Servant - (The Goodpasture Chronicles) by R J Halbert (Hardcover)

About the Book

They say time heals all wounds. But what happens when time makes the first cut?

Book Synopsis

The much-anticipated follow-up to the breakout best-seller Caretaker, R.J. Halbert's Servant plunges deeper into the Goodpasture legacy--where dark secrets, chilling curses, and unbreakable hope collide. Fans who were "hooked from the start" will find even more suspense, emotion, and haunting twists in this gripping continuation of The Goodpasture Chronicles.

A child vanishes. A family unravels. Ancient powers stir.

When Zach disappears overnight, his family begins to fracture under the weight of grief and unthinkable possibilities. Ian Keane, Professor of Ancient History, becomes obsessed with cryptic symbols appearing around their New England property as his wife Lyana experiences visions that blur the lines between madness and revelation. Caught between her disintegrating family and her own supernatural awakening, daughter Ariel grows increasingly suspicious of Marshall, the enigmatic caretaker who seems to know more than he's willing to reveal about their property's dark history. As the Keanes grapple with how far they must go to recover their son, they discover that some homes demand more than just caretakers--this home demands a servant.

Review Quotes

Husband and wife team Halbert's second installment of their Goodpasture Chronicles blends domestic suspense with supernatural undertones as a family's unfolding grief collides with an ancient curse. The novel opens with the mysterious disappearance of middle-schooler Zach, the youngest in the splintering Keane family. Barely recovered from their supernatural trials in Caretaker, the Keanes are ripping at the seams, pushed over the edge by Zach's disappearance and the strange happenings in their recently renovated old house. Meanwhile, Zach wakes up in an otherworldly kingdom thousands of years in the past, his sister Ariel is convinced the house is trying to kill them, and the house's caretaker, Marshall, seems to be hiding plenty of his own secrets.

Halbert's strongest writing lies not in the realm of fantasy but in the tense, claustrophobic portrayal of the Keane household. Ian and Lyana, stretched thin by grief and denial, read like parents barely treading water, fumbling to maintain their careers, marriage, and sanity. Their teenage daughter Ariel, however, steals the spotlight. Her diary entries crackle with resentment and vulnerability, giving the narrative its sharpest emotional edge as she voices what the adults cannot. Parallel chapters follow Zach in Akolo's kingdom, where Halbert introduces a rich mythos of symbols, guardians, and shifting loyalties. While intriguing, these passages sometimes lack the urgency of the primary narrative. That contrast can feel uneven, but it's Ariel's voice--and her growing suspicion of the enigmatic Marshall--that grounds the story and keeps the tension taut.

Where Servant succeeds most is in its riveting atmosphere: creeping symbols, visions that blur madness and revelation, and the ever-present dread of a family being hollowed out by forces they can't explain. Though the fantasy arc could be more fleshed out, Halbert balances the fragmented realism of grief with enough supernatural menace to keep readers hooked.

Takeaway: Moody, unsettling thriller that thrives on family tension.

Comparable Titles: Karen Marie Moning's The House at Watch Hill, Lexi Elliott's The Missing Years.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

-- "Book Life"