Review: The Fourth Girl by Wendy Corsi Staub

The Fourth Girl (Haven Cliff, #1)

by Wendy Corsi Staub

Release Date: March 25, 2025

2025 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook Edition; 396 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662523809

ASIN: B0D9W5256F

Audiobook: B0DK3XZRNK

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

On prom night, Caroline Winterfield walked away from the ruins of an abandoned mansion called Haven Cliff and into the woods…never to be seen again. Only her three best friends know what really happened. But a secret is a secret, and a promise is a promise—even when it shatters lifelong friendships.

On the twenty-fifth anniversary of that night, Midge, Kelly, and Talia reunite at Haven Cliff, now a gleaming architectural jewel. But they aren’t alone. Someone is watching. Someone who knows what really happened to Caroline—and to the man who now lies dead a stone’s throw from where she was last seen.

 

 

 

My Thoughts

The Fourth Girl is the first book in the Haven Cliff series, and this one focuses on the friendship between four girls as they navigate high school and then reunite twenty-five years later hoping to reunite with one of the four who disappeared all those years ago.  Told through multiple POVs, we get a somewhat mish-mash story of one girl's life and her desperate need to get away, but something goes terribly wrong. 

 

First of all, what I really did enjoy was the friendship between the four girls.  There was a lot of drama and intrigue and I like how the story was told through each girl's perspective, both from the present and the past.  As forty years olds, we can definitely look back upon things that happened from a different perspective from when we were fifteen and see things we may have missed due to naivety and innocence even when the signs were there.  The friendships were definitely relatable and I really enjoyed the 90s nostalgia; it made me think about my own high school years and my own friend groups, things I hadn't really thought about in years.  There were a lot of secrets and a lot of things happened that were told through quite a nuanced story line that the reader would pick up on but that a teenager may not really grasp. It actually added to the tension in the story as you wondered what was really happening behind closed doors and how bad did things really get that were only hinted at but never really fully explained. I will mention here though that I never really understood the purpose of Gordy in the story line as it didn't make sense at all especially the way Caroline's character was being described.  

 

The plot itself actually moved along rather quickly, but it was quite predictable and I was able to figure out what was happening quite early on in the book. And honestly, the author's writing style was still stellar as I found myself flipping through the pages with a high level of tension wondering exactly what I would discover, but at the same time feeling like I had already read this type of story a dozen times.  And I didn't really care that this was slow, but in reality, the actual investigation when the murder did occur, was shunted to the background and the drama between the women/girls was always in the forefront, something that did affect the overall feel to the book in the end as I was left feeling underwhelmed. I realize this is the first book of a planned series, so maybe I will get some answers in future book?

 

Verdict

The Fourth Girl did have its moments and there were a lot of themes running through the story, but the character development was very one-dimensional which made it difficult to invest any energy in any of them. I didn't mind the slower plot, but did feel like the investigation took a backseat to the drama that engulfed the girls and was more of an afterthought.  There was enough in this book however, that I will be continuing the series to see what happens next.  

 

 

 

Review: The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton

by Jennifer N. Brown

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 St. Martin's Press

Ebook ARC; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250383594

ASIN: B0F5PCC13S

Audiobook: B0G5HK7F63

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Tudor England

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Historian Alison Sage has made a groundbreaking archival discovery―she found a manuscript containing the prophecies of a 16th century nun, Elizabeth Barton. Barton’s prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn led to her execution and the destruction of all copies of her prophecies―or so the world believed.

With Alison’s discovery, she is catapulted to academic superstardom and scores an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium, a week of research among a select handful of fellow historians at a crumbling manor in England, located next to the ruins of the priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

Alison’s cutthroat world of academia is almost as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton’s sixteenth-century England, where heretics are beheaded, visions can kill, and knowing who to trust is a deadly art. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a thrilling novel, crackling with the voices of the past and propelled by a mystery that will leave readers in suspense until the very last page.

 

My Thoughts

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton features the story of Elizabeth Barton who was a 16th century prophet who was eventually hanged at the age of 28 due to her conflict with King Henry VIII.  This book blends historical fiction, a mystery, a thriller, and a typed of locked-room thriller told through two distinct time lines, but I definitely felt like Elizabeth's voice was not really heard in her time line and couldn't really connect with her character.  

 

The first time line deals with Elizabeth Barton, from her life of servitude when she had her first vision to her eventual torture and death.  Told through a couple of POVs, I thought Elizabeth's was actually the weakest as she came across as confused half the time and although I think the author was trying to showcase how the men around her manipulated her into saying and doing things they wanted her to say and do, I don't think it came across very well, especially in the second half of the book.  Considering these men had to deal with King Henry VIII on a regular basis, I think they would have been far more subtle in their dealings with Elizabeth as they would know the end game if they were not careful.  Taking into account Elizabeth's lack of education, something that was mentioned a multitude of times, it is entirely possible she didn't listen to advice, especially as her fame grew, and she thought she would be protected by that, something that didn't really come through the pages very well.  There was a hint of her recklessness at times, and I did think that was more realistic, but I don't think it was because she wasn't counseled otherwise. Considering the circle who surrounded her, she would have been aware of the beheadings as well as the powerful people who had fallen under Henry VIII's axe by this point. She would have been cautioned to be careful and this wasn't highlighted enough.  I do believe she was manipulated and used politically as the events surrounding Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn were quite politically charged and the men surrounding the throne would have used whatever they could to either support or destroy the throne. Because she didn't grow up around the court, she didn't have the wisdom or the wiles to manoeuvre and play such dangerous games.

 

The second time line dealt with the present when the MC finds a journal supposedly written by Elizabeth Barton (no such thing has currently been found BTW), and embellished her advisor Edward Bocking (another real-life person from Elizabeth's circle). I enjoyed this time line for perhaps the first half of the book until it descended into a silly romance-type thing in the second half.  I am not a fan of romance, but can handle it if it's subtle and done well, but this was so annoying and I couldn't help rolling my eyes.  And while I also love mysteries and read a lot of them, this also descended into silliness.  I didn't enjoy the connection to Elizabeth Barton and the abbey and wished the author had just focused on that mystery as that was quite enjoyable.  While I don't mind the blending of multiple genres in a novel, they didn't quite work in this book and it ended up being distracting, to the point where something I was enjoying reading became something I just wanted to finish.  And that ending? Oh, yeah, there wasn't really one as it just ended.

 

Verdict

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton had some enjoyable moments to it and I did enjoy the mystery for the first half of the book.  It did lose me completely in the second half of the book as it descended into a murder mystery that really felt like it was pushing the boundaries of credibility. I did enjoy Elizabeth's story much more and wish the author had fleshed out Elizabeth's character quite beyond the one-dimensional person we saw in these pages and really showed the manipulation and political struggles that would have gone on during this time period as tensions were extremely high and things were quite dangerous.  The book was well-researched however, and I think readers will enjoy the descriptions of both time periods.  

 

Review: Advent by Seth Ring

Advent (The Exlian Syndrome, #1)

by Seth Ring

Release Date: March 4, 2025

2025 Blackstone Publishing, Inc

Ebook ARC; 384 Pages

ISBN: 979-8874692575

ASIN: B0D2LVCKZ2

Audiobook: B0D33TT8QP

Genre: Fiction / LITRPG / Fantasy

Source: Review copy from author through publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

All his life, Mark Fields has dreamed of joining the Defense Force to fight the vicious, alien Exlian, just like the rest of his renowned family. But so far, he’s … a dishwasher, trapped in a dead-end job with no powers, no money, and even fewer friends.

But an encounter with a dying woman changes everything—granting him the abilities he needs to join the training camps—and his life finally feels like it’s turning around, faster than a movie martial-arts montage (just ignore the weird cat).

But the Exlian are voracious and myriad, and there’s more to Mark’s new powers than just leveling up. With the pressure mounting, it doesn’t take him long to realize the Exlian aren’t the only sinister threat lurking within the city …

 

My Thoughts

Advent is the first book in The Exlian Syndrome Series, and it was quite an enjoyable book.  I really enjoyed the world building, and while I didn't learn as much as I would have liked about the 'enemy', I thought the leveling system was interesting and I especially enjoyed how Mark tried to manipulate the system to benefit himself. I read a lot of LitRPG and was looking for something a bit different from my usual and this fit the bill quite nicely.

 

The world-building is probably the strength of this book as we delve into a world that has been shattered by a war with an alien species, a world that is on the brink of being destroyed, and we only catch glimpses of the political aspects to this world and the factions that are involved.  While I love the political aspects to these stories, I also know there are six books in this series and need to be patient for everything to be revealed.  There were hints here and there of the political factions as Mark invariably gets involved in things and needs to be rescued, but only hints. We get the sense there is something much deeper going on, but the author only doles out bits and pieces at a time through the action and through character interactions. It sounds like it would be frustrating, but it really isn't as the plot moves along rather quickly and the author is good at giving you tidbits just at those points where it could get frustrating. 

 

The plot moves quite quickly and motivations are quite clear.  The book is shorter than normal, so we don't get the depth that I think is necessary in such a novel, but that could just be me wanting more as I enjoy the political aspects to novels.  Through Mark's training, you learn the seriousness of what is happening, but at the same time, wonder if much more is going on than meets the eye, especially after what happens to Mark's brother Joe.

 

And character development is sort of the weakest part of this book.  While Mark was nicely developed, there was an aspect of him being overdeveloped, something that doesn't always appeal to me.  I like my main characters to struggle a bit more, not always be rescued in this way.  And I did think the secondary characters were more one-dimensional although I did see a bit more depth to Noah than I first thought there would be and he is fast becoming one of my favourite characters. The author also seems to be positioning Noah to be caught in the middle of some serious stuff in the future which will be quite interesting, hopefully. And then there is that darn cat. Should I mention I love cats? This is not Donut however, but this cat has adopted Mark and is always around.  I'm not mentioning anything more, but I love that cat.

 

Verdict

Advent was a fun read, but I definitely enjoyed the world-building more than the character development in this one.  There are plenty of twists and turns, with some side quests, an interesting set of characters, and some themes that I hope the author develops more fully. I really enjoyed how Mark and his brother Joe interacted and am looking forward to seeing how their separate paths develop and perhaps conflict in future books.  While the themes and the tropes have been covered before, this still works and is worth reading. 

 

Review: The Replacement by Matt Brolly

The Replacement (DS Liam Kilshaw, #2)

by Matt Brolly

Release Date: February 10, 2026

2026 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook ARC; 297 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662520433

ASIN: B0DXG631T4

Audiobook: B0FFNJ6F2X

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When a mutilated body washes up on Sennen Beach, DS Liam Kilshaw is plunged into a case as dark and unforgiving as the Cornish winter. With the victim’s face so severely disfigured that identification is impossible, whispers of a local superstition begin to surface—the killing bears a chilling resemblance to the legend of Bucca Dhu, a vengeful sea demon said to demand human sacrifice.

But myths don’t murder people. When a second body is discovered just above the high-tide line, Kilshaw knows he’s racing against time. A missing crew member, a lost shipping container and a trail of cryptic clues all point to something far more sinister.

 

My Thoughts

The Replacement is the second book in the DS Liam Kilshaw series and I really enjoyed this one as it blended local myth with an interesting mystery.  When DS Kilshaw is called down to a scene of crime, he discovers a gruesome sight when the body seems to mimic a local legend and the face of the victim is grossly misfigured leaving it difficult to identify the victim. 

 

Liam is one of those characters that you just can't help feeling sympathetic towards as he suffers from PTSD from his work as a marine volunteer and former Special Boat Service Member. One one of his previous missions, he almost drowned and is suffering from the affects of that mission as he has developed a fear of water, something that he had previously loved.  As a form of therapy, he volunteers for the local boat rescue team hoping to cope with his fears.  I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel as I like it when an author shows the stress the job has on its people and how they cope with it on a daily basis. In some series, it just goes away and that devalues the experience while this author blends the difficulties of the job with the demands of the job.  Despite all of this, Liam is relentless in his pursuit of the truth which sometimes puts his relationships with others at risk as he tends to keep others at a distance, one of the reasons why he is divorced.  

 

The prologue in this book actually gave me the creeps, not because it was bloody or anything like that, but because it was chilling.  When you catch a glimpse of how a local legend can be twisted for personal use to torment children as they are growing up, it simply sends chills down your back and you wonder what will happen in the future.  Well, we got it in this book and the details are creepy.  I really have to commend the author for blending the local folklore into this book and there were quite a few twists and turns, some predictable, some surprising.  There are quite a few themes in this book that could be explored as well: isolation, loneliness, mental health, PTSD, abuse, legends and folklore, misplaced loyalty, friendship, and relationships. I really enjoyed the hunt for clues as I like the procedural aspect of these novels and this one did a bang up job. 

 

Verdict

The Replacement had a lot of great things going for it and I enjoyed both the mystery and the character development of the main character.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more from the secondary characters, but as this seems to be setting up to be longer running series, there should be room for those secondary characters to grow.  The mystery was interesting and while some parts were a bit predictable, there was enough that was surprising that it kept me flying through the pages and interested in what was happening.  I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of this book and loved how the folklore blended into the mystery.  Looking forward to the next one in this series.  

 

Review: Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online by Fortesa Latifi

Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online

by Fortesa Latifi

Release Date: April 7, 2026

2026 Gallery Books

Ebook ARC; 288 Pages

ISBN: 978-1668080504

ASIN: B0FCG5TL3B

Audiobook: B0FP5VD7J1

Genre: Non-Fiction / Social Media / Parenting

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Journalist Fortesa Latifi dives into the lives of children whose parents mine their everyday activities for monetizable content, exposing issues like privacy violations, financial abuse, and the absence of child labor protections. Through expert interviews with psychologists, labor scientists, and even former child influencers and family vloggers, she uncovers the pressures, trauma, and consequences for children thrust into the spotlight.

This timely and eye-opening book doesn’t just reveal the harm of toxic social media it also provides a roadmap to better regulating influencer families, safeguarding children, and questioning the role of audiences in perpetuating these cycles of exploitation.

 

My Thoughts

Like, Follow, Subscribe focuses on mom vloggers who become full-time social media influencers exposing the lives of their families for monetizable content.  Meant to be an exploration of the issues surrounding these influencers including things like privacy violations, financial abuse, trauma, pressure, family, abuse, neglect, etc..., the author attempts to dive into the popularity of these sites to explain why this is this case.  While I don't think this was quite successful as I don't feel like the author went deep enough, there were still some things that make you think and question and wonder about why these sites are so popular.

 

This book is about how these moms film and monetise their content, but in reality, a lot of it is built on lies.  It is also about the immense amount of money they make which seems to justify the reasoning behind why they do it in the first place.  I did enjoy the way the author discussed the evolution of blogging to the way families are portrayed today on TikTok and Youtube as I remember some of the early blogs from when I started blogging myself.  However, I was never a follower of the mom blogs, I just remember some of the advertisements for workshops in Toronto in the early days about them and how you could start your own blog and make money.  I also liked how the author shared a number of different types of vlogs, from the more exploitative ones to the ones who don't share any information about their kids online at all.

 

While I didn't mind the writing style of this book, I did feel it was very shallow, like she was afraid to offend any of the mom vloggers she interviewed.  And anytime she got personal in her book, especially with regards to her daughter, she was very hesitant as if she was afraid to give her full opinion about how she felt so a lot of it felt wishy washy. Either go personal or stay objective. Straddling the line isn't good writing. For example, the chapter with regards to legislation the author spent a great deal of time examining the laws passed by several states, but relied on other people to give their opinion with how effective it would be, and those people who gave their opinion were not even law experts. Why not actually interview kids who tried to sue their parents, tried to stop their parents, or got the law involved? There was little of this in the book to take the book to a deeper level.  However, the author did talk to Kevin Franke to get his views on what happened. WTF? And there wasn't anyone else she could have spoken to? 

 

To be fair, I think I was looking for more from this book.  I was looking for a more researched book rather than something that was more about other people's research and other people's conclusions.  And I know I may get some flack for this, but the author actually got on my nerves some of the time, whining about how difficult it is to be a mom.  Yes, I get it, but she has a part-time nanny, for crying out loud.  And a full support system. I would have loved a part-time nanny.  And this is the part that kept me away from all of the mom blogs over the years, the falseness of it all.  I just wish these mom vloggers would admit to what they do behind the scenes in order to make their videos.   

 

Verdict

Like, Follow, Subscribe is one of those books where the content definitely needs to be discussed and more conversations need to be had with regards to child exploitation.  The issue is complex and there are many factors involved with regards to this issue.  How do we ensure children are kept safe from parents who wish to exploit their children for money especially when the working conditions are in their own homes? How do we ensure kids are safe from online predators? How do we put a system in place to monitor abuse? I would have liked more research into the responsibility of tech companies into this issue as I do feel they play a role in this issue, something the author dismisses. This book was definitely thought-provoking, but while it highlighted a lot of issues, it definitely didn't go deep enough into them nor was there enough research done in the right areas. If you are looking for a lighter read on this topic, this book may be for you, but if you are looking for a deeper explanation I would recommend research articles, not this book. 

 

Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

The Escape Game 

by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

Release Date: April 7, 2026

2026 G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Ebook ARC; 416 Pages

ISBN: 978-8217006120

ASIN: B0FCSQHF88

Audiobook: B0FD4BNMQX

Genre: Fiction / YA / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

 

My Thoughts

The Escape Game was actually a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed the twists and turns quite a bit even if some of them were on the predictable side.  I liked the competition format of the story and I definitely enjoyed the escape rooms and how they were solved as that is something that I really enjoy.  I mean, puzzles are my thing.  While the character development was mostly one-dimensional, I still had a good time with the plot and enjoyed the overall story.

 

The plot mainly followed four contestants, Sierra, Adi, Carter, and Beck, who were one of five teams competing for the cash prize on the show.  All of them were there for very different reasons, but I enjoyed seeing them come together and become friends as the story progressed, as they learned to trust each other and rely on their strength and weaknesses to see them through difficulties.  While I did think the character development was the weakest part of the book, it didn't really affect the overall story as I still felt empathy for each of the characters for very different reasons and wanted them to succeed.  I also felt like each of them had a very distinct voice, a distinct personality, and the author used that to good effect.   

 

I thought the plot moved along rather quickly with a lot of twists and turns; even if a lot of the twists were fairly predictable, it didn't take away from the fun of the story or from reading about it because I enjoyed the dialogue and banter between the characters as things were happening.  Some of these characters did have some serious trauma going on with them and I would have liked to have seen a bit more exploration with regards to that as I thought it was fairly shallow and not explored at all within the context of the story.  However, I will acknowledge that the contestants didn't really know each other at first, so it would be difficult to unload stuff onto people you barely know so as the story progressed I did see a bit more exploration into some of the themes, but only at surface level.  I did figure out one of the twists at the end; I also thought the characters' comments about what was going at the end were hilarious. I liked that aspect as I liked the exploration of incredulity when you learn the lengths to which someone will go to for something so silly. If that sounds obscure, well, I can't give away the ending, now can I?

 

Verdict 

The Escape Game was pure fun and it was exactly what I needed at this time as I am reading some hard-hitting non-fiction books.  I enjoyed the plot, loved the escape rooms, thought the characters were endearing if one-dimensional, and was happy to see that one line at the end of the book that says this book is not the end.   

 

Review: The Girl Uptairs by Jessica R. Patch

The Girl Upstairs

by Jessica R. Patch

Release Date: April 28, 2026

2026 Love Inspired Trade

Ebook ARC; 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-1335001368

ASIN: B0F54BB4P3

Audiobook: B0FR66LZRV

Genre: Fiction / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. 

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

 

Verdict

The Girl Upstairs was a half-decent take on the unreliable narrator thriller that seems to be quite popular lately. But while it was interesting, if you read enough of these you can figure out the twists and turns quite easily. One of the twists was so obvious, but it got dragged on for quite a while and I did get distracted by wondering when it would finally be revealed and how.  

 

Gwen is the main character of the story and most of the story is told through her eyes.  I wasn't a big fan of Gwen in the beginning of the book.  I don't typically mind unreliable/unlikeable narrators, but I did find it very difficult to root for her as she was quite self-centered and whiny, and as a result, I found it quite difficult to connect with her character.  The amount of times she mentioned she was a detective whenever anyone questioned what she was doing was annoying, as if that would answer why she was asking questions or being difficult.  I get that things were suspicious, but the author relied on telling rather than letting the reader figure things out as they went through the story. I would have liked the secondary characters to have more development as well as certain actions from Steven didn't seem to fit and seemed to be used to only further the story.  

 

The plot moved along rather quickly and I didn't mind the writing style although I could have done with a little less tell me how to think versus let me figure it out on my own.  There were a lot of twists and turns, but I'll be honest, there was very little that surprised me in this book, especially the Tara situation. Sorry, that was just kind of creepy, to be honest.  I did like the creepiness of the house and the things that were found, and there were moments when I was second-guessing my guesses, but as soon as something happened, it would give all the secrets away.  I wish I wasn't so cryptic, but I don't want to give away any secrets if you haven't read the book.  I also wasn't a fan of the way grief was portrayed in this book as it seemed like it was something that could be compared to someone else's grief and there was one sentence that kind of stunned me.  Sorry, comparison of grief is never a good thing and it turned me right off, especially when you perceive yours as being worse than someone else's.  I do think the exploration of this theme as well as how miscarriage is portrayed in this book would make for some interesting book club discussions though.  

 

Verdict

The Girl Upstairs is a fairly predictable thriller, but it does have some darker themes to it as well such as child abuse, miscarriage, trauma, and infertility. I don't think it dealt with the theme of grief in a very beneficial way, but it does make for a very good discussion tool.  I am also not a fan of the trope when nobody believes the main character because they have had mental issues in the past or are grieving; personally, I think this trope is weak and is very overused, something that does appear in this book quite a bit.  However, the book was moody and overall, I did enjoy it as it was a fast read and the writing style did keep me engaged, but there was nothing that was surprising and I thought the twists and turns were easy to figure out. 

 

 

 

Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

The Caretaker

by Marcus Kliewer

Release Date: April 21, 2026

2026 Atria/Emily Bestler Books/12:01 Books

Ebook ARC; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1982198817

ASIN:  ‎ B0FCFZ233G

Audiobook: B0FCZM594D

Genre: Fiction / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.25/5 Stars

 

Summary

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.

 

My Thoughts

The Caretaker is one of those books I really wanted to read because I love an isolated setting and I definitely love houses that have secrets. So, what happened? Honestly, it was the main character who drove this book down for me as I got really annoyed with the constant repetitiveness of being in her head and her constant whining about the problems in her life. I could have lived with the psychological issues, but when those same issues were used as excuses for the silly mistakes she constantly made with regards to the rules she was given for the house, and it started to interfere with my enjoyment of the plot, it became a problem.

 

Let's talk about the plot first as I was truly interested in this book for the first half as I found it interesting and somewhat unique. And I've read a lot of haunted house novels over the years.  The atmosphere was quite eerie and the writing style did pull me in quite a bit as I found what was happening to be quite fascinating as well as spooky.  I also didn't have a clue as to what or why things were happening, but I am patient and can wait for things to be explained.  So I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited.  So, where was the explanation? Well, that is now a problem as there wasn't one.  Just follow the rules you are given and there will be no problems. At some point, I thought, the reason for the rules would be explained.  Or so I thought. Not a fan of the mysterious stuff if there is never, at least even a minimum, of explanation for why things are the way they are.  Sorry, I am not one to just accept things at face value. 

 

So, now we come to the point where the story actually derailed for me, Macy. While at first her thoughts were interesting because they were fresh, by the time you heard the same thing for the fifteenth time, they got old, fast. I don't mind an inner monologue, or two, but don't repeat the same thing over and over again in a different way thinking the reader won't spot it.  And Macy whined about everything. About when she broke the rules when it was her fault.  When she forgot to lock the door.  I can deal with the self-loathing and she definitely had a hard time after what happened to her father, so I didn't mind those flashbacks nor did I mind reading about how difficult life has been for her and her sister, but when those reasons are used for why she made silly decisions in the house, it doesn't ring true. She simply made silly mistakes because she doesn't think.  And because this was a horror novel, I was expecting more to happen in terms of plot and tension, but it became more and more of a pity party and the tension just doesn't seem to go anywhere. It builds, but then...nothing.

 

Verdict

The Caretaker had a lot of potential as it was set in an environment that had a spooky and eerie atmosphere, and the plot was quite interesting.  However, a lack of development in the main character, Macy, created problems in the flow of the story as her inner monologue continuously interrupted the tension and the atmosphere. I also wasn't a fan of the ending as there were too many questions left unanswered, ones that it seemed the author sidestepped in order to focus on Macy's psychological issues. As a result, none of the horror issues are explained, none. It's hard to get invested in a story when you have no idea why things are happening. While this book didn't quite land the way I hoped, the author does have a way with words and descriptions, so I will definitely keep reading his works.