The Caretaker

By Marcus Kliewer

Book Overview

Instant New York Times Bestseller

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 an eerie 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 unspeakable 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...

..--- / ..... / ---..

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1982198818
• ISBN13: 9781982198817
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books/12:01 Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

3.5 stars

THE CARETAKER by Marcus Kliewer I’m on the fence about this one. Macy answers a Craigslist ad for a house sitting position. She would only have to be there for the weekend and it pays nine thousand dollars. Of course there has to be a catch, but Macy’s desperate for money so she ignores all the red flags (and her sister’s advice). The first half was great; I was hooked right away. The atmosphere was dark, tension filled, and creepy. However, Macy was the worst person for this job! It was hard to root for her when she couldn’t follow through with any of the instructions. Granted some of the “rites” were ridiculous and nonsensical, but she couldn’t get one thing right And she’s the one tasked with preventing something catastrophic from happening to humanity?! Yikes. What ultimately saved this for me was the excellent audiobook narration/performance by Corey Brill. In short, this had a lot of potential, but it failed to deliver. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️