John Searles’s Help for the Haunted is an unforgettable story of a most unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery.Sylvie Mason’s parents have an unusual occupation—helping “haunted souls” find peace. After receiving a strange phone call one winter’s night, they leave the house and are later murdered in an … later murdered in an old church in a horrifying act of violence.
A year later, Sylvie is living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened to their parents. Now, the inquisitive teenager pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night—and to the truth about her family’s past and the secrets that have haunted them for years.
Capturing the vivid eeriness of Stephen King’s works with the compelling quirkiness of John Irving’s beloved novels, Help for the Haunted is that rare story that brings to life a richly imagined and wholly original world.
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A dazzling, dark portrait of a troubled family beset by the supernatural. Searles ratchets up the tension with every passing chapter, and delivers authentic and well-earned scares–all written through the lens of a lonely teenager searching for answers. The result is a novel both frightening and beautiful.
Help for the Haunted was a book that stayed with me for months, and I’ve learned to pay attention to that, taking note of the reasons something continues to “haunt” me long after the book ends.
Searles’ prose is as honed and toned as a gym rat’s spray-tanned body, propelling us into a bizarre world in the dim shades of creeping sorrow and …
A rich and tense suspense story that serves up plenty of genuine thrills but also moves the reader with elegant insights into the enigma that is Family
This remains one of my favorite books no matter how many times I read it!
A suspenseful psychological thriller with some paranormal thrown in. There are alternating chapters of present day and past memories leading up to the conclusion, which was totally unexpected. This is a young girls quest to find out what really happened the night her parents were murdered even though she was present when it happened. She was left …
A real page turner that will cause you to never want to put the book down
Help for The Haunted is my kind of strange. With this novel, John Searles takes all the best elements of family drama and crime fiction and rolls them together with a touch of strangeness into one compelling novel.
Sylvie Mason’s parents helped haunted souls for a living, but when they are killed on the job Sylvie becomes the legal …
Great!
“Help for the Haunted” by John Searles relates a murder mystery through the non-linear experiences of a witness- Sylvie Mason, daughter of the murded couple. The adult Masons offered some sort of prayers to sooth those haunted or possessed people who sought their aid. They make their living through lectures and speeches – at least until a …
Well written, but not very compelling. The premise is good, but the execution of the plot gave me pause. I got about 3/4 of the way through, but lost interest.
A truly gifted story teller. Been many years since I found an author I couldn’t put down and want to follow into furure stories. Very happy with this book and the anticipation of future sleepless nights.
Believable characters, scary situations! Worth the read!
Written from the viewpoint of a teenage girl whose parents advertise “help for the haunted.” There are some plot twists here that you won’t see coming, and the book is deliciously gothic and just a little scary.
Well-developed characters I cared about!