Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, and it’s time for another review. Today I’m sharing my review of Robert Curran’s The Haunted One Family’s Nightmare.
The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare was published in 1988 by St. Martin’s Press and is 275 pages long.
What It’s About
The book recounts the alleged ‘true’ account of one of the more infamous hauntings in the United States, taking place in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, in a 92-year-old duplex inhabited by the Smurl family.
Strange noises, apparitions, physical attacks, and demonic manifestations become part of the family’s daily life. Eventually, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren are called in to investigate the phenomena.
Characters
Jack and Janet Smurl
Jack is the husband/father, Janet the wife/mother. They are portrayed as ordinary, well-meaning, devout Catholics, whose faith becomes both their anchor and their source of vulnerability. They are the ones under direct and indirect attack by the various supernatural phenomena.
The children
The couple’s children also experience the strange occurrences, although to a lesser extent than their parents.
Jack’s Parents
Jack’s parents live next door and also experience some of the phenomena, which at first causes a little tension between the two households.
Ed & Lorraine Warren
Ed and Lorraine Warren are well-known paranormal ‘investigators’, who, in this book, are sought out by the family. They arrive at the Smurls’ home and begin an investigation, trying to help them make sense of what is happening.
Writing Style
Curran adopts a journalistic style while documenting the Smurls’ supposed haunting, using interviews and recorded testimonies to flesh out their story.
The plot is not strictly linear. There are many digressions, including backstories, neighbourhood accounts, third-party witnesses, and religious discussions, which make the narrative feel a bit episodic. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s just not what I was expecting.
I wanted to read this book because the film The Conjuring: Last Rites, which is based on this case, was recently released, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the book would be just as atmospheric and spooky—but it wasn’t.
I’ve mentioned before that while I don’t believe in the paranormal, I do enjoy reading books and watching documentaries on the subject because I appreciate a good spine tingle. However, there was little to no atmospheric buildup in the book, which is, I’ve found, such an essential part of these ‘true’ accounts.
Speaking of which, the book lacks any real credibility; the author doesn’t question the fact that these strange events happened to the family, nor does he offer any alternative explanations, either natural or psychological, which is frustrating for a sceptic like me.
Something I did enjoy was the relatively short chapters, which often switched between the Smurls’ own experiences and outside witnesses, preventing the book from becoming wholly boring.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare is worthwhile if you like “paranormal true story” books or are interested in the Warrens or their famous cases.
However, if you come expecting a polished horror narrative, full of literary flair or tight storytelling, you will feel disappointed. My advice would be to read this one as though it were a novel, and ultimately suspend your disbelief.
I am giving this one a 2/10.
Have you read The Haunted? What did you think? Are you a believer? Let me know!
Thank you, as ever, for reading my review.
Until next time,
George
© 2026 GLT
Categories: Book Reviews, Reading
GEORGE L THOMAS 
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