The Caretaker: A Novel

The Caretaker: A Novel

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... ..--- / ..... / ---.. “With THE CARETAKER , Marcus Kliewer proves he's our new master of uncanny slippage. This book is as full of dread as the sound of footsteps rushing towards you in a dark woods.” -- Nat Cassidy, USA Today bestselling author of When the Wolf Comes Home and Mary "Disturbing and propulsive, THE CARETAKER is a gem of visually inspired Gothic storytelling. Marcus Kliewer takes a familiar horror premise and makes it his own, drawing you into a lucid nightmare of a novel. Keep the light on!" -- Scott Carson, nationally bestselling author of DEPARTURE 37 "A no-brakes plummet into madness." -- Alma Katsu, award winning author of FIEND “The homes Marcus Kliewer haunts aren't merely filled with phantoms, but cerebral spirits and broken-hearted ghosts. THE CARETAKER is quite possibly the ultimate “don't go in there” novel, offering up an apocalyptic final girl for the ages. This is a breakneck book, filled with razor-wire tension, where the reader runs the risk of losing their mind with every flip of the page.” -- Clay McLeod Chapman, author of WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES "Absolutely terrifying. Marcus Kliewer's THE CARETAKER gripped me from the first page and didn't let go. I couldn't put it down." -- Brandon Eldridge, author of THE ESTABLISHMENT “Marcus Kliewer's Caretaker is an example of taking a quiet idea and making it truly haunting. A book written for horror fans that have always thought they were smarter than the main characters in a story... truly one of my favorite novels I've read in years.” -- Mike Salt, author of YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE 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.