Servant: The Goodpasture Chronicles

by R.J. Halbert

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.

Genres: Fantasy

262 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

R.J. Halbert is the husband and wife team behind CARETAKER - Book One of The Goodpasture Chronicles, a supernatural tale about breaking generational curses to forge new bonds of hope.

Jason Halbert, one-half of R.J. Halbert, is an Emmy and Grammy Award winning producer and songwriter. His songs have reached millions of listeners worldwide through multiple #1 and Platinum selling records. In addition to his 20+ year career as Music Director and Producer for Kelly Clarkson and several other notable artists, he has left his unique creative mark on numerous works in film and television.

When not creating music, he loves bee-keeping, Sci-Fi, and is known to be quite a storyteller.

After homeschooling their two children around the world on a tour bus, Rhonda Halbert, the second half of R.J. Halbert, has spent the past 10 years as a successful music and television manager, guiding her clients’ relationships with labels, networks, and producers. She is also a published photographer, music supervisor, passionate cook, garden enthusiast, and spiritual practitioner.

Together, Jason and Rhonda have woven their 30+ years of life together into a riveting story, based somewhat on truth and experience, but even more so, brimming with imagination.

Reviews

[Andrew Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first lines, 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 immerses you in that delicious tension: a child disappears, a house’s secrets deepen, and a family begins to fray at the edges! We pick up where 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 left off and go right into the mystery of the story where we follow Zach and his journey to an unknown time and place. We meet new characters and see Zach piece together parts of the mystery with the help of a new friend!
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Back at the house, we get to spend more time with each member of the Keane family and how they handle the search for Zach in their own way, and each discover new and haunting secrets of the house and the land it sits on!
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Our favourite caretaker Marshall is never far away, bringing in more insight and mystery into the lore that #rjhalbert has created!!
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𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 is second book in the haunting, emotionally tangled, mysterious #goodpasturechronicles series which helps deepens the mysteries, stretches the characters, and keeps you turning the pages till the very end!!
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Can’t wait to see continue the mysteries journey and dive even deeper into the lore and mystery, bring on Book 3!!!

[Sherie Hauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute "tornado of suspense"! When their son Zach vanishes without a trace, the Keane family is plunged into a nightmare. You can feel every ounce of their pain and the love they have for each other. The intricate, shifting timelines are incredibly engaging—each one had me hooked.
The history of the house and its caretaker is slowly unfolding, leaving me with anticipation for the next book and bringing more of its mystery to light with all the answers to our questions.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Servant is a supernatural fantasy novel that blends family drama, ancient mystery, and time-crossed storytelling. The book follows two threads that eventually begin to echo one another: Zach, a middle-school kid from the Keane family who vanishes from his house under eerie circumstances, and Akolo, a boy living centuries earlier whose life is marked by war, trauma, and the demands of kings. As Zach’s family searches for him in the present day, he finds himself wandering through stone hallways, oil-lit corridors, and a world that feels pulled straight from his dad’s archaeology stories. Meanwhile, Akolo faces his own captivity in a foreign palace controlled by a ruler who insists he will “need” him. Both boys are caught in places where power, fear, and destiny collide. By the time the book reaches its epilogue, the story has cracked wide open into something larger, hinting at deep magic, interwoven timelines, and a house that is far more alive than anyone wants to admit.

I found myself pulled in by the writing style. It’s simple on the surface but has this steady emotional current running underneath. The authors don’t rush. They let each moment breathe. Even the small scenes, a father making coffee, a daughter complaining about pizza for breakfast, or the house creaking in the early morning, carry a sense of “something is happening here,” even if you can’t name it yet. I liked that. It made me feel like I was sitting inside the Keanes’ home, overhearing bits of life while the bigger mystery brewed just out of sight. And then we cut to Akolo’s story, which feels raw and grounded and ancient. Those chapters landed hardest for me. His fear. His confusion. The way he clutches the jeweled stone in his pocket just to feel connected to something familiar.

I also appreciated the author's choices around pacing and perspective. Switching between timelines can easily feel gimmicky, but here it feels purposeful. Zach’s modern confusion mirrors Akolo’s ancient disorientation, and that parallel makes the supernatural elements feel earned. I liked how the book doesn’t give its secrets away too quickly. We get hints, symbols carved into doors, fog in places fog shouldn’t be, Marshall knowing more than he says, but the authors trust the reader to sit in the unknown for a while. That kind of patience is rare, and honestly, refreshing. The emotional beats hit hardest because they’re framed by that tension: the Keane parents’ terror when Zach goes missing, Ariel’s mix of resentment and fear, Akolo’s grief for his family, Marshall’s haunted loyalty to forces he doesn’t entirely understand. All of it builds toward that late-book shake of the earth, where the house itself moves as though waking up.

Servant doesn’t wrap everything up, but it feels like a middle chapter that knows exactly what it is. I’d recommend this book to readers who love supernatural fantasy with a human heart, people who enjoy stories about families surviving strange things, or anyone who likes time-slip mysteries tied to ancient cultures. If you want something atmospheric, character-driven, and a little eerie without tipping into horror, this one will hit the spot.

[J Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Servant is a haunting and emotionally charged continuation of The Goodpasture Chronicles that deepens the mythology while raising the stakes on every level. R.J. Halbert masterfully blends suspense, supernatural mystery, and family-driven emotion, creating a story that feels both intimate and ominous. The unraveling of the Keane family is portrayed with raw authenticity, making the loss of Zach feel immediate and devastating.

What truly elevates Servant is its atmosphere. The cryptic symbols, ancient powers, and unsettling presence of Marshall create a constant undercurrent of tension. The balance between psychological unease and supernatural revelation is handled with precision, pulling the reader deeper into the story with each chapter. This is the kind of sequel that not only satisfies fans of Caretaker but expands the world in a way that feels deliberate, chilling, and unforgettable.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this without having read the first book in the series since this was a NetGalley ARC, and I was pleasantly surprised that I never felt lost or confused. The story provides enough context to stand on its own, making it easy to settle into the world and the characters without feeling like I was missing major pieces. The tension surrounding Zach’s disappearance was gripping, and I liked how the narrative balanced the family’s unraveling in the present with the unsettling, otherworldly storyline unfolding around Zach. The atmosphere was eerie and emotionally heavy, especially as grief, suspicion, and supernatural elements began to blur together. While there were moments where the pacing slowed, the mystery and psychological weight kept me engaged. This definitely made me interested in going back and reading the first book to see how everything began.

[Stephanie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this book is the second in a series. I am sure that the author's would love you to read the first book, but it is not needed - I picked up quick. The father, an archeologist, moves his family into a new home (the first book) and in that book the house made the mother think she was nuts. Like dementia/Alzheimer's.

In this story, their son goes missing - not so much as where but when. The father finally figures out that something is going on - in the past - so he is able to help save the son.

Eventually, he does come home, and since I read the book I know what one of the leading characters is/was, but if I was the parents I would be moving out of that house :) lol.

Defintely a non stop read. And I will continue to follow up on the family :)

[Peri Rhiannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I’m not typically a mystery/thriller reader, this series is truly one for the books. The twists, the turns, the emotion, the heart—every word between the lines is felt. You hear the story, you see it come to life, and you experience every moment right alongside the characters.

I can’t wait to read Book 3 and see where the journey takes the Keane family next.

[Kristin Barnes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Duplicate

This book is exactly the same as the first book, so I bought two books that are the same. I am very disappointed.