 pages

Average rating: 6.8

745 RATINGS

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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *How to Sell a Haunted House* by Grady Hendrix skillfully blends horror, dark humor, and family drama, with strong sibling dynamics and em...

cbunny
Apr 02, 2025
4/10 stars
Not the author’s best. Puppets was an odd choice.
boyleschris
Apr 21, 2024
Recommended by Chris
IsWhatItIs
Feb 16, 2026
7/10 stars
An uncomfortable read simply because of the topic. A mix of body horror, a hefty cup of generational trauma, and a dash of haunted dolls and puppets. Grady is an excellent writer, a story worth telling but not worth reading for everyone.
Aundrea todd
Jan 07, 2026
8/10 stars
Pretty fucked up story.
Haunted puppets.
Bosky
Dec 30, 2025
4/10 stars
I forgot that this author wrote, "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires." While this book was better... I still had a hard time with the following:
1) If a puppet pokes you in the eye with a needle, you go to the ER. You don't eat waffles with your brother at a diner instead. Just because he says that doctors poke eye balls all the time for medicinal purposes doesn't mean that you listen to him. A deranged evil puppet I'm sure didn't have the forethought to sterilize the needle before he poked you in the eye with a sewing needle... especially if he's trying to kill you. Insanity! LOL.
2) How many times are you going to go back to a house where a) a nativity scene dead squirrel tried to get in your pants, b) large dolls that look like you and your brother move around house and write notes, c) said puppet tried to kill you? Then you saw off your brothers arm... And you still go back? OMG. Seriously.
3) God stuff. But, that the least of this books issues.

OK why did I give the book 2 stars and not 1? Grady is a good writer. He sucked me in. I finished the book. The family dynamics between mother and kids, between the son and daughter- all was delightful.

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