S. F. Prescott

Nail-biting suspense!

Marcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. His debut novel We Used to Live Here began life as a serialized short story on Reddit. Film rights were snapped up by Netflix, and it was acquired by Simon & Schuster in the US for publication even before it had been extended into a full-length novel. He lives in Vancouver, Canada. 

I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer, after the noted success of his first book, We Used to Live Here. I’ve never read anything by the author, and can honestly say this book really disturbed me. Kliewer has a talent for vivid scenes and integrating dark themes that stick with the reader.

TW: There are themes of OCD and suicide.

I was gripped! This book met and exceeded my expectations for the genre. I expected it to be dark, but nowhere near as disturbing. The plot really built the tension layer by layer, and the pace was steady, keeping me turning the pages until the end. The same can be said about the characters, Macy and her little sister, Jemma. Both of them were “voicey” and interesting, jumping off the page. I enjoyed the way their relationship developed throughout the story with Macy becoming more vulnerable and Jemma stepping up to protect her big sister. The flip in dynamics made me feel so claustrophobic as Macy’s reality crumbled around her and the horrific truths of the house closed in. The character arcs felt believable, as did their sad history, making the inevitable ending all the more stressful.

There are a few scenes I can’t shake, but one I keep coming back to is Macy hiding in the basement, while a “visitor” tries breaking down the door to get her. The gore, the dialogue, it all adds up to a terrifying experience. Read this book with the lights on!

Synopsis:

Follow the Rites…

Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY:
Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY.

Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she’s not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for.

Besides, it’s only three days’ work…

Three days, cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness.

What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property—and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity.

Follow the Rites…

Follow the Rites…

Follow the Rites…

..— / ….. / —..