Help for the Haunted (P.S.) - Softcover

Searles, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060779640 ISBN 13: 9780060779641

Publisher: William Morrow & Company, 2014

Synopsis

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 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.

About this title

Review:

"John Searles wrapped a ghost story inside a mystery, and the result is a worthy thriller...HELP FOR THE HAUNTED's alternating chapters are cleverly split in time to reveal what came before and after a deadly tragedy at the heart of this captivating story."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"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

"[Searles] has crafted a strange, spooky world that is absolutely believable. Sweet, precocious, desperate Sylvie is a memorable young striver in the tradition of Scout Finch, and HELP FOR THE HAUNTED is an exceptional piece of storytelling."--Washington Post

"A poignant story of a family, of parents navigating an odd and dangerous career, of daughters shaken by doubt and loss and grief -- and the gulf that widens between them all...A compelling mystery."--Miami Herald

"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."--Khaled Hosseini, bestselling author of And the Mountains Echoed and The Kite Runner

"A masterful genre mash-up that's part paranormal thriller, part coming-of-age story, part crime fiction, Searles' eerie novel about a young girl uncovering the mystery of her parents' murders builds to a stunning and poignant conclusion."--Entertainment Weekly

"The family demons are more troubling than the supernatural ones in John Searles' new novel...Sylvie's flashbacks and exploration of her mom and dad's relationship will haunt readers' hearts after they turn the final page."--USA Today

"[Searles'] new release about a young girl whose parents are self-proclaimed 'saviors of haunted souls, ' his his most engrossing yet."--People

"Disturbingly engrossing."--People

"An expertly-wrought, coming-of-age story with a healthy dose of creepiness."--Amazon.com, "Best Book of the Month"

Book Description:

'A dazzling, dark portrait of a troubled family ... frightening and beautiful.' Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0060779640
• ISBN 13: 9780060779641
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400