The Marionette in the Attic

By Charles Vaudeclaire

Mathis has no interest in spending his vacation at Grandma Louise's old house.

It is dark, isolated, and almost completely cut off from cell service. At first, the strange noises are easy to explain away: creaking floorboards, rattling pipes, an aging house settling at night.

Then Mathis hears three slow knocks above his bedroom.

The attic is supposed to be off-limits. Its trapdoor is secured with a new padlock, and Grandma Louise insists there is nothing up there but old boxes and broken furniture.

But when Mathis's cousin Zo arrives, they both begin hearing the same impossible sounds.

Something is moving above them.

Something is waiting.

Ignoring their grandmother's warning, Mathis and Zo open the attic and discover a black trunk. Inside sits Victor, an old ventriloquist dummy with dark glass eyes, a frozen smile, and a wooden body that feels strangely warm.

Victor is no ordinary toy.

He moves on his own. He appears where he should not be. He speaks with voices that do not belong to him. And before long, he becomes especially interested in Mathis's voice.

Their search for answers leads to the story of a boy who vanished decades ago after a mysterious performance-and to a secret Grandma Louise has kept buried ever since.

But some performances were never meant to be finished.

And Victor has been waiting a very long time for someone new to take the stage.

The Marionette in the Attic is a creepy supernatural mystery for readers ages 12 and up, filled with eerie discoveries, family secrets, a forbidden attic, and a sinister figure that refuses to stay silent.

Perfect for readers who enjoy haunted houses, cursed objects, supernatural mysteries, and suspenseful stories where courage means moving forward even when you are afraid.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H3P3R42D
• ISBN13: 9798199532891
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 166 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"