Additional information
by John Searles (Author)
"Part ghost story, part coming-of-age story, John Searles' Help for the Haunted is 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."
-- Gillian Flynn
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 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. From the very first page, it takes readers on a captivating journey, told in the heartbreakingly resonant voice of a young heroine who is determined to discover the truth about her family and what went wrong one snowy winter night.
Front Jacket
A Boston Globe Best Crime Novel of the Year
An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten "Must List"
Winner of the American Library Association's Alex Award
Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist starred reviews
Sylvie Mason's parents have an unusual occupation: helping "haunted souls" find peace. After receiving a phone call late one snowy night, they are lured to an old church on the outskirts of town, where Sylvie falls asleep in the car and is awoken by the sound of gunshots.
Orphaned on that night, Sylvie comes under the care of her reckless, distant older sister, still living in the rambling Tudor house that guards the relics of her parents' past. As she pursues the mystery of their deaths, Sylvie's story weaves back and forth between the time leading up to the murders and the months following, uncovering the truth of what happened that night--and the secrets that have haunted her family for years.
--Khaled Hosseini, bestselling author of And the Mountains Echoed and The Kite RunnerBack Jacket
A Boston Globe Best Crime Novel of the Year
An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten "Must List"
Winner of the American Library Association's Alex Award
Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist starred reviews
Sylvie Mason's parents have an unusual occupation: helping "haunted souls" find peace. After receiving a phone call late one snowy night, they are lured to an old church on the outskirts of town, where Sylvie falls asleep in the car and is awoken by the sound of gunshots.
Orphaned on that night, Sylvie comes under the care of her reckless, distant older sister, still living in the rambling Tudor house that guards the relics of her parents' past. As she pursues the mystery of their deaths, Sylvie's story weaves back and forth between the time leading up to the murders and the months following, uncovering the truth of what happened that night--and the secrets that have haunted her family for years.
