When Michael Calls

by John Farris

"Auntie Helen" the little boy sobbed, "I'm home, and nobody's here!"

The phone trembled in Helen Connolly's hand. She could not believe her ears. This was her nephew, Michael Young on the phone, Michael, who had been dead for sixteen years.

Who was this mysterious caller? Could it really be Michael? And if so, what did he want?

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

249 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

American writer and screenwriter of both adaptations of his own books (e.g. 'The Fury'), of the works of others (such as Alfred Bester's 'The Demolished Man') and original scripts. In 1973 he wrote and directed the film 'Dear Dead Delilah'. He has had several plays produced off-Broadway, and also paints and writes poetry. At various times he has made his home in New York, Southern California and Puerto Rico; he currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. Early in his career he also wrote under the name Steve Brackeen.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Connelly is getting phone calls from a boy who says he is her nephew Michael (who has been dead for 16 years). Is this a crank caller, or could it really be Michael? Strange things are also happening to people who knew Michael... like accidental deaths, more phone calls, glimpses of young Michael in the night. Is this really Michael, and what does he want?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was wondering what was going to happen and if it really was Michael making these calls, and if not, who else? A great read with good, eerie atmosphere, interesting characters, and an exciting conclusion.

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 5 out of 5]

- My Description -
Don't answer the phone because Micheal knows your number.

Helen Connolly's young nephew died in a tragic weather-related accident 16 years ago.
She begins to receive harassing phone calls from him.
Is it the ghost of young Micheal or was he ever really dead?

- My Review -
This was a pretty cool mystery.

It had downright terrifying parts, one in particular, for me.
This book reminded me a lot of The Black-Eyed kids you always read about in ghost stories.

The book is set in the Fall, so it's a great book to read in the Fall when the leaves start to fall & it's cold outside. =)

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Farris book and a quick read at that. It was very creepy with the phone calls from a dead boy. The killings were very mysterious and i felt like this started out as horror, but then turned out into a whodunit mystery. Once it was revealed as to who the killer was, i lost a little interest. Overall it was very entertaining and well written. I have about 5 other books from this author including All heads turn as the hunt goes by. May leave that one for last. Great first read though with an intro by mr King himself.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a little boy calls & says he's her nephew, somethings not right. Michael has been dead for 16 years.

[Matthew Bielawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story quite a bit. Nothing like mysterious phone calls from someone who is "supposed" to be dead! Fast paced, lots of action and some pretty good scary scenes. Now, it didn't keep me up at night or rechecking the back door locks, but it did entertain me. Hey, after all, that's why I enjoy horror. (Sure, I'd prefer to freak out at night, fixated at the slightly open closet door in the dark after reading a *great* horror story. But this book, with its decent story and flowing action still made me a little jumpy.)

Even though I rated 3 stars, I'd give it 3.5 if the option existed.

[Jim Lay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

After trying to re-read this book in January 2026, I abandoned it after a chapter because it has not aged well. I first read it as a teenager so I assume my expectations for writing quality weren't as high back then. I have changed my score, which I had set based on memories of really liking this book, to my recent experience with it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had plenty of library books but for some reason I picked up an old book of mine that had been sitting around forever. It turned out to be very good, not too scary but very much of a page-turner. Recommended for readers who don't want to be scared too much, also harkens back to the days before smart phones and other technology changed our world.

[Kris Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a book i remember reading as a teen. I wanted to know if i would still enjoy it. its a good teen story -- it reminded me how our world has changed. the book discussed winding watches and buying a soda for 20 cents! and with cell phones the story could never happen! ha ha

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little predictable, but a quick easy read... entertaining....

[John M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this thriller back when I was in Junior High - it still holds up pretty well. Has some genuine creepiness but the culprit is pretty obvious from the get-go.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ghost story. You really can't go far wrong with Michael Farris.

[A.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by John Farris. Again, he wove a plot twist I didn't see coming and had me spellbound from the first page to the last. Don't miss this one!

[Paperbackbooks86 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of 5 star reviews on this one, so I figured I would give it a go. A short read, but I was able to figure it out The Whodunit very quickly and the book itself reveals whodunit if you will well before the book is over. The book itself seemed to have a pattern, and imo an annoying one at that.

You would start a chapter, and it would be long and drawn out. A lot of unnecessary details or conversations, or descriptions of things, and then the last two pages of the chapter would start to pick and just when you are hooked, the chapter ends and it’s back to the same formula.

When the action and or suspense is going on, this book is a real page turner (even if you figure it out early). As someone else pointed out, the book starts off as a supernatural type book, and then changes gears to a thriller.

I was a bit disappointed by this, because I was very much looking forward to a supernatural book, but was given what felt like a bait and switch. The book does try to throw some curve balls at you to take you off the path, but not enough to convince you to change your mind.

Overall, for what it is, and how short it was, I wasn’t mad I read it, but it wasn’t anything great. Oh, and before I wrap this up. I thought the ending STUNK. It just… ends. It felt like the author was done telling the story and just ended it, and tied a bow on it with the same cliche ending.

3 out of 5 stars.

[Jim Thomsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEM MICHAEL CALLS, a 1967 novel, is as sturdy and unsplashy as its author, a prolific author of contemporary Southern gothic stories that straddle the line between horror, paranormal and crime fiction. The crime part is slightly dominant in this tale of what seems to be a long-dead boy making spooky phone calls to those who feels wronged him and his beloved late mother. Once the sepulchral trappings of the mystery, aided in no small part by the smartly rendered small-town-Ozarks setting, are stripped away, WHEN MICHAEL CALLS becomes a lean, tense serial-killer thriller with plenty of surprises still in store.

WHEN MICHAEL CALLS is the high-end-journeyman work of a high-end-journeyman author, and holds up surprisingly well more than half a century later, thanks to unfussy prose, sturdy plotting, standout pacing and the author's strong instinct for a convincing twist. Small wonder that it was remade in 1972 as a superior example of the fledgling made-for-TV horror-movie genre, starring Ben Gazzara, Elizabeth Ashley and, in one of his very first screen appearances, a very young Michael Douglas.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'When Michael Calls' by John Farris summoned me from my teenage years. This book was excerpted in a popular woman's magazine during the 1960/1970's and I was hooked when I read it. Some 30 years later, I remembered the book and purchased a used copy. Although I well remember extensive passages from the book, I do not think I have read the book in its entirety until now. Considering that this novel was published in 1967, it is pretty gruesome and scary even by today's standards. It is definitely reminiscent of Stephen King, who was apparently influenced by John Farris and wrote in a review of this book 'uncommonly good book'. The ending was a bit of a letdown in detail though the mystery of Michael's calls had been pretty convincingly surmised as the final action unfolded. The last chapter reveals the book's climax in the form of a romantic twist so the horrific intent of the book is somewhat lessened. For that reason I give the books 4 stars.

[Tam Sesto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in my teen years, so I was excited to read it again to see how well it held up over time. Suspenseful, interesting characters, an unexpected killer. The story moved at a nice pace and I liked the simplified writing by the author.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

[Sherri Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was slow in spots, it was a very good read! It's a bit dated and that felt like it held the book back of it in my opinion. But this was a deliciously creepy tail that I highly recommend to those who like slow-burning suspenseful stories.

[LisaMarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Sometimes my lust for 70s cheese just doesn’t go down well. The 1972 TV Movie of the Week starring young Michael Douglas was actually a vast improvement on this limping 🦃 !
Super irked by the ending too.

[Karolina Pałka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the premise, but the execution fell short. At a certain point, it became painfully obvious who was behind everything, which completely drained the suspense. A little more subtlety or misdirection could have kept the tension alive.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suddenly this title popped into my head, and I know I read it when it came out in paperback. I don't remember it now...I need to read it again!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent little horror thriller about people receiving threatening phone calls. Unfortunately it loses steam once it drops the horror and veers into whodunit.

[Andrew macgibbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little thriller that builds up right till the end. Was made into a tv movie in the 1970s starring a young Michael Douglas.

[sarapapara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short n easy peasy read. Has 2 plot twists. I like the first. The 2nd one was silly n didnt age well imo

[Paloma Patino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy I found this book in a thrift store. Fun/quick read!

[Ginevra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primo horror letto. Un po' prevedibile ma carino.

[Roger L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading my first book from John Farris. I look forward to reading more.

[Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to follow with great details.

[Shaan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid premise and there are a few suspenseful moments, but I just couldn't get into this. Also, the ending was lame and creepy (not in the good way).

[tam tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my favorite Farris