“Follow the Rites…

Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

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…”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer. The Caretaker was published by Bantam Books on 23rd April 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The Caretaker but that has in no way influenced my review.

One of the most memorable books I read in 2024 was We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. A young couple in one of the most awkward situations any of us can face, trying to get unwanted visitors to leave. Made only a million times worse by the fact there’s something…’off’…about their guests. Guests they don’t actually know. Guests they only let into their house to be polite. It was a nerve-racking, pulse-pounding joy to read. So I was understandably excited to get my mitts on Marcus Kliewer’s second book.

Macy Mullins is down on her luck. Still mourning the sudden death of her father, she knows she has to find a job to provide for her younger sister, Jemma, keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. But try as she might, nothing seems to be working. Nobody wants her. That’s when she spots an ad on Craigslist that seems to fit the bill. Three days looking after an elderly man off the Oregon coast. Taking a punt, she arranges to meet Grace Carnswel for an in-person chat. There’s no harm in finding out more, surely? On arrival at Brooksview Heights, it suddenly becomes clear to Macy that the advert didn’t tell the whole truth. Or anything that could even begin to resemble the truth! The role isn’t as she expected, Grace is actually a widow – there is no elderly husband, and, and this is what really catches her attention, the money is significantly more than she ever hoped for. Suspiciously so? With that kind of cash in her pocket, life for Macy and Jemma would be so much easier. So, despite the strange things Grace asks her to do, the Rites she has to follow, and the VHS she’s been instructed to watch, Macy accepts the job. Now the safety of humanity and life as we know it rests on her shoulders. Follow the Rites, Macy…follow the Rites….

The Caretaker is a highly readable psychological horror novel that I flew through the pages of, desperate to see how horribly wrong this was going to go for poor Macy. Oh Macy, what were you thinking?! Say no to the job, no to the money, and no to the weirdness of it all. You know those books where everyone around a particular character urges them not to do something that’s totally stupid or reckless. You know they’re making a mistake, their nearest and dearest know, and often the character themselves know. But still, they go ahead and do what everyone told them not to do. That’s the case here. I found myself shaking my head in disbelief as Macy plodded on towards catastrophe. In a way, though, that made me warm to her character even more. Macy feels a responsibility to look after her sister, who has medical needs that aren’t being met. So, despite the bizarre situation she’s offered, despite it being littered with numerous red flags, countless ‘horror movie don’ts’, she accepts and moves into Brooksview Heights for the weekend. After all, any solution that will keep the wolf from the door for a little while longer is one our dogged protagonist will take. That determination comes across loud and clear, and despite knowing things are most likely going to take a turn for the worse, you can’t help but admire that. Sort of. In a way.

Things quickly escalate, and Macy realises that this isn’t going to be the cakewalk she initially imagined. One thing literally leads to another, and before long, Macy is giddy with confusion and panic. The Rites are bizarre, the requests are barbaric, things are seriously getting out of control, and the only person who can stop the melee is the person who created it all.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Caretaker is a highly entertaining, tense and dread-filled supernatural read that I devoured in the space of a few short sittings. I was fascinated by the Rites. How strange the instructions Macy had to follow were. There are times when she’s really not sure if what she’s doing is just the creation of an unhinged mind close to death, or if there is something ‘more’ to them. Something much, much bigger than us. Something completely catastrophic and world-ending. Is that a risk she can take, though?! As things spiral, so does Macy. I liked her, despite her dodgy decision-making. I wanted her to succeed, to find a way to escape the madness she found herself trapped in. All in all, The Caretaker is an atmospheric, compelling, immensely readable book suitable for established horror readers and those wishing to give the genre a go. There’s a beautifully written creepiness woven throughout the pages, along with a thread of the unknown, which captivates the reader and draws you into the story. It’s your worst nightmare come true. I thoroughly enjoyed The Caretaker and I look forward to more from Kliewer in the future. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Caretaker. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer was published in the UK by Bantam Books on 23rd April 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Apple Books [eBook] x Apple Books [Audio] | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

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.