Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
22 May 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Horror, Marcus Kliewer, Review, The Caretaker
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I mean, what just happened?
Well, The Caretaker was perhaps one of my most anticipated reads for 2026 and I will say upfront that although this didn’t horrify me in quite the same way that We Used to Live Here did (because that book gave me the heebies) it still held me captivated and turning the pages at an almost indecent pace. It’s an insidious read. It creeps up on you and then jumps out from behind a darkened doorway when you least expect and the ending – well, I feel like I need to read it again because I didn’t expect or want that. That is all.
Macy Mullins is in a pretty desperate way. She’s looking after her sister after the death of their father. She’s seen some pretty low times but being on the cusp of losing the (frankly disgusting and barely passing as fit for human habitation) apartment that they live in really serves to highlight the all time low that these two sisters have now reached. In absolute dire straits Macy takes a job interview for a caretaker role. After a long trek out she finds herself in a fairly prestigious neighbourhood where she is supposedly going to be interviewed for the job of looking after an elderly man whilst his wife is away for a couple of nights. Well, it turns out this is a little bit of a con, the elderly man in question has passed away and his wife wants somebody to continue to keep up his strange series of ‘rites’ that she promised would be maintained in the event he should die. It seems that this ladies husband believed he was saving the world every night by completing a strange series of routine tasks and, trust me, by the end of the book you’ll be wishing that Macy had been a little bit more efficient at following the rules. Macy is offered a very reasonable amount of money for what seems to be a two day role. Of course, she accepts. I mean, the whole thing seems like a bunch of craziness but really how difficult can it be. As it turns out, this is a whole new level of batshit crazy that quickly spirals into mayhem.
Seriously, this book will draw you in. At first you’ll find yourself mildly disbelieving. You’ll read on because you’re oddly compelled, because what the heck is really going on. Then you’ll become gripped. Because, realy, what the heck is going on. Then you’ll be mildly horrified before you descend into shouting at Macy for being so god damned stupid. JUST FOLLOW THE RITES. It’s not rocket science is is? Why with the rabbits though? Kliewer, just why?
Anyway, I’m very hard pressed to really tell you too much about this book without giving away I don’t know how many or what kind of spoilers.
What did I love then?
The slowly mounting tension. The sense that something is ‘off’. What are these ‘rites’ all about after all? Surely this is just some sort of out of the ordinary compulsive disorder? And yet, you find you want Macy to just get on with it. Follow the rules, okay. Don’t mess up. Of course, and I don’t really think this is a spoiler because it would be a very short story otherwise, Macy does mess up. Who wouldn’t. She doesn’t really understand what’s going on, who does? Some of these rules are just crazy and no, she isn’t going to do some of the hideous things suggested in order to rectify her mistake. What could possibly go wrong. Apart from everything.
Secondly, well, it’s the curiosity isn’t it. You’re compelled to read on. Small wonder that ‘curiosity killed the cat’, it nearly gave me a conniption and I had to know. I’m not sure that my curiosity is completely satisfied, but yet, at the same time, everything here is so strange that it also is satisfied. Because of course events unfolded in this way.
Macy. Sometimes she seemed like she really had a grip. Right up until the point that she didn’t. I kind of wanted to shake her. She has an internal monologue running that can definitely be frustrating, not to mention a little bit repetitive and really, although, she liked to think of herself as hardened she really isn’t as tough as she likes to think. But, come on woman, think this thing through! But, of course she didn’t think everything through, why would you, it was all so unbelievable after all and she did make an attempt to stick to the rules. Macy has been through a lot and to say she has suffered with mental health problems would be slightly understating the issue. Definitely this book could be triggering for some readers with it’s unsettling themes so that’s definitely something to bear in mind.
I also really liked the way that everything seemed so simple. Just keep the lights switched off. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to be a problem and yet once you’re thrown into the thick of things you start to feel like you’re mildly panicking yourself.
To be honest. I don’t think I can, or actually want to, say too much more about The Caretaker. I feel like I’m verging on the land of spoilers and I don’t want to be that person.
This is unsettling. It’s actually really very creepy in parts. It hooked me a lot more than I expected and a lot quicker than I anticipated and then it left me reeling. Given the author’s previous book I should have realised that he would shock and horrify me all over again. Maybe not quite as goosebumpy as the first but still a very good read.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars.
Review: Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher
19 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, fiction, Horror, Review, T Kingfisher, Wolf Worm
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Absolutely, Without Doubt, My Favourite
Oh my giddy aunt I loved this book. Saying this is my favourite book by this author to date is a big statement because I’m loving her books but this was brilliant. Now, having said that I feel I must point out that this doesn’t fall into her romance bracket. This is gothic horror and it will certainly make you squirm. I’m not really a horror fan and combined with insects I tend to choose those sort of stories very carefully, fortunately, I didn’t read the description for this one but simply picked it up on the strength of the author’s previous books and I’m so glad I did. I would have been gutted to have missed this (well, strictly speaking I wouldn’t know that I was missing such a gem but even so).
Following the death of her father Sonia Wilson’s hopes and dreams are shattered. She eventually, having sold everything she can, takes up a job in a school until she’s offered an illustrating position with Dr Halder, painting insects to sit alongside his findings in a book that he hopes will be his scientific tour de force. Sonia takes the position and travels to North Carolina with everything that she owns in a little suitcase and the last of her money in her pocket. She eventually arrives at the Dr’s estate and this is when the story really takes shape.
What did I love about this – everything to be honest – but let’s break it down.
First and foremost the writing. This is a historical style novel. Set in 1899 with the usual social restrictions that this holds. The story is so good to read. I really enjoyed the set up and the gradual increase in tension but the writing is just perfect. This doesn’t have the over stuffiness of certain period pieces but at the same time it doesn’t have Sonia talking in a modern way. It’s a perfect blend of easy, enjoyable and on point.
We have this gothic setting. The house is set deep in the middle of the forest (completely understandable given the Dr’s area of expertise – so many insects set in the murky depths). A rambling mansion with most of the rooms shut up, their furniture wrapped in dust sheets. There are few inhabitants. The housekeeper and her handyman husband plus one maid. Obviously the doctor and one other man who helps with his experiments, an unsettling character called Phelps. The place is rambling and creepy. Sonia is given a beautiful studio bedroom with plenty of natural light to aid in her illustrating – but the room looks as though someone has just stepped out for a moment. Clothes and possessions lying abandoned. It’s very puzzling and Sonia is nothing if not curious.
The MC Sonia is such a fantastic character. She loves her painting but, and good for her, she prefers to illustrate plants and flowers rather than grubs and caterpillars – but insects is the job and it is what it is. I loved her inner thoughts and in fact her sense of humour makes this story much more palatable than it otherwise would have been. There are definite situations here that are gruesome and although she wants to fall to pieces she constantly gives herself a ticking off and manages to keep things together. This is definitely one of Kingfisher’s major strengths. She writes normal people. Sonia isn’t beautiful. She isn’t extraordinary in some fantastic way, even her illustrations are not always stand out although she is clearly talented she’s someone you can relate to. It’s an extraordinary gift to be able to create people who feel real and relatable and Kingfisher has nailed it. The other characters are also really well drawn, it’s a great balance when you can hold back just enough to prevent your characters from becoming machiavellian or overblown but enough that they support the plot so well.
The story itself is really intriguing. It builds up gradually with Sonia squeezing out little tidbits of information from a supporting cast that are reluctant to share. She starts to form huge doubts about what’s really going on but the analytical side of her and her upbringing give her something of an ability to look at things more calmly and without hysteria. That being said, she also has her moments where she wants to run away screaming or do that freaky dance that you do when an insect lands in your hair! And, believe me when I say that this really strays into the area of horror. This is not cosy. There is no romance but there is without doubt moments of squeam inducing ick. And then there’s the twist – there are breadcrumbs in the story but I really hadn’t followed them and was blindsided in such a startlingly good way.
I’ll stop here. That’s quite enough gushing for one day. This is a perfect blend of wonderful storytelling, fantastic goings on and a great MC who you can really enjoy reading about.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 darkly gothic stars
Review: Snake-Eater by T Kingfisher
5 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Horror, Review, Snake-Eater, T Kingfisher
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Oddly Unique Yet Still Cosy
I think I can safely say that I never know what to expect from this author – other than, of course, it’s almost 99% certain that I will enjoy whatever she delivers.
In a nutshell the story begins with an introduction to Selena and her dog copper, arriving at Quartz Creek – where Selena’s aunt lived- only to find out that Selena’s aunt passed away a little time ago. Selena, is trying to escape an unhappy life in the city with a domineering partner. Her aunt’s cottage remains uninhabited, the desert not being a popular place to go to live apparently, and so, maybe she can stay for a little while, just to save up the money for the fare back home. In the meantime, the people of Quartz Creek take a real shine to Selena and take her under their collective wings. Unfortunately, something else seems to have taken a shine to Selena – something a little more creepy.
So, what did I love about this.
Well, Kingfisher excels at bringing her people to life. Selena is a great character, you really feel for her at the start, she’s so nervous and so scared of making mistakes. Her character really does undergo the most fabulous character arc. Grandma Billy is also a great character and of course the local priest, Father Aguirre. Both these characters will surprise you in the best way. On top of this Kingfisher is never afraid to introduce alternative characters such as Merv the Peacock and Copper the dog – they both play their roles perfectly. And, lets not forget the roadrunner. Yes, who would have thought that this particular character could be so, mmm, daunting! Enough said.
Quartz Creek is a great setting. I seriously loved it and the way of life. Wow, who wouldn’t love to find themselves in a place where the residents wrap you up and hold you close, feeding you, protecting you and fighting on your behalf. I could live here – although I could do without the strange things that stare in at the windows. Yes, there is also a side dose of horror with this one – just enough to give you the heebies mind, this isn’t some slasher type horror, it’s not blood soaked or terrifying. It’s just enough to be creepy. You might not be aware of cosy horror – I certainly wasn’t – but here you are, it’s arrived and I love it. I really do think that Kingfisher should take us back to Quartz Creek, I feel like there’s so much potential here. It’s one of those supernatural places with Gods, critters and myths and so much leeway for storytelling. Like Oliver, I would like more. Please.
I don’t think I can tell you too much more. Lovely writing, as always. Lovable characters and a little banger of a story. I have no hesitation in recommending this. Kingfisher fans will devour it and if this is your first time reading this author I have no doubt that this will make you want to take a look at the rest of her work. Happy reading. Beep beep.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Review: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
26 February 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Between Two Fires, Book Review, Books, Christopher Buehlman, fiction, Horror, reading, Review
My Five Word TL:DR: A Bit Too Much Horror
I really do like this author, very much so. I like his style of writing. I absolutely loved The Blacktongue Thief and The Daughter’s War even moreso. In fact Between Two Fires has been on my wishlist for a while so I was excited to pick it up. And, to be perfectly honest, I really enjoyed this, but, I think this veered into perhaps a little too much horror for me personally. That being said, I still wolfed this down, the writing is good, the dialogue is excellent, its grim and gritty and I was positively intrigued.
The story gets off to an immediate start. We meet up with a band of brigands, really not very nice characters at all (serious understatement). They basically roam the countryside stealing and terrorising the people moving swiftly on before they can be caught. Unfortunately, they’re about to have a serious falling out. One of their band, Thomas, is about to disagree with their latest scheme and decide to save the young innocent girl they’ve just discovered (instead of following orders). This will be the first in what appears (to Thomas especially) a strange turnabout in character. He seems unable to say ‘no’ to this young girl and soon finds himself on a mission, accompanied by a priest.
The setting here is mediaeval, the period a particularly turbulent time when the plague was sweeping across Europe killing thousands in it’s wake. It seems like God has abandoned the people and hell and all it’s evil minions are running amok.
What I really liked about this.
Well, firstly I loved the writing. This is quite dark and bleak and the ending definitely descends into something of a blood bath – which isn’t really my thing, but I wanted to know how it was all going to end. For the record, this is not cosy, there is no romance, I would say it’s grimdark, meets horror, meets fiery apocalyptic end of world as we know it, with blood and lots of death. This author has a way with words where I find myself reading a story even when it becomes too much.
The characters. It’s a great group of characters. I was reading a discussion piece just recently about this very thing – good vs evil and morally grey characters. Here, we definitely fall into the ‘morally grey’ for at least two of the characters. The young girl is very innocent, although as the story develops it soon becomes clear that she is ‘different’. She knows things! Thomas is a disgraced knight and the priest has also suffered a fall from grace. I loved the dynamic between the three.
The majority of the story is in the style of overcoming trials and tribulations. The three are on a quest, travelling to a known destination, but without the knowledge of what they will need to do once they get there. The further they progress the more difficult their journey becomes and the more bizarre the trials that they endure.
What held this back a little for me.
First and foremost, it was just a bit too much horror for me, but that’s my personal preference and the last third, or maybe quarter, of the book, lost me a little. Now, I have been reflecting on what was taking place and so it has become clearer once I put the book down and had time to really think, but whilst I was reading I was definitely a bit perplexed and felt like I simply needed to push on to understand things, which turned out to be the case, because things did clear up. But, without doubt, for a spell there I was a bit, well, out of my depth – or at least that’s how it felt. Strange that even as I’m typing this review I’m having second thoughts because now I’m beginning to wonder if maybe the author intended for this to be all chaotic and confused. His characters were certainly a little lost after all. Mmm, food for thought. Seriously though – don’t you love a book that makes you think? I’m still going round in circles with my pondering which is exactly what I want from a book – I think this story will be in my head for a while making me go backwards and forwards, thinking I’ve pinned it down and then realising that I really haven’t.
Overall, I would have no hesitation in recommending this. The writing is excellent, I liked the characters, the setting was perfect – just be aware that it is very dark and quite horrific.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Review: Temple Fall by RL Boyle
16 February 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, fiction, Horror, Review, RL Boyle, Temple Fall
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Didn’t Quite Work It’s Magic
Temple Fall sounded like just my thing. A group of friends go to spend the night at an old abandoned house, in the process they manage to become cursed and one of them dies from a tragic accident. To all intents and purposes the rest of the friends also go missing and don’t reappear for months, even though to them it feels like only one evening has occurred. And, from there, things just go downhill.
It’s Jackson’s 18th birthday and his small group of close knit friends decide to camp out at a haunted, and rather creepy house. Upon arrival, the place doesn’t look nearly as bad as the group had expected, given how long it’s been abandoned. They even imagine that someone is still living there. They start to make camp but before long the sky darkens and a storm rolls in, it turns out they don’t have all the right camping gear and eventually they make the decision to enter the house for shelter. Again, the inside looks almost lived in, they find a decent sitting room and crack open the bottles of bubbly and other alcohol. Things get off to a good start but soon the tension starts to rise. The house seems to have it’s hooks in them, creating mistrust and suspicion and before you know it they’re starting to bicker. Then, someone has the great idea to have a seance which results in a scary entity taking over what started out as a bit of fun.
On the face of it I expected to enjoy this a lot more than I did. I loved the whole gothic vibe, the creepy, haunted house and the backstory. It’s well written in terms of the atmosphere and descriptions. I had no problem in envisioning the house and found the history to the place interesting.
However, I had issues. I think the plot suffers from uneven pacing. The first 20-25% in particular was really slow. On top of this there’s then a busyness to the story that just feels too much or too distracting. Flynn has her own past demons. Her mother was abusive and she was eventually taken into care, it’s taken a while for her to find her feet but she loves her new found family. That being said, she has her own ulterior motives for wanting to come to Temple Fall.
Temple Fall itself has a long and dark history that eventually unfolds as the group start investigating. The house is not as it first appears. And there’s a menacing presence lurking in the dark corners.
Personally, I felt like there was too much going on and the different stories were in a competition with each other for attention. I feel like it needed to be more focused. As it was we have the friction between the group, the curse, the house and it’s past, Flynn and her past and also the mystery of what happened to them all when they seemingly disappeared for a few months (as though time in Temple Falls is different from the outside world). All set against a ticking clock as the survivors try to find out more about their curse.
As well as the busy feel and, what was probably more of a deal breaker for me, was this has a YA feel. I didn’t really become attached to any of the characters. They were supposed to be really good friends and yet I didn’t get a feel for that at all and in turn this lack of investment stopped me from feeling worried or scared for any of them.
To be honest, part of this is definitely a case of ‘it’s me not you’ because I should have picked up on the 18th birthday party description. As it is I just became hooked with the whole gothic horror, haunted house description. To be fair, I think, even with the younger protagonists and their sometimes frustrating behaviour, if the story had remained at Temple Fall and focused on the scary elements I think this would probably have worked better for me.
I think Temple Fall will undoubtedly find it’s audience, it just didn’t quite work for me.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3 of 5 stars
Books and travelling with Lynn 