Horror Book Preview-- Read or Skip?: How To Fake A Haunting by Christa Carmen
Faking a haunting isn’t only for small-town villains who wear masks. It can be used as a ruse to get out of a bad situation as well.
This week’s Horror Book Pick is HOW TO FAKE A HAUNTING By Christa Carmen.
The book was published in October 2025 and is on the bestsellers list for Horror and Ghost Thrillers.
HOW TO FAKE A HAUNTING Plot Summary
Lainey Taylor is being pushed to the brink by her alcoholic husband, Callum. Fearing for her and her daughter Beatrix’s life, she wants a divorce, but Callum has already warned her that it would be over his dead body.
Lainey’s friend Adelaide comes up with a solution to fake a haunting to drive Callum out of her life. It was going to be all innocent, of course.
But Lainey and Adelaide’s plan goes wrong, and the plan spirals into something none of them can control. Lainey soon discovers that she must join forces with Callum or die trying.
HOW TO FAKE A HAUNTING Preview and My Take
Unfortunately, the book preview barely gives out the first two chapters, as most of the initial pages are reserved for praise for the author’s previous books, as well as this one. Then there is the disclaimer, dedication, table of contents, and finally the first section: THEN.
Lainey and Callum have just moved into their new house. There’s a party going on, and Lainey is pulled to the side by her friend Adelaide, whom she met around the same time as Callum.
As they discuss their respective career advancements, they hear a sound and find Callum drunk and attacking a mirror because he claims to see something else in the mirror.
Even at that moment, Lainey is so done with his erratic behavior.
Time passes, and we are in the NOW section.
Four years must have passed because Lainey is carrying her four-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to the car. She is exiting a gala thrown by Callum’s parents and insisting on driving, but Callum assures her that in spite of his inebriated state, he will be taking the wheel.
Lainey tries to put her foot down, but her mother-in-law makes it clear she doesn’t approve of her behavior.
As they drive away, Lainey once again points out that he is too drunk to drive and is endangering his daughter’s life, but he calls her deluded for thinking that just because he decided to have fun on a Tuesday night, she is being critical.
Based on how things are going, it seems Lainey is going to be right about Callum.
She tells him she’s done with him, which was probably a bad idea to bring up while he was driving in his state. But she is so fed up that she can’t help herself. Callum naturally tells her that while he cannot stop her from filing for divorce, he will make sure she doesn’t get custody of their daughter.
And of course, the crash happens. None of them is hurt, and Beatrix is just about saved. Callum is disoriented and making calls.
The preview ends.
READ OR SKIP?
While the sample chapters do not give an indication, reviews have suggested that there are some comedic elements in the book that are perfectly balanced with the horror ones. No doubt these elements would come in during the fake haunting sequences.
The writing flows well, and the characters are relatable. There is a hint of where there is headed in the beginning when Callum attacks the mirror, signalling that as soon as they entered the house, there was something that was affecting his behavior.
While it was a very brief preview, I would like to continue reading because who doesn’t like a haunted house story?
This is a READ for me, and perhaps it may be for you as well.
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