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Book Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Book links: Goodreads
BLURB: Follow the Rites...
Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.
From Marcus Kliewer, a new “titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.
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...
AUTHOR: 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, where it won the Scariest Story of 2021 award on the NoSleep forum. Film rights were snapped up by Netflix, and it was acquired by Simon & Schuster for publication even before it had been extended into a full-length novel. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.
Follow him on Instagram @marcus_kliewer for exclusive book updates / writing things / stop motion animation & a lot of pet videos.
Publisher: Atria Books (April 21, 2026), Bantam (April 23, 2026)
Page Count: 320 pages
Formats: hardcover, ebook, audio
REVIEW: I thought this was really clever.
It's one of those that does the jump scares well, and provides a compulsive story that gets more and more intense and heads to a bang of a finale. Before anything else though, be warned, it contains a protagonist who suffers from depression and has tendencies of suicidal ideation.
Macy has had a bad life so far, and there seems to be nothing bright lined up. She is unemployed, responsible for her younger sister after the unexpected death of their father, and everything she does only takes a turn for the worse. Until she finds a three day gig to take care of a huge mansion and follow strange rites to the T. The pay and bonus are unbelievable, so despite her sister's insistence to stay away, she accepts it.
The more I think about it, the more I think I like it. I want to say so much about this, but that will spoil it. It delivers well on the combination of horror with mental health. The main character can be annoying and seems to get more and more incompetent as the book progresses, which kind of is the point. It's a horrifyingly good metaphor for how downward spirals can be, when every action seems pointless and the only consistent feeling is that of being a failure.
After all, what is the more terrifying than your own mind working against you?
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Buy The Fox and the Devil
FORMAT/INFO: The Fox and the Devil was published on March 10th, 2026. It is 368 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Five years ago, Anneke's father Dr. Van Helsing was murdered by a mysterious woman. Anneke has been on the hunt ever since, using her skills as a detective to consult on unusual cases across Europe. And after five years, Anneke finally has a lead on her father's killer. Along with a crew of other unusual detectives, Anneke will need to figure out the method to the killer's madness so they can stop her once and for all. But when the killer makes the unusual move of leaving behind a letter for Anneke, the two find themselves drawn into a relationship that is far more than cat and mouse.
The Fox and the Devil is an engrossing supernatural murder mystery across Europe. I really liked watching the early 20th century methods of detective work, and watching our crew start to put together a profile of the killer. I like watching smart people do their thing, and in this, The Fox and the Devil succeeds. The growing shift towards treating the case as supernatural also happens well. Our characters are coming from a point of view of vampires and other such creatures are purely myth; but after a few incidents, they take the evidence that they have and realize that their killer may be something other than human.
Unfortunately, The Fox and the Devil also tries to be a dark love story and in that aspect, it fails. We are told from nearly page one that Anneke has an intense obsession with the killer that goes beyond a desire for revenge. It's very hard for me to get into relationships where I'm just told "these two people have a history and chemistry, go with it." As a result, the dark romance between Anneke and the killer Diavola just didn't land for me. I like watching the build up of a relationship, and short of that, I want to actually see some tension and chemistry. I didn't get that in this story.
On the whole, The Fox and the Devil works well as a supernatural tale, as a group of detectives slowly piece together that their killer is something inhuman. I enjoyed the globetrotting adventure and the mystery tale itself, even if I didn't love the central relationship.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Five years ago, Anneke's father Dr. Van Helsing was murdered by a mysterious woman. Anneke has been on the hunt ever since, using her skills as a detective to consult on unusual cases across Europe. And after five years, Anneke finally has a lead on her father's killer. Along with a crew of other unusual detectives, Anneke will need to figure out the method to the killer's madness so they can stop her once and for all. But when the killer makes the unusual move of leaving behind a letter for Anneke, the two find themselves drawn into a relationship that is far more than cat and mouse.
The Fox and the Devil is an engrossing supernatural murder mystery across Europe. I really liked watching the early 20th century methods of detective work, and watching our crew start to put together a profile of the killer. I like watching smart people do their thing, and in this, The Fox and the Devil succeeds. The growing shift towards treating the case as supernatural also happens well. Our characters are coming from a point of view of vampires and other such creatures are purely myth; but after a few incidents, they take the evidence that they have and realize that their killer may be something other than human.
Unfortunately, The Fox and the Devil also tries to be a dark love story and in that aspect, it fails. We are told from nearly page one that Anneke has an intense obsession with the killer that goes beyond a desire for revenge. It's very hard for me to get into relationships where I'm just told "these two people have a history and chemistry, go with it." As a result, the dark romance between Anneke and the killer Diavola just didn't land for me. I like watching the build up of a relationship, and short of that, I want to actually see some tension and chemistry. I didn't get that in this story.
On the whole, The Fox and the Devil works well as a supernatural tale, as a group of detectives slowly piece together that their killer is something inhuman. I enjoyed the globetrotting adventure and the mystery tale itself, even if I didn't love the central relationship.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
COVER REVEAL: A Murder Most Fungal: A Fungalverse Novel by Adrian M. Gibson
Official Author Website
Buy Mushroom Blues over HERE
Buy Mushroom Blues over HERE
Mushroom Blues was Adrian M. Gibson's debut and FBC's SPFBOX Finalist, it was also the joint highest scorer of SPFBO 10. But that's not what we are here to reveal.
Thanks to Adrian, we are super thrilled to reveal the cover for the next Fungalverse story in the Hofmann Report series titled A MURDER MOST FUNGAL (releasing on 16th June 2026)
The brilliant & bloody art is by Katerina Belikova & cover design is done by Adrian himself:
OFFICIAL BLURB: The knives are out in this fast-paced, standalone Fungalverse novel. Set several months after the events of Mushroom Blues, this side story combines the culinary wonder of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the kitchen chaos of The Bear, and the explosive tension of Hong Kong crime thrillers.
In the aftermath of the “Fuyu Massacre,” riots and whispers of revolution continue to plague the Hōpponese capital of Neo Kinoko. As a result, the iron grip of a foreign military occupation tightens day by day. Amidst this, Pocho Jiro, a once-renowned makizushi chef, has chosen to cook for Duncan MacArthur—the Coprinian Military Governor in Hōppon—as his personal chef... and indentured servant.
A run-in with dangerous fungal gangsters sets off a chain of events that Pocho cannot escape from. He’s left with two choices: Assassinate MacArthur, or watch his beloved sister die in front of his eyes. Will Pocho take up his knife and prepare MacArthur’s final meal?
You can also view Katerina Belikova's spectacular art of the book in its full glory below:
Book links: Amazon, Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Douglas Preston is the author of forty books, both fiction and nonfiction, thirty-two of which have been New York Times bestsellers, with several reaching the number 1 position. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards in the US and Europe, including a shared Edgar Award and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Pomona College. From 2019 to 2023 he served as president of the Authors Guild, the nation's oldest and largest association of authors and journalists.
Lincoln Child is the co-author, with Douglas Preston, of such highly-acclaimed thrillers as CROOKED RIVER, OLD BONES, VERSES FOR THE DEAD, CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, and RELIC, the latter two of which were chosen by an NPR poll as among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written. He has also published seven thrillers of his own, most recently the Jeremy Logan books FULL WOLF MOON and THE FORGOTTEN ROOM. 26 of his joint and solo books have become bestsellers, 3 of which debuted at #1 on the New York Times list. He lives in Sarasota, Florida.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 27, 2026) Length: 384 p Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback
FORMAT/INFO: The Book of Fallen Leaves was published by Orbit Books on March 17th, 2026. It is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Nearly two decades ago, the Gensei clan was nearly wiped out after their failed attempt at rebellion. Prince Sen, one of the only survivors, managed to barely escape due to the help of Rui and her peasant family. Now new tensions are stirring in the imperial court as two factions try to usurp power from the weak hold of the current emperor. Sen is soon forced to choose between remaining neutral with his adopted clan or joining an army intent on war and avenging the Gensei household. But the most pivotal person in the coming conflict may be the peasant Rui, who is slowly realizing that the gods are using her to enact schemes of their own.
The Book of Fallen Leaves makes a valiant attempt to be the next great dark political fantasy, but is just too slow and muddled to succeed. I usually avoid comparisons to Game of Thrones at all costs, as it is a highly overused comp, but you can definitely see the touchstones here. There's a huge cast of characters, multiple clans and vassal clans forming alliances and plotting betrayals, and a splash of mystical elements in the background. And when the story finally gets going in the back half of the book, a lot of those elements really clicked and came together.
Unfortunately, it takes a very long time to get there. The first half of the story spends a significant amount of time with Sen and Rui, two characters who I ultimately did not really care about. We spend a lot of time getting to know them as they go through a year of events, watching lots of angst as they grapple with their futures. We don't spend nearly enough time in the first half of the book with characters who are actually influencing the diplomacy and politics of the empire.
The writing style itself was very flowery. On the one hand, there were definitely some beautifully written sequences that painted the scene of the dawn on the day of a big battle or as a character is making a pivotal choice. On the other hand the prose tended to refer to characters indirectly, using titles or descriptions, or by having a character obliquely talk about them in reference to some past event. This all made it hard initially to understand the faction alliances, even with a hand character list at the front of the book.
I'm all for authors making me piece together a fantasy world through context, but understanding alliances and factions in a political fantasy is key to enjoying the story. If I can't track who is working with who (or supposed to be working with who) then the impact of the political maneuvering fails to land. Once I had untangled those threads, the story worked a lot better for me, but it took far too long to get there.
Lastly, the magical fantasy elements of the story were a bit haphazardly used. No one uses magic in this world; instead, there are gods and supernatural creatures that roam and have their own agendas. But after an initial intriguing opening chapter with such a creature, the supernatural elements vanish from most of the story. When they finally re-enter the scene, they talk in riddles and never give a direct answer, to the point that for some of these beings, I never figured out what their agenda was. At least one god had a use for Rui, but I honestly can't tell you if Rui fulfilled her destiny in this book, or if it's a reveal in the sequel.
At the end of the day, The Book of Fallen Leaves had a lot of potential, but just couldn't suck me in. I will say that the back half of the book was significantly more engaging than the beginning. By that point, however, my overall frustration couldn't be surmounted. I wish this was a story I wanted to recommend to people, but ultimately I can not.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Nearly two decades ago, the Gensei clan was nearly wiped out after their failed attempt at rebellion. Prince Sen, one of the only survivors, managed to barely escape due to the help of Rui and her peasant family. Now new tensions are stirring in the imperial court as two factions try to usurp power from the weak hold of the current emperor. Sen is soon forced to choose between remaining neutral with his adopted clan or joining an army intent on war and avenging the Gensei household. But the most pivotal person in the coming conflict may be the peasant Rui, who is slowly realizing that the gods are using her to enact schemes of their own.
The Book of Fallen Leaves makes a valiant attempt to be the next great dark political fantasy, but is just too slow and muddled to succeed. I usually avoid comparisons to Game of Thrones at all costs, as it is a highly overused comp, but you can definitely see the touchstones here. There's a huge cast of characters, multiple clans and vassal clans forming alliances and plotting betrayals, and a splash of mystical elements in the background. And when the story finally gets going in the back half of the book, a lot of those elements really clicked and came together.
Unfortunately, it takes a very long time to get there. The first half of the story spends a significant amount of time with Sen and Rui, two characters who I ultimately did not really care about. We spend a lot of time getting to know them as they go through a year of events, watching lots of angst as they grapple with their futures. We don't spend nearly enough time in the first half of the book with characters who are actually influencing the diplomacy and politics of the empire.
The writing style itself was very flowery. On the one hand, there were definitely some beautifully written sequences that painted the scene of the dawn on the day of a big battle or as a character is making a pivotal choice. On the other hand the prose tended to refer to characters indirectly, using titles or descriptions, or by having a character obliquely talk about them in reference to some past event. This all made it hard initially to understand the faction alliances, even with a hand character list at the front of the book.
I'm all for authors making me piece together a fantasy world through context, but understanding alliances and factions in a political fantasy is key to enjoying the story. If I can't track who is working with who (or supposed to be working with who) then the impact of the political maneuvering fails to land. Once I had untangled those threads, the story worked a lot better for me, but it took far too long to get there.
Lastly, the magical fantasy elements of the story were a bit haphazardly used. No one uses magic in this world; instead, there are gods and supernatural creatures that roam and have their own agendas. But after an initial intriguing opening chapter with such a creature, the supernatural elements vanish from most of the story. When they finally re-enter the scene, they talk in riddles and never give a direct answer, to the point that for some of these beings, I never figured out what their agenda was. At least one god had a use for Rui, but I honestly can't tell you if Rui fulfilled her destiny in this book, or if it's a reveal in the sequel.
At the end of the day, The Book of Fallen Leaves had a lot of potential, but just couldn't suck me in. I will say that the back half of the book was significantly more engaging than the beginning. By that point, however, my overall frustration couldn't be surmounted. I wish this was a story I wanted to recommend to people, but ultimately I can not.
ABOUT AUTHORS: J.A.J. Minton is the pen name for Jakob, Amy, and John Minton, a family living in North Carolina. Together, they produce and host the YouTube channel, "Talking Story: A Fantastical Fiction Channel." Between them, they have lived nine lives in theatre, comic book retail, indie filmmaking, academia, undercover shopping, dog kennel cleaning, advertising copywriting, old-school video store management, and hot dog delivery for Harlan Ellison. This is their first book.
Publisher: Keyhole Books (May 15, 2025) Page Count: 461 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback
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