Book Review: Help for the Haunted by John Searles

Help for the Haunted by John Searles was published in September 2013 and is about Sylvie and Rose Mason, sisters whose paranormal investigator parents (Sylvester and Rose) were murdered in a church while young Sylvie waited for them in the car.  I really enjoyed this novel, and as I was reading it, I couldn't help but think of famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (who were portrayed by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring)...Help for the Haunted's Sylvester and Rose even have a creepy doll come into their possession!  On the Amazon page for this book, Searles mentions in an interview with Gillian Flynn that he grew up in the same town as The Warrens, so it makes sense that The Masons have some similarities to The Warrens.

Here's the Amazon description:

"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."

I recommend Help for the Haunted to anyone who is interested in the paranormal or anyone who just wants to read a great novel.  I really felt for Sylvie and wanted to her to solve the mystery of her parents' deaths (and the mystery of her parents in general)...and when she found out the truth, I did not see it coming at all!

My rating: 8/10