Tolog Review: Help for the Haunted

Help for the Haunted
by John Searles
reviewed by Skylar Bowyer

Help for the Haunted by John Searles follows the life of Sylvie Mason and her somewhat “average” family. Sylvie has one sister named rose and two parents with an unordinary occupation, helping the haunted find peace in the afterlife, also known as demonologists. Both Sylvie and Rose grow up having a somewhat normal life apart from their parents. In the beginning of the book Sylvie’s life turns upside down when her parents are lured to an old church in search of a “haunted soul” to help. Her parents are later shot and killed in the church with no evidence of who the killer is. 

Throughout the rest of the book Searles skips back and forth to events that happen before her parents murder and then fast forwards back to the present. The search for the Mason parents killer continues and Sylvie begins to uncover new clues about the murderer. Along the way, Sylvie meets new people and discovers new things about her family’s history, eventually uncovering the secrets to the night of the killing.

The book was filled with clues and intimations to keep the readers guessing and interested. However, I felt that the book dragged on way too long and contained information and chapters that were useless to the ending of the story. Another reason why I don’t think I liked this book very much was because of the cliché ghost stories that I have already read many times. This book does not go on my favorite list, but perhaps someone with more interest in this genre would find this book appealing and spellbinding.