Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Help for the Haunted (P.S.)

by John Searles

It begins with a call one snowy February night. Lying in her bed, fourteen-year-old Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone across the hall. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation: helping 'haunted souls' find peace. And yet something in Sylvie senses that this call is different from the others, especially when they are lured to the old church on the outskirts of town. Once there, her parents disappear, one after the other, behind the church's red door, leaving Sylvie alone in the car. Not long after, she drifts off to sleep, only to wake to the sound of gunfire.

As the story weaves back and forth through the years leading up to that night and the months following, the ever-inquisitive Sylvie searched for answers and uncovers secrets that have haunted her family for years . . .

Help for the Haunted is a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, told in the captivating voice of a young heroine who is determined to discover the truth about what happened that winter night.

Reviewed by BookeryBliss on

5 of 5 stars

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A very moving story; both beautifully written and mysterious. The ending was perfect; as it made the book and its characters that much more realistic and believable. This is not your dime-a-dozen haunted book cliche, but instead a mysterious story of an unusual family career and the emotional insight of a family who faces trials and grief.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 January, 2016: Finished reading
  • 23 January, 2016: Reviewed