Publishers Weekly
04/01/2024
A young couple’s house-flipping hobby turns dangerous in Kliewer’s devilish debut. Eve Palmer is alone in the remote Pacific Northwest mansion she and her girlfriend, Charlie, are renovating, when she hears a knock on the door. She opens it to find the Faust family: patriarch Thomas; his wife, Paige; and their three severe-looking children. Thomas explains to Eve that he used to live in the house and would like to show his family around. Despite her misgivings, Eve invites them in, privately hoping the more forthright Charlie will arrive and interrupt the nostalgia tour. When Charlie does show up, a heavy snowstorm follows her, stranding everyone. What begins as mildly uncomfortable grows full-tilt terrifying as one of the Faust children goes missing, Thomas starts calling Eve “Emma,” and Charlie seems to transform into a different person entirely. Kliewer nods to the book’s origin as a series of Reddit posts by supplementing the main narrative with “documents” examining the paranormal “Old House” phenomenon (which posits certain abandoned buildings connect to a paranormal force), transcripts from subjects who’ve experienced it, and internet conspiracy theories about its legitimacy. Stringing the whole thing together is Kliewer’s gift for atmosphere and wicked sense of humor. This is a winner. Agent: Liz Parker, Verve Talent & Literary. (June)
Matt and Harrison Query
"WE USED TO LIVE HERE is a gem of contemporary horror that explores the places we call home with deft and terrifying command that will leave you shaken long after turning the final page."
— Screen Rant Roundup
*Most Anticipated Horror and Thriller Books Coming out in June 2024*
Alma Katsu
Inventive and genuinely scary, WE USED TO LIVE HERE is the most impressive horror debut I've read in a long time. Marcus Kliewer is a talent to watch.
— Booklist
"Kliewer’s debut is an atmospheric nightmare in all the best ways. This is recommended for fans of intricately plotted psychological novels, such as those by Stephen King, Ruth Ware, and Sarah Pinborough."
Erin A. Craig
"Full of unease and stomach-churning dread, WE USED TO LIVE HERE creeps up to you like a sly shadow. I wanted to look away. I absolutely could not. Marcus Kliewer is destined to become a titan of the macabre and unsettling. Read this with every single light on."
Nick Cutter
There is a feeling that a small number of books conjure. It can be distilled to: Oh god, something ain’t right here. Their hallmark is a creeping, unaccountable, jangly dread that seeps into their pages until you almost wish you could stop reading—but of course, it’s too late. You’re in its grip. WE USED TO LIVE HERE is one of those rare books.
Agustina Bazterrica
"This book is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. WE USED TO LIVE HERE will haunt you even after you have finished it."
Screen Rant Roundup
*Most Anticipated Horror and Thriller Books Coming out in June 2024*
bestselling author of Tender is the Fle — Agustina Bazterrica
"This book is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. WE USED TO LIVE HERE will haunt you even after you have finished it."
Kirkus Reviews
2024-04-18
Mysterious guests overstay their welcome in this fresh take on the haunted house trope.
Eve Palmer makes the biggest mistake of her life when there’s a knock on the door from a man who says he grew up in her house. Against her better instincts she invites him and his family inside, but a 15-minute look around turns into a world of trouble when she can’t get them to leave. First the Faust family’s young daughter disappears in the basement; then a storm hits and the roads are blocked, giving them no choice but to spend the night. Soon rooms appear altered, strange odors waft through the house, and a toy chimp from Eve’s childhood seems to be sending her a warning: "Once they’re in, they never leave." Kliewer’s original and extremely scary story gathers elements inspired by authors like Shirley Jackson and classic horror films including Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He’s created a can’t-look-away imaginary world in which people and places aren’t what they appear. Readers will be as shaken as Eve, who fears she’s suffering from delusions when an apparition warns her that the Fausts—and even her partner, Charlie—aren’t who they say they are. Inserted between the book’s chapters are "documents" that lay out evidence collected by conspiracy theorists who believe what’s happening to Eve has nothing to do with delusions. This alternate storyline, written in the style of Reddit—Kliewer’s novel grew out of a novella he posted there—feels jarring at times, as we’re reluctantly pulled away from Eve’s gripping tale. The conspiracy theorists’ creepy posts aren’t quite as hypnotic, but they solidify the plot’s premise and neatly tie up Eve’s predicament. Fans of the surging horror genre will think twice about opening the door when somebody knocks.
A frighteningly good debut.
