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A Heart So Haunted

A Novel

Author Hollie Nelson
Hardcover
$29.99 US
Crooked Lane Books | Alcove Press
5-1/2"W x 8-1/4"H | 20 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Oct 21, 2025 | 352 Pages | 9798892423397
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In this evocative and stunning debut, secrets in the very bones of Harthwait House are disturbed when a new tenant moves in, for fans of Ashley Poston and A House with Good Bones.

Be wary the beds and the space beneath,
the cracks in the floors and the furnace teeth.
Keep your eyes from the shadows and tongue so still.
Because once Harthwait grows dark, the monsters become real.

Landry is ready to clean house—not just Harthwait, but the traumatic memories and family entanglements that haunt her. Left reeling from her aunt’s sudden death, Landry knows she has to restore the old house and sell it for much needed cash. Preferably, before autumn arrives. But as renovations begin on Harthwait, she notices some peculiarities: motion sensors activate when no one is home, doors slam shut, and every night, at a quarter after midnight, the disembodied crying begins. Then, when she uncovers a hidden door during the renovations, she dares to open it.

Behind the door is a world of nightmares, some of which are hers, while others belong to a monster—who is trapped inside and desperate to get out. Both haunted by their pasts, Landry makes a deal with the monster, but as they develop feelings for each other, she realizes that the thing that looks like a beast may not be the most beastly thing after all.

This rich and spellbinding tale explores the idea of what we call home and who we call family.
Praise for A Heart So Haunted:
“A spellbinding ghost story with a beating heart, Landry’s story is simultaneously eerie and emotional. Using the device of haunted house as stand-in for a troubled and unresolved past, Nelson expertly weaves the threads of her tale to a most satisfying conclusion.”
—Emily Carpenter, bestselling author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls and Gothictown

“As tender as it is razor-edged, A Heart So Haunted shows us how home can be both a place beloved and a place filled with ghosts. Nelson's prose is evocative, atmospheric, and altogether consuming. Ultimately a story of hope, this debut will crawl beneath your skin and expose themes of grief, family trauma, and a reminder that the pain of others isn't always our burden to carry.”
—Teagan Olivia King, author of Spit Back the Bones

“A Heart So Haunted will haunt me in the most beautiful way. Through lyrical prose, Nelson lovingly weaves a gorgeous and heartstopping story of navigating loss and grief, forging unexpected connections, and finding oneself. I devoured this lush, hopeful debut.”
—Amber Roberts, author of Haunt Your Heart Out
Hollie Nelson loves gothic horror almost as much as she loves coffee. When she's not talking to the monsters in her closet, you can usually find her writing or at the gym. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and their clowder of cats.
Hollie Nelson View titles by Hollie Nelson

About

In this evocative and stunning debut, secrets in the very bones of Harthwait House are disturbed when a new tenant moves in, for fans of Ashley Poston and A House with Good Bones.

Be wary the beds and the space beneath,
the cracks in the floors and the furnace teeth.
Keep your eyes from the shadows and tongue so still.
Because once Harthwait grows dark, the monsters become real.

Landry is ready to clean house—not just Harthwait, but the traumatic memories and family entanglements that haunt her. Left reeling from her aunt’s sudden death, Landry knows she has to restore the old house and sell it for much needed cash. Preferably, before autumn arrives. But as renovations begin on Harthwait, she notices some peculiarities: motion sensors activate when no one is home, doors slam shut, and every night, at a quarter after midnight, the disembodied crying begins. Then, when she uncovers a hidden door during the renovations, she dares to open it.

Behind the door is a world of nightmares, some of which are hers, while others belong to a monster—who is trapped inside and desperate to get out. Both haunted by their pasts, Landry makes a deal with the monster, but as they develop feelings for each other, she realizes that the thing that looks like a beast may not be the most beastly thing after all.

This rich and spellbinding tale explores the idea of what we call home and who we call family.

Praise

Praise for A Heart So Haunted:
“A spellbinding ghost story with a beating heart, Landry’s story is simultaneously eerie and emotional. Using the device of haunted house as stand-in for a troubled and unresolved past, Nelson expertly weaves the threads of her tale to a most satisfying conclusion.”
—Emily Carpenter, bestselling author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls and Gothictown

“As tender as it is razor-edged, A Heart So Haunted shows us how home can be both a place beloved and a place filled with ghosts. Nelson's prose is evocative, atmospheric, and altogether consuming. Ultimately a story of hope, this debut will crawl beneath your skin and expose themes of grief, family trauma, and a reminder that the pain of others isn't always our burden to carry.”
—Teagan Olivia King, author of Spit Back the Bones

“A Heart So Haunted will haunt me in the most beautiful way. Through lyrical prose, Nelson lovingly weaves a gorgeous and heartstopping story of navigating loss and grief, forging unexpected connections, and finding oneself. I devoured this lush, hopeful debut.”
—Amber Roberts, author of Haunt Your Heart Out

Author

Hollie Nelson loves gothic horror almost as much as she loves coffee. When she's not talking to the monsters in her closet, you can usually find her writing or at the gym. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and their clowder of cats.
Hollie Nelson View titles by Hollie Nelson

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