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The Caretaker

Marcus Kliewer

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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.

Follow the Rites… Follow the Rites… Follow the Rites… Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY: Caregiver for elderly husband urgently needed. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY. If interested, please contact: carnswel54@aol.com

As a down on her luck college grad saddled with a disturbing amount of debt, Macy Mullins can’t say why the Craigslist posting grabbed her attention—it had all the flare of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she’s not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay and a younger sister to provide for. Unable to turn down a paycheck, she takes the job. She quickly discovers that her responsibilities have stakes far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

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Posts about this title from ash.reads.horror

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Jan 10

\ \ It’s time for another DIRECTOR’S CUT REVIEW. Today I’m talking about The Caretaker!\ \ \ \ Book: The Caretaker\ \ Author: Marcus Kliewer\ \ Page Count: 320\ \ Genre: Horror\ \ Subgenre: Grief, Rituals, Anomalies, End of the world\ \ Series: No\ \ Setting: Michigan\ \ Other Works by This Author: We Used To Live Here\ \ Comps: Observation Duty (game) meets Lock Every Door\ \ My Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨\ \ Release Date: 4/21/26\ \ Quick Summary: A woman strapped for money takes a house sitting job that promises to pay well. However, the duties she must perform have a lot riding on them. If she does not follow the rites correctly, something sinister may be unleashed.\ \ My Thoughts: Kliewer does it again 🙌🏻 This author truly knows how suck a reader in and get them to stay until the very last page. The tension in this book had me on the edge of my seat. There were so many scenes where I wanted to jump in and make Macy focus on the task at hand.\ \ Speaking of Macy, let’s talk about her character. She’s had a hard time ever since her dad’s accident. She’s been taking care of her sister who has some issues but is a good kid overall. I really liked Macy. Don’t get me wrong, she drove me crazy sometimes. Like I needed her to finish the darn rites. But she had a very strong voice and I loved how much she cared for her sister.\ \ Just like We Used To Live Here, this book delivers on scares. There were several scenes that had me spooked. You can’t trust anyone in this book. I loved that this book reminded me of Observation Duty. It actually has a similar premise to a short story I’m writing for an anthology this year, and was a great inspiration! My story will also focus on a woman getting trapped in a dangerous job while caring for a loved one. But that’s where the similarities will end!\ \ If this one was not on your radar I highly recommend adding it! It relaxes 4/21/26. You all get an early access to my thoughts on this book! My goodreads and insta thoughts will come closer to the pub date per request of the publisher!](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/98saUHeh7cv7WBY5DetA/)

DIRECTOR’S CUT REVIEW—The Caretaker

3 books

ash.reads.horror\ \ ash\ \ • Oct 26 2025

\ \ I'll be making an instagram post soon enough on 2026 Horror Books I'm looking forward to. But one of the perks of following me on Bindery is getting early access to posts like these! \ \ This will not be a full list of all 2026 Horror Books! I'm sure there are still so many to be announced. This list will just be ones that have popped up on my radar and have piqued my interest.\ \ Comment below what 2026 Horror Books you're looking forward to. Now, let's dive in!\ \ Meat Bees by Dane Erbach\ \ Expected August 4th, 2026\ \ By the time Scarlett Sutton arrives at her dad’s cabin in the Smoky Mountains, two locals have already been eaten alive by wasps.\ \ Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker\ \ Expected April 21st, 2026\ \ In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.\ \ Molka by Monika Kim\ \ Expected April 28th, 2026\ \ From the author of The Eyes Are the Best Part, praised by The New York Times Book Review as “violent, smart, gruesome and wildly original,” a provocative exposé into the hidden world of spy cameras, sexual shaming, and vengeance pursued with a very sharp kitchen knife.\ \ Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward\ \ Expected February 24th, 2026\ \ Set in the unforgiving maw of the Rocky Mountains, Nowhere Burning is the latest harrowing novel from bestselling author Catriona Ward, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and the hit series Yellowjackets.\ \ The Caretaker by Markus Kliewer\ \ Expected April 21st, 2026\ \ 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.\ \ Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher\ \ Expected March 24th, 2026\ \ Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher\ \ Morsel by Carter Keane\ \ Expected April 14th, 2026\ \ Carter Keane's Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive.\ \ Small Town Slasher by Stephanie Rose\ \ Expected March 3rd, 2026\ \ Jenna is a spunky, disabled, horror fanatic who comes to rural Montana for a stay at a horror themed rental cabin. Jenna has struggled with severe anxiety for years, hardly ever leaving her house. This vacation will test her limits and, she hopes, open her back up to the world. But her dream vacation is built on a nightmare.\ \ I'm sure more will catch my eye the closer we get to 2026! So stay tuned for more!](https://ashreadshorror.binderybooks.com/item/WOSi3EKgCkkVwrH9aH1R/)

2026 Horror Books on my Radar

8 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Death by TBR Books\ \ Stephanie\ \ • May 9

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April was full of strange women, unraveling minds, body horror, caves, literary magic, and at least one scene that permanently altered my brain chemistry.\ \ 📖 LOVED\ \ The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer is easily in my top three books of 2026 so far. I related to the main character so much and the anxiety running through this book felt painfully real at times. The tension never lets up. It just slowly tightens around you until every interaction feels wrong in the best possible way. One of those books where you start questioning everyone and everything alongside the protagonist.\ \ Decomposition Book by Sara Van Os completely caught me off guard. Weird, sexy, feral, uncomfortable. Exactly the kind of book I love stumbling into without really knowing what I’m about to experience. It felt messy and human and emotionally raw in a way that really worked for me.\ \ Headlights by C.J. Leede proves once again that C.J. Leede apparently refuses to let readers know peace. There is at least one scene in this book that is going to live in my brain forever like a cursed VHS tape. I loved this more than American Rapture, though Maeve Fly still owns a permanent section of my soul.\ \ The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer had me from the first few pages. A blend of whodunnit, fantasy, and literary love letter with the kind of cozy magic that makes you want to disappear into a rainy bookstore for a weekend. I already know this is a reread for me.\ \ Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams was our book club pick and Taylor Adams really knows how to create panic-inducing situations. The cave imagery especially got under my skin in a very claustrophobic way.\ \ Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir... that ending. Absolute chef’s kiss. Quietly unsettling in a way that sneaks up on you.\ \ 📖 LIKED\ \ The Cove by Claire Rose had a really strong atmosphere, but the plot became a little confusing for me by the end.\ \ My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Part 2 by Emil Ferris is still visually incredible, but I just wasn’t as emotionally pulled in as I hoped to be.\ \ Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer had a fascinating concept, though the pacing felt a little repetitive for me at times.\ \ 📖 NOT FOR ME\ \ Odessa by Gabrielle Sher just never fully grabbed my attention.\ \ Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth leaned way too heavily into world building for my personal taste.\ \ Body Count by Codie Crowley unfortunately just didn’t work for me. The dialogue and character voices felt a little too cringy and whiny.\ \ Abyss by Nicholas Binge sounded like something I should have loved on paper, but it never fully hooked me emotionally.\ \ Shoot Me in the Face on a Beautiful Day by Emma E. Murray wasn’t bad at all, it was just a little too emotionally heavy for me personally without enough light breaking through by the end.\ \ ❓What was your favorite read of April?\ \ Join for free or login

April Reads: Body Horror, Book Witches, & Emotional Damage

12 books

Two Stories Bookshop\ \ Queer-Owned Shelves🌈\ \ • Apr 21

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[Hello, everyone! \ \ Here are some new releases we are excited for today (remember, you can purchase these from us by using our Bookshop.org or Libro.fm links!).\ \

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer (*)\ \
Crossroads by Laurel Hightower (**)\ \ \ \ \* means Ryn has read an ARC and recommends!\\ means this is a TBR book!\ \ \ Independent Bookstore Day is coming up which means we'll be drawing the winner for our Libro.fm Golden Ticket on Sunday! If you cannot make it out to a physical indie bookstore, please consider using our Bookshop.org link to support us for Indie Bookstore Day! \ \ Till next time!](https://twostoriesbookshop.binderybooks.com/item/e3emTtSZ6tCfx2pCcsd5/)

April 21 Releases!

2 books

Judging By The Cover\ \ judgingby_thecover\ \ • Apr 19

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Okay, so this week??\ \ No misses… just vibes across the entire emotional spectrum.\ \ Like I went from poetic, haunting horror that rewired my brain… to chaotic wedding drama… to being psychologically stressed over a Craigslist job posting.\ \ \ \ Let’s start with Japanese Gothic because I genuinely have not stopped thinking about it.\ \ This is easily in my top 3 books of the year, and I don’t say that lightly.\ \ I actually reread parts of it a week later, which I almost never do, just to sit with the writing again. The prose is that good. It’s the kind of writing where you read a sentence, pause, and then go back because you need to feel it twice.\ \ Dual timelines (1877 and 2026), and I was fully locked into both. Sen’s storyline brings this disciplined, brutal samurai world, while Lee’s is… unraveling in a way that keeps you constantly questioning what’s real.\ \ And the horror?? It sneaks up on you. Quiet, controlled, almost beautiful… until it absolutely isn’t.\ \ This is horror, yes, but also mythology, time loops, generational trauma, identity… all layered into something that just lingers.\ \ I already know this is one I’ll be thinking about for years.\ \ \ \ Save the Date was this close to a 5-star romcom for me.\ \ Three POVs. Wedding weekend. So much chaos.\ \ And somehow I cared about all of them??\ \ Olivia’s storyline hit the hardest for me; that pressure of being the one who holds everything together while watching someone else live a little more freely. It felt very real.\ \ Marigold and Hugo though?? Immediate favorites. He is a walking green flag and I will not be elaborating.\ \ Natalie… made choices. That’s all I’ll say.\ \ It’s messy, dramatic, a little stressful, but completely bingeable.\ \ \ \ The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton ended up being very much a “one timeline carried” situation.\ \ The historical storyline?? Incredible. I learned so much, especially about how Barton was manipulated and then ultimately took the fall for it. It’s frustrating in a way that makes you want to keep reading.\ \ The modern timeline took longer to hook me, and even by the end, it felt a little less fully developed.\ \ But if you love real history + religious and political intrigue, this is worth picking up.\ \ \ \ Deathly Fates surprised me in the best way.\ \ YA fantasy with a priestess guiding spirits and an undead prince?? Immediately yes.\ \ The romance is slow burn and minimal spice, but honestly that’s not the point. The emotional depth, the folklore, the themes of grief and identity… that’s what carries it.\ \ Also the structure?? It almost feels episodic with these little side quests, and I loved how immersive that made the world feel.\ \ And I have to mention the audiobook because it genuinely elevated everything.\ \ \ \ The Caretaker… respectfully, no.\ \ A woman answers a Craigslist ad to be a caretaker and I was immediately stressed.\ \ But what makes this work is how grounded it feels. I wasn’t yelling at the main character; I understood her decisions, which somehow made it worse.\ \ It constantly rides that line between supernatural, psychological, and “is this actually happening,” and I never fully knew what to believe.\ \ Also… it goes to some heavy places emotionally, especially around mental health, in a way that lingers.\ \ This one sticks with you.\ \ \ \ The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire is exactly why I will read anything India Holton writes.\ \ Her humor just works for me. Witty, chaotic, slightly unhinged.\ \ We’ve got STEM women in historical settings, academic rivalries, ghosts, magic, and constant interruptions that keep the pacing so fun.\ \ Amelia and Caleb?? Friends to lovers with that “are we enemies or just emotionally repressed” energy. The yearning is strong here.\ \ It’s whimsical, clever, and still manages to weave in deeper themes without losing that lightness.\ \ \ \ The Drop is basically my worst nightmare turned into a book.\ \ Stranded at the top of a roller coaster 650 feet in the air?? Absolutely not.\ \ But what really makes this one work is the characters, and listen… these are not good people.\ \ Messy friendships, buried secrets, resentment that’s been building for years… and as the timelines shift, you start to understand why everything feels so tense.\ \ It becomes less about survival and more about whether they even trust each other enough to try.\ \ Which, honestly? Debatable.\ \ image\ \ So yeah… a very “every genre showed up and chose chaos” kind of week.\ \ But also one of those weeks where you finish a book and immediately know it’s going to stay with you for a long time.\ \ And Japanese Gothic?? Yeah… that one’s not leaving my brain anytime soon.

After the Walk: Haunted, Chaotic, and Slightly Unhinged

2 books

Death by TBR Books\ \ Stephanie\ \ • Apr 11

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I've read almost 50 books this year so far. A few on my list I had been looking forward to since early 2025. Some left me disappointed and others just weren't very memorable or were challenging for me to follow. As an author I know now how challenging it is to write a book and put a piece of yourself into the world. And with that I won't negatively review any book. I am just not the reader for certain books.\ \ So let's break down my top 5 reads of 2026 (so far) in no particular order. Headlights by CJ Leede was a recent read and really shows how much Leede cares about the environment and animals. I love how she focuses on a part of the country with every book. Maeve Fly will always be my favorite of hers. American Rapture wasn't my favorite so I was a bit nervous about reading Headlights. It broke my heart and while CJ did put it back together it was done so in a messy way. It was haunting, heartbreaking, and sad. I'm not sure if I'll reread it as right now I am enjoying reading lighter horror or cozy horror.\ \ Now some may not consider Morsel, Nothing Tastes as Good, and Trad Wife lighter but I do because they have parts in them that are so off the wall. Parts I did not see coming AT ALL and I loved that. I laughed at parts and thought "good for them" numerous times. This is my new favorite genre of horror. Not sure what to call it but for me all of these are in it.\ \ The Caretaker grabbed me from the beginning and I was led through a wild ride. I'd say most of the decisions the MC make are ones I would have made too because money troubles are very relatable. I'm definitely going to read more fantasy and sci-fi this year too. I'm not sure where to start but I'm excited to dive into other genres.\ \ What are your favorite reads of 2026 (so far)?\ \ Join for free or login