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The Caretaker
Marcus Kliewer
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Atria Books | Emily Bestler Books | 12:01 Books
320 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers
This supernatural/horror story is about Macy Mullins. Macy’s dad has passed away, so she is suffering from grief and is in debt. She’s also looking after her younger sister, Jemma. Macy sees an ad on Craigslist; it’s to house-sit for three days at an estate. The owner, Grace, has given Macy a VHS tape with a set of weird rules/rites (left by her dead husband, David, no less) to follow while house-sitting. Some of these rules are downright bizarre… turning on all lights at exactly 3:00 a.m., never allowing rabbits inside, and dealing with creepy “visitors” who all have blue eyes. This house-sitting gig started out as simply peculiar and turned into a nightmare. Macy soon figures out that the house isn’t just haunted, it is evil. What started out as creepy quickly turns into chaos.
This is the kind of horror book I like. It is intelligently written and deals with grief and mental health issues. Macy has taken on a lot at such a young age, and the pressure is getting to her while she’s trying to process her father’s death. All the classic tropes are here: the isolated estate, weird rules, the “don’t go into this room” tension. But the psychological problems of our protagonist add a little something extra.
While this book is a bit out there, it’s an engrossing story that kept me flipping pages. Kliewer can really write tension, and there’s something about an old house, a VHS tape, and a bunch of rules that up the creep factor because you JUST know there is a danger lurking there. The atmosphere was the best part of the story. The estate is a character here, too, and the unwelcome feeling is what made the book so tense.
I really felt for Macy. Her desperate attempts to look after herself and her sister made her seem real even when she was doing shit that wasn’t logical. The rites were well done, and following Macy as she tries to figure out these weird rules kept up that sense of dread. The last third of the book wasn’t as good as the rest. It wasn’t as claustrophobic or creepy, and the chaotic ending wasn’t as good as the “don’t open the door” suspense I was enjoying. Overall, I enjoyed this one because the protagonist is one I wanted to root for, even though the book was a bit strange and macabre. Just remember, folks, some Craigslist ads are better left unanswered.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
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