Title: The Caretaker
Author: Marcus Kliewer
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.75★)
Synopsis
A desperate woman takes on a seemingly simple caretaking job, only to discover that following a set of strange rules is the only thing standing between her and something far more dangerous.
My Thoughts
Macy Mullins is in serious debt and desperately needs money. When she finds a housesitting job on Craigslist that pays extremely well for only three days of work, she knows it sounds too good to be true. Still, the money is impossible to ignore, so she accepts.
After all, how hard can it be to take care of an empty house for a few days and follow a few rules?
Well… that’s where things start getting interesting. (cough cough)
Very quickly those “simple rules” begin to feel anything but simple. What seems like a few strange instructions soon turns into something much more unsettling when breaking them leads to very real consequences. The tension builds fast as Macy realizes that every step, every action, and every moment has to be done exactly right.
The atmosphere of the book is definitely intense. At times I genuinely wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t, which made the story feel even more chaotic and unsettling (and yes… having a white pet bunny with red eyes while reading this did not help).
Even when the plot occasionally lost me for a moment, I was still completely curious to see where things were going and what would happen next. One thing becomes very clear, very quickly: you absolutely must Follow the Rites...
That said, my biggest issue ended up being the ending. After all the tension, confusion and anxiety that build throughout the story, the final resolution felt a bit abrupt. I found myself wishing for just a little more after everything that happened.
Unless, of course, this turns out to be the beginning of something bigger… because if there’s a second book, I’m in.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a very entertaining and unsettling read that kept me hooked the whole time. It’s tense, strange, and just chaotic enough to keep you questioning everything.
Definitely one to pick up if you enjoy atmospheric horror with a strong sense of unease.
ARC Disclaimer
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
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