horror

Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

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The CaretakerThe Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Follow the rites…

The Caretaker is one of those books that I’m blessed enough to get a chance to read early, and then I can’t wait for everyone else to read because I need to talk about it!

This story captured my full attention and did not let up the entire way through. I read it in a day and it left me with A LOT to think about. I was doing mental gymnastics trying to keep up with everything Kliewer was throwing at me, and honestly, it was exhilarating.

Macy Mullins, our MC, is a young woman a bit down on her luck, who needs to scramble to support not only herself, but her little sister, Jemma. After a string of failed job interviews, Macy is still on the hunt when an enticing ad on Craig’s List catches her eye:

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

Macy applies and ends up securing an interview. She meets with the woman who she would be working for, and although it’s an unusual meeting, to say the least, Macy can’t afford to be picky.

As an outside observer, I may have been screaming at Macy to not agree to take the job, but I also can’t pay Macy’s bills, so she does what she has to do and she accepts.

It’s only 3-days work, where she’ll have to stay at the woman’s house in the wilderness of Oregon and take care of her house. How bad could it possibly get?

Y’all, it can get bad. I think we all know this. Even Macy probably knew this, but like I said, she really didn’t have much of a choice. The first thing that really captured me about this book was how realistic and well-developed Macy was as a protagonist.

While I’ve never experienced some of the things that Macy had been through, I couldn’t help by feel connected to her struggles. I had such empathy for her while she was just working through her own thoughts.

I also felt like I was going on this journey with her. The house, the property, the weirdness of the whole circumstance was seeping off the page and into my brain. It felt tactile to me. I was feeling it all; transported.

The synopsis describes this as a waking nightmare, and I can’t think of a better way to put it. There were scenes that played into some of my own fears and left me absolutely chilled to the bone and my blood pumping.

I need to get a physical copy, because I’ll be reading it again. It’s twisted, layered and I would love to take more time with it. Now that I know the end, I feel I could pick up more of the smaller pieces I may have missed on this first go.

Upon completion, I sat and just stared at the wall for a good 4-to-5 minutes. Yes, that’s a good thing. If this doesn’t leave you with an existential crisis, I’m not sure what will.

At this end of the day, I found this wildly-entertaining. It’s highly-consummable, gripping and disturbing. It’s going to stick in my mind for a long, long time.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is the first I’ve read from this author, but you better believe I’ll be picking up more.

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Review: The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own by Gwendolyn Kiste

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The Haunted Houses She Calls Her OwnThe Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own by Gwendolyn Kiste
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘You know my name. You know my face. I’m the girl in the picture. The girl who never gets to stop smiling, never gets to rest, no matter how hard I try, no matter how loud I scream.’

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own is a gripping and thought-provoking Feminist Horror Short Story collection from Bram Stoker Award winning author, Gwendolyn Kiste.

This collection includes 16-diverse stories that are all sure to capture and hold your attention. I loved the variety among the stories, but really appreciated the common themes explored throughout. The Feminist vibes made the collection feel very cohesive.

Some of the standout stories for me include, The Sea Witch of the World’s Fair, The Last Video Store on the Left, Sister Glitter Blood, The Mad Monk of Motor City, Best Friends Forever, and the story that gave the collection its name, The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own, which was my favorite.

Another aspect I was surprised by, but I thought was very interesting was the number of historical figures that popped up amongst these stories. Individuals like Rasputin and Mary Shelley, I didn’t expect that here and I liked how those figures were used to tell the stories.

In this collection, Kiste was really able to display the range of her writing and it’s clear she’s not afraid to explore difficult topics. It was almost like a mental exercise, going in and out amongst the stories, jumping around in space and time. I loved that.

I would absolutely recommend this to any Readers of Horror Short Fiction, particularly if you enjoy stories exploring things like systemic gender inequalities, body autonomy and female rage, to name a few.

Thank you to the publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I certainly would be surprised if I see this listed on the 2026 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot!

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Review: These Familiar Walls by C.J. Dotson

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These Familiar Walls: A NovelThese Familiar Walls: A Novel by C.J. Dotson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

These Familiar Walls is a Paranormal Horror Thriller from C.J. Dotson. This story follows our MC, Amber, in two timelines.

The present is 2020, and Amber, along with her husband, Ben, and their two children, move into Amber’s childhood home. Amber has inherited the house after her parents have been murdered, inside the house, by Nathan, one of Amber’s friends from her teen years.

Amber also lost her sister, Hannah, along with her brother-in-law, in a house fire not long ago. It’s clear from the start that Amber is working through some things, and perhaps her childhood home, full of unpleasant memories, isn’t the best place for her during this difficult time.

We also get Amber’s perspective from 22-years before, in 1998, when she first befriends Nathan, the boy who would grow up to become a murderer.

Nathan exhibits classic signs of the homicidal triad, including cruelty to animals (on page) and fire-setting. I’m not sure what his proclivity for bed-wetting was, but I’m gonna guess it happened once or twice.

Needless to say, Amber’s parents weren’t crazy about her hanging around with the disturbed boy next door, and it cause a lot of contention in their household. A fact Amber has never forgotten.

These scenes from 1998, while interesting, particularly the interactions involving Amber’s little sister, Hannah, did slow down the pace for me a little bit.

The spooky stuff in the house kicks off fairly quickly, and the sections of the past sort of brought it down for me until about the 60% point.

I did really enjoy the unsettling things happening to Amber within the house in the present perspective. There were a lot of visions connected to the past, and creepy scenes involving the mirrors that definitely got under my skin.

I was torn initially on how to rate this, because I found portions of it to be distasteful. This needs explanation, but I’m not sure how much I can say without spoiling things. The more I’ve thought about it though, the more I have to doff my cap to the author in my uncomfortableness.

I found one of the violent, pivotal scenes in this book abhorrent. However, I am a Horror Reader. I’ve definitely read wayyyy more messed up stuff than this, so I have to think that the author did a great job eliciting these emotions from me. I must have been so sucked in, so involved in the lives of this family that it made it extra impactful. Either way, it’s uncomfortable, or was for me.

I do believe that was the intention of the author, of course, for me to feel this way. Therefore, I can’t hold it against them, my own emotional hangups. They did what they set out to do, and well done for that.

I just needed to get over that mental hurdle and appreciate the novel’s ability to put me in an uncomfortable place and keep me there. By the time everything is revealed though, that emotion lifts and then we get to the heart of the paranormal of the story.

I felt that was executed well. It’s hard sometimes to translate those kind of concepts, what may be in author’s head onto the page, but I think Dotson did a good job. While some aspects were predictable, I think overall it’s an engaging and gripping read.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read from Dotson so far, and am looking forward to more in the future!

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Review: Dead Fake (Bleak Haven #1) by Vincent Ralph

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Dead Fake (Bleak Haven, #1)Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dead Fake is the 1st-book in an all-new YA Horror series from beloved YA Horror author, Vincent Ralph. I have read previously from this author and had fun with his stories, so I’ve been looking forward to this.

This Bleak Haven series had the first 2-books release this January, and books 3 and 4 are set to release in the Fall. If I’m understanding it correctly, these books are like Fear Street in that they’re all set in the same fictional town, where curious and horrible things frequently happen, but each book follows separate characters.

I’m assuming there will be some overlap of characters, but I’m not sure how much since I haven’t read them all yet. This one did set-up nicely the idea that this town is cursed, and it also referenced some previous atrocities that would lead residents to believe that.

This story in particular follows Ava Wilson, whose Uncle Miles is an infamous Bleak Haven murderer. Ava attends the local high school and it’s there that the action kicks off. Flyers are posted around the school asking students if they would Swipe to Die?

The flyers have a QR code that lead to a mysterious website where students can view their own ‘death’. These deaths take the form of AI-generated Slasher Movie moments, putting the students in the final death scenes. These videos are then made public for all to see.

Ava is a hard pass on this disturbing new trend, but many students, including her friends, can’t resist trying it out. Curiosity killed the cat, and all that.

When some of her classmates deepfakes are replicated in real life, Ava can’t help but notice unsettling details that prompt her to believe these deaths may be connected to the past. Unable to leave it alone, Ava digs in, determined to find the killer before they take out anyone else she loves.

Dead Fake is a lot of fun to read. It’s engaging and well-written, with a solid intensity and well-developed characters. IMO, it’s a great start to a YA Horror series. It felt nostalgic for me, channeling the Point Horror, or Christopher Pike/R.L. Stine reads of my youth.

I really enjoyed Ava as the protagonist. I thought she felt very natural and the backstory of everything involving her Uncle added substance to the story. There was a lot of complicated emotions her family was dealing with in the aftermath of all that, and I enjoyed that exploration.

I also loved the build-up, with the flyers and the videos dropping, and then finally with the bodies dropping. There were some good twists as well once Ava starts looking into who is possibly behind the website and the murders.

I’m really excited to continue on with these books. I’m looking forward to seeing what the content of the other books is going to be. I’m not sure if they’re all set in the same time period or not, or if some of them will maybe feature some of the previous bad things that have happened in the town that were referenced in this book.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA Horror, or even Adult Horror Readers who are looking for something fun and potentially nostalgic ((if you’re of a certain age, like me)). You can tell by this phenomenal cover exactly the vibes you’re getting in this story too. I love it.

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m super excited to start the next book. I have no doubt it will be as much fun as this one!

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Review: Mother Is Watching by Karma Brown

~ megs14malloy

Mother Is Watching: A NovelMother Is Watching: A Novel by Karma Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Mother Is Watching is an Adult Horror debut for bestselling author, Karma Brown. I’ve never read from Brown before, but it’s my understanding that she’s mostly written Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels.

This is a big shift from that, and oh baby, did she knock it out of the park. This was so good and had me spinning.

This story is set in a futuristic-dystopian landscape. We follow Tilly, and art conservator living in Georgia in the American South, who has been tasked with a mysterious painting known as The Mother.

Tilly has also recently found out that she is pregnant. She lives with her husband, their young daughter and her mother-in-law. The news that their family is expanding is most welcome.

In fact, in this world, due to a virus that negatively affected fertility rates, the government is very focused on motherhood and pregnancy. Tilly is soon to become a societal VIP of sorts, with access to all sorts of new ‘perks’.

Even though she’s expecting, Tilly is determined to continue working no matter what anyone says. This isn’t necessarily the norm in this society with a strong focus on mothers staying safe within the home. Tilly loves her work though and feels especially connected to The Mother project.

It’s not long after she starts working on the restoration that inexplicable and terrifying things begin happening to Tilly and her family. There’s a lot of insects and a lot of body horror, and I’ve gotta say, I was eating it up.

The creepy crawlies alone are worth picking up this book for IMO, but there’s so much more than just that. I’m so impressed with the way Karma Brown constructed this story. I was pulled in and hooked from the very first chapter.

The themes explored provide so much food for thought and I feel like this could make a very strong Book Club pick, for those with the stomach to get through it, that is. I wasn’t really expecting the dystopian backdrop, though it is listed as one of the main genres, so that was such a pleasant surprise, and I felt it was executed so well.

We’re truly having a renaissance of Horror Fiction right now, and I’m not necessarily sure why that is, but as a life-long Horror Lover, I’m so happy to see it and receive it.

There’s such diversity and quality in the stories we are getting right now. I feel blessed. I hope that this novel starts getting some more buzz, because it certainly deserves it.

On a more personal level, I chose not to have children and have never for one moment regretted it, so I can’t relate to this desperate struggle and want to have children that many of the characters in this story displayed. However, I loved Tilly so much as a character. Everything she goes through in this story is visceral and gripping.

The ending too, it gets wild, but I appreciated how full-circle it felt. With this being said, I would throw a caution flag up for Readers who like things to be wrapped-up neatly. I feel like the author left some avenues of interpretation for the Reader at the conclusion of this one, but frankly, I enjoyed the mental exercise.

There’s so many more thoughts I have on this, but mentioning any of them would mean spoilers and I’m not willing to include those in my reviews. Best advice, read this with a friend, you’re going to want to talk about it!

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I sincerely hope that Karma Brown keeps writing in the Horror space.

This was refreshing and I look forward to more Readers picking it up!

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Review: You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado

~ megs14malloy

You Should Have Been Nicer to My MomYou Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom follows Xiomara as she returns to her Papi Ramon’s house following his death. The entire family is gathering for the reading of Papi’s Will and though Xiomara is somewhat estranged from her family, she’s compelled to be there.

She does have good memories of Papi, and his stories, but for the most part she’s feeling a lot of apprehension about this event. It’s sure to be tense and emotionally-charged.

The wealthy Abreau family gathers at Papi’s estate, but nothing could have prepared them for the following words being read: “One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.”

I mean words like that will stop any family gathering in its tracks; at least for a moment. Xiomara is shocked, but she feels the truth in the statement. The rest of the family is outraged. They demand the attorney return to his office to retrieve the previous version of the Will.

As the attorney departs, a vicious storm breaks out forcing the rest of the family to remain trapped together within the house. Suspicions and tensions run high, and over the course of the night numerous family secrets and scandals are revealed, violence erupts, but who is el bacà?

This was so fun! I recognize this won’t work for every Reader, but luckily for me, it 100% worked. It’s an interesting take on an inheritance story, and I appreciated all the effort Tirado put into the messy family dynamics.

For me, the story felt fast-paced and engaging the whole way through. This is a big family and there’s a lot of shite going on amongst them. I was so here for it, just sitting in the corner, eating my popcorn.

Seriously, this is the type of story where you just feel like a fly on the wall, watching everything unfold. I really enjoyed Xiomara as a main character. I could feel all of her emotions as she was forced into such close proximity with a family she had grown distant from.

In certain ways, this reminded me of Rachel Harrison’s Black Sheep. It’s that sort of play on a toxic family and I enjoyed it in both stories.

This is the 3rd-novel that I’ve read from Vincent Tirado, though the other two were YA. I’ve really enjoyed them all. I feel like Tirado’s writing is just a great fit for my tastes. I appreciate how they take risks with their stories, and they aren’t afraid of examining some dark themes.

I also really enjoy their character work, particularly the main characters. I’ve felt connected with them in each of the novels I’ve read from Tirado. I’m rooting for them and wishing for their safety as, of course, they all find themselves in various sticky situations.

Admittedly, there’s a lot of arguing and battling in the family in this one. It’s constant, and while normally I’m not crazy about stories that feature people fighting all the time, for some reason it worked fine here.

I think maybe because usually when I hate it, it’s a group of friends, and I think to myself, why are these people even friends? Because we choose our friends, right? But we can’t choose the family we’re born into, which is why I think here it just sort of made sense.

The final bits were so satisfying as well. I thought it concluded seamlessly and it left me with a little evil grin on my face that I love. Again though, definitely not going to be for everyone, but I think for the Readers it hits with, it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to whatever Tirado writes next!

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Review: Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas

~ megs14malloy

Nothing Tastes as GoodNothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

A banner book for 2026, Nothing Tastes as Good is gripping, topical and will certainly pack a punch for many Readers.

This is a 2nd-chance read for me with this author, and I’m so happy I picked it up. I really, really enjoyed this!

This story follows Emmett Truesdale, who has never felt like he’s been able to fit the mold of the beauty standards of his Southern California hometown. He’s always battled with his weight, and certainly has the childhood trauma to prove it.

As an adult, Emmett finds himself single, in a dead-end job and at a peak weight of over 300-lbs. He feels like he’s being crushed by the weight of it all. He’s desperate for a change. Something that will work and have a truly lasting impact.

It’s in his weakest moment that Emmett stumbles across an opportunity to enter a clinical trial for a new weight loss product called Obexity. He’s not without reservations, but as mentioned he’s desperate. He’ll try anything at this point.

He applies for a coveted spot as a participant in the trial and to his delight, he’s selected. He will now be one of the first new users of Obexity!

Though the process itself is a bit terrifying, the results are instantaneous and can’t be denied. The pounds melt off at a rate Emmett could’ve never anticipated. As his weight decreases, all other aspects of his life seem to improve.

Unfortunately, Obexity isn’t without side effects and one of them is a real killer. As mysterious deaths start occurring in Emmett’s local area, he fears Obexity may be turning him into a monster, but how can he give it up when others are finally starting to treat him like a human?

As mentioned above, this was a 2nd-chance for me and Luke Dumas. I read The Paleontologist when it was released and I did not have a good time with it. I actually despised it a bit. However, I never write an author off after only one go, and this is the perfect example of why.

I really enjoyed how Dumas told this story. Not only are we following Emmett in his present perspective, but we’re also getting a lot of different mixed media elements as well, including excerpts from what I believe is Emmett’s blog.

These elements really helped to build out Emmett as a character and fill in the history of his battle with his weight. Other elements were a great snapshot of how the rest of the world was viewing Emmett, Obexity and the gruesome killings happening in the area.

I loved the characters, not just Emmett, but also the side characters in his life. While I may not always have loved their behavior, I felt like they were all done in a way that was startlingly realistic. I could picture people having all these opinions, and gladly sharing them with Emmett.

The commentary was done in a way, that for me, it didn’t feel preachy, but it did open up a lot of avenues for further discussion. The star of the show for me though was the, at times, disgusting, Horror imagery. I feel like it was all pieced together in a way that made the story feel seamless.

Overall, I found this to be topical, fluid, engaging and slightly horrifying. I feel like a lot of people are going to be talking about this one.

Be sure you add it to your Spring TBR!!

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: The Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs

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The Night That Finds Us AllThe Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Night That Finds Us All is a Nautical Horror novel from John Hornor Jacobs. This story follows the journey of a century-old sailboat, The Blackwatch, as she makes her way from the shores of Washington state, all the way to England. This historic ship can’t sail herself though.

Thus, a hodgepodge crew is assembled to deliver her to her new owner. Our MC is Sam, and she gets invited on the project by a past crewmate, Loick, who believes Sam could be the only person capable of dealing with The Blackwatch’s complicated and moody engine.

Sam’s not thrilled by the idea. The head of the crew is someone she’s had issues with before, but she does care for Loick. It could be good working with him again.

The biggest motivator for her though is the money. Sam’s almost at rock bottom. Her drinking is out of control and she’s struggling to stay afloat on many fronts. Ultimately, she agrees to the job and the journey begins.

Sam’s committed to sobriety for the journey, and the withdrawels begin playing with her mind. At least, she believes it’s the withdrawels. The things she’s hearing, seeing, feeling on this ship, they can’t be real. Can they?

When one crewmate disappears and another is struck by a terrible, horrific accident, Sam’s confusion and fear grows. The Blackwatch is starting to feel a lot less like some rich man’s pet project, and a lot more like something sinister lying in wait to take them all out.

Interesting, interesting. This was a bit of a mixed bag for me, and I’ve been thinking on it for a while, trying to come up with the best way to explain my experience with it. The longer time goes by though, the more at a loss I find myself. Sadly, it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. It was here one moment, gone the next, in my brain.

There were aspects I enjoyed, but there were also a few things that I thought were a little odd and out of place. Sam, as an MC, is not super likable, but that’s fine. That never really bothers me. I don’t need to like book characters.

I found the atmosphere aboard the ship to be my favorite part of the story. There was an overriding sense of dread that kept me moving forward quickly. Unfortunately, in many areas, it got a bit more fever dream than I tend to enjoy, and I had a difficult time sort of imagining exactly what was going down when the action scenes were taking place.

I did, however, enjoy how JHJ leaned into the historical nature of the ship, and even introduced some occult elements that I wasn’t expecting. Overall, I liked the tone and the ideas behind all that was happening, I just feel like for me, it lack a bit in execution.

This is the first that I have read from this author, though, and I would definitely be interested in picking up more. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy Nautical Horror. It’s worth checking out. Just because it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, doesn’t mean you won’t love it.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a fun time. I wish I could have imagined the action a bit more, but still a solid read.

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Review: Molka by Monika Kim

~ megs14malloy

MolkaMolka by Monika Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I’ll admit to having no clue what molka were until I picked up this book. If you’re like me, here’s the definition provided in the publisher’s synopsis:

molka (n): the Korean term for spy cameras secretly and illegally installed, often to capture voyeuristic images and videos

These sound awful, right? A plague on society, where no one can presume themselves safe from the prying eyes of others. In public spaces, voyeurs taking advantage and watching unsuspecting individuals in their most private moments.

In this story, we follow two perspectives, Dahye and Junyoung, who both end up with connections to the molka issue, but in vastly different ways. It was interesting to follow both of these perspectives, and both filled me with emotion, though also in different ways.

Dahye’s story, which mostly revolves around her relationship with a wealthy young man that goes terribly wrong, was so compelling, and also heart-wrenching, for me to read. She is such a well-realized character, every aspect of her I felt was created with such thought and care.

The way Dahye and Junyoung’s perspectives connect more and more as the story progresses helped to increase the intensity of the story. I’m glad the author included both.

I did find Junyoung’s perspective rather disturbing. Once you read this, I’m sure you’ll understand why, but mainly because of the sick pleasure he was getting from the things he was doing. It left me unsettled, considering that people in our world can be this way.

Monika Kim truly has a knack for drawing Readers into the story. I also was super satisfied with the conclusion. Due to the themes explored, I thought it was so fitting for it to wrap-up the way it did. There’s a lot to unpack in this one, and I feel like Kim did a great job shining a light on some pretty uncomfortable topics.

Overall, this is an impressive Sophomore novel from Kim. I thought maybe The Eyes Are the Best Part would be difficult to match, because that was so engaging and explosive, but this definitely achieved the same levels of intrigue, social commentary and stellar character development.

Thank you to the publisher, Erewhon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’ll read anything Monika Kim writes and am looking forward to whatever comes next!

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Review: Greedy by Callie Kazumi

~ megs14malloy

GreedyGreedy by Callie Kazumi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Greedy follows Edward Cook, a British-expat, living in Japan with his wife and young daughter. Ed is in serious debt due to his secret gambling addiction and finds himself without a job, leaving him with no way to pay back the dangerous individuals he owes.

It doesn’t take long for desperation to set in. Ed needs to make a move to increase his cash flow, and quickly. His life, and the lives of his family, depend on it.

It’s when he is at rock bottom that he stumbles upon an unusual help wanted ad: Chef wanted! Private chef needed for a high-profile businesswoman. One million yen per day.

What desperate man wouldn’t apply for this job? Sure, Ed’s no Michelin star chef, but he did spend time as a line cook once. That’s pretty much the same thing, right?

To his surprise and delight, after his interview, Ed is offered the job, which he of course accepts. Leaving his wife and daughter behind in Tokyo, he travels to the mountains to the lavish estate of his new employer, Hazeline Yamamoto, an eccentric and reclusive ex-socialite, where he will be staying during his work weeks.

Ed finds himself thrust into Hazeline’s mysterious world; secretive, extravagant and lush. As chef, Ed has a lot of interactions with Hazeline’s other household staff, and learns a lot of what is expected of him in his new role through them.

As I know you’re all guessing, something isn’t quite right at Hazeline’s estate. Ed hears strange noises and is plagued by unsettling dreams. He also sees Hazeline and others behaving oddly, as well as her frequent guests, whose behavior leaves a lot to be desired.

We follow along with Ed as he tries to navigate this new world. He just wants to pay off his debt. He just wants to do right by his wife and daughter, but will he succeed, or has he gotten in over his head?

Heck yeah, this was good. Intriguing and slightly-gruesome, I was pulled into the story very quickly. I think Kazumi did a great job of setting it up. It doesn’t take too long to get to the heart of the story, but she provided enough groundwork to make you feel settled and invested.

Ed’s story was captivating, the secrets he had been keeping from his family that propelled him into this ominous new career path, it was so well-imagined.

I also loved the way the tension increased as the story progressed, as more and more is revealed to Ed; his revelations were my revelations. I truly felt like I was on this journey with him. The atmosphere as well, I could feel it, it got under my skin. The mysterious benefactor, her odd and exuberant guests, it kept me intrigued throughout.

I do think some aspects were predictable, but just because they were to me, doesn’t mean they were to Ed. To watch Ed as reality slowly dawned on him, the horror and revulsion he felt, it was compelling.

And the ending, ohhhh my. I won’t forget this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Horror Readers, or fans of Dark Fiction in general. I can’t wait for more from this author!!

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