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The Poor and The Haunted Kindle Edition

by Dustin McKissen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 295 ratings
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2019 New York City Big Book Award Winner - Horror

“This thought-provoking tale makes a strong argument for letting go of past pain.” –Kirkus Reviews

As a child Jimmy Lansford and his sister Kelly suffered crushing poverty, their father’s unexplained and frightening suicide, and their mother’s constant abuse and cruelty. Having grown to be a successful adult, Jimmy must contend with the sudden re-emergence of memories from his childhood in Oklahoma and unexplainable events occurring inside his own home. Is it more than memories that haunt Jimmy? Did his parents suffer from mental illness and addiction, or were they possessed by something even worse—and has that presence arrived to take Jimmy?

The first horror novel from acclaimed author and journalist Dustin McKissen explores the nature of hauntings, the ghosts from our past that haunt our present, and the unbreakable bond between siblings who learn early on they can only rely on each other.

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  1. Print length
    152 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    October 31, 2019
  5. File size
    1155 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Unexpected, unpredictable, and fast-paced. It's an emotional tear that grips the heart and proves difficult to put down, even for those who thought that the horror factor would come from a different direction." -California Bookwatch

"Thrills the reader with its sympathetic main character and the creepy, spectral perspective of its omniscient narrator." -IndieReader

"A gripping read that shows how hope and perseverance can prevail when fighting pure evil... a story of people facing real-life struggles against forces that inhabit us deep in our psyche." -Authors Reading

"Bravo!! With some supernatural elements incorporated into this horror story, you find it difficult to put it down until the very end. Very engrossing!" -A Bond Through Books

"...this really captured the essence and the thoughts, and most of all that horrible survivor's guilt of being a child/teen in that situation, and the mark it leaves on a life." -Cozy Readings


"This book is fantastic. I fell in love with this book because it isn't the usual ghost story." -LiberianGirl

"...there is a lot said in these pages and a incredible story that pulls you in right away." -Books-N-Kisses

About the Author

Dustin McKissen is an award-winning writer for a variety of publications. In addition to his non-fiction writing, Dustin is the author of the novel The Civil War at Home and the award-winning short stories Wife Number Six and My Name is Theodore Robert Bundy, and I am a Nixon Man. He lives in St. Charles, Missouri with his wife Megan and their three children. Dustin is a graduate of Prescott College and Northern Arizona University.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07WFWHQ5L
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Rose Writing; 1st edition (October 31, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 31, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1155 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 295 ratings

About the author

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Dustin McKissen

Dustin McKissen

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Dustin McKissen's blogs and articles have been read by more than 40 million people. He is also the author of "The Poor and The Haunted." He lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and three children.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
295 global ratings
misleading to call it a horror novel
3 Stars
misleading to call it a horror novel
Well...This was not an altogether bad book, but it is misleading to call it a horror novel. It isn't. It is the story of a man who was raised in an abusive and neglectful home by drug addled parents living in a poverty of their own making. It is a story of strength and love, it is a story of how this man escaped these awful circumstances, attended college and built a life for himself. It is a story of stopping the cycle of abuse, raising his own children with his wife and making a real family. It is also the story of how his upbringing still haunts him. But even throwing a ghost in the mix does not make this a horror novel.I received a complimentary copy for review.
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Top reviews from the United States

Travis Poole
5.0 out of 5 stars Part mystery, part horror
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2019
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This was an entertaining read. The main character has a truly horrible childhood but goes on to have a loving seemingly normal family. The main character starts to have problems and suspects that he has the same problem his father had. This is an adult book with very adult topic including prostitution, drug abuse and suicide. This book is part horror, part mystery and part tragedy. This book is a real page turner and I finished in one day. I thought I had figured out part of the story and I had but the author took it to a completely different level that completely surprised me. There is a really nice ending so danger of a cliffhanger. I highly recommend this very well written and thoughtful book.
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Aryd'ell Hotelling
4.0 out of 5 stars Not too bad for a short distraction.
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2020
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I'll be following this author, as I feel the writing will improve with time. Good premise, characters were realistic. Felt the ending came a little short. Still worth a read.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2019
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I wouldn’t classify this as a horror story at all... maybe a drama/mystery... with a touch of paranormal. I read this book in one day, that’s how much it pulled me in. I’ve never read any other books from this author, but I see he’s very accomplished, and it shows. He’s a wonderful writer who pulls you in with his words, and the main characters evoke so much empathy, as well as sadness. It’s hard to imagine what some people endure in their lives, especially children. The author did a hell of a job expressing the feelings each character experienced. I’m glad I found this book, and I hope Dustin writes more books in this genre.
4 people found this helpful
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An Avid Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars The "horror" seemed a bit forced to me.
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2020
I finished reading back in December, but never posted this review until now. The book reminds me of the Prince of Tides, where the protagonist is facing his demons that get resolved in the end, only this time, it really doesn't get resolved. I still haven't figured out whether Jimmy knows that Kelly is in the attic watching over them. The "haunted house" is a bit forced and doesn't play well through the book, in my opinion. There is a lot of emphasis on the family dynamics (appropriate) and the "haunted" part doesn't appear enough to really be a part of the book. That's the Prince of Tides part - there is something that bothers Jimmy that affects his behavior. When I read this book, there wasn't enough material to have me experience it as a "haunted house" kind of thing, rather a psychological dynamic.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read, misleading title
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020
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I won’t go much into why I think the title is misleading for fear of being a “spoiler”. I read this novel in very short order. The story grabbed me from the first. The writing is top-notch - I only had two quibbles with the phrasing of certain passages. The insight offered into both poverty and the familial ravages of addiction is authentic and next door real, as I have too often been a witness to families like the one depicted in this book. I found it heartrending. Characterizations are strong, real, and evoke emotion. Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Love2Read
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible story! A combination of creepy events and insightful relationships.
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2020
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I enjoyed the mixture of creepy supernatural and the examination of relationships and addiction. The emotional ride, from being horrified and or tensed to feeling heartbroken and sad makes this one of my favourite books this year. It's a supernatural story with depth that isn't often found in this genre. I recommend The Poor and The Haunted if you enjoy supernatural, the unexplained and a bit of depth.
One person found this helpful
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reign4us
4.0 out of 5 stars Reads like reality
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2020
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Was a good read and a real story for a lot of folks. Ending was a bit odd but still I enjoyed it.
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Vicky
5.0 out of 5 stars Different from what I was expecting.
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020
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When I think of horror, I usually think of some kind of other worldly type monster or of ghosts and spirits. This was totally unexpected for me. It was horrific and the things the children had to go through was horrible. It grabbed me from the start and kept my interest throughout. It's a very short book, but keeps you thinking about it for a long while. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a book that isn't your standard horror story. If you're looking for zombies or outer space aliens or vampires and such, this isn't it. But it's absolutely a wonderful book and I highly recommend it if you are just looking for a really good read.
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Top reviews from other countries

Gwendy P.
4.0 out of 5 stars not really a horror story in the traditional sense, but good nonetheless
Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2019
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I think it is misleading to call it a "horror" story; I found it to be more a domestic drama about a now grown man coming to terms with his abusive and highly dysfunctional childhood. In that sense, it was a well crafted story that was atmospheric and drew me in to the mindset of the lead character, unfolding the narrative in past and present timelines. It was just the right length and was definitely more of a short story than a full length book. It had a lot of heart.
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Abby Reynolds
4.0 out of 5 stars The Poor and the Haunted
Reviewed in Canada on May 26, 2021
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This book was interesting. The main character is sympathetic. The author has presented the effects that unaddressed trauma can have on a psyche for an entire life.
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Leslie Gagne
2.0 out of 5 stars Short story, not a novel
Reviewed in Canada on January 17, 2020
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The book is very thin and was expecting a novel, not a short story
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iremic
5.0 out of 5 stars Fighting your own demons is harder than you think
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2020
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This is an excellent book showing how people react to the psychological problems they have got due family dysfunction. It is a brilliant look at the pysche of family and how the line survivor comes with his guilt. A tearjerking book that gives insight into what happens to the family when one member kills themselves.
This book shows sympathy and empathy towards Jimmy, the main character, whilst not holding back on the gritty affect of multiple family deaths.
Survivors guilt is real and documented and this book shows it to the woeld.
An excellent read for anyone who knows it wants to know how it feels to lose loves ones and survive.
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