We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer BLOG TOUR #WeUsedToLiveHere @Marcus_Kliewer @PenguinUKBooks @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

You let them back in.

You shouldn't have...

Young couple Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they got on an old house in a beautiful yet remote neighbourhood nestled deep in the mountains. One day, a man knocks on the door. He claims to have lived in the house years before and asks if he can show his family around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as they enter, strange things start to happen, and Eve wants nothing more than for them to leave and never come back. But they can’t – or won’t – take the hint that they are no longer welcome.

Then Charlie suddenly vanishes, and Eve begins to lose her grip on reality. She’s convinced there’s something terribly wrong with the house and its past inhabitants . . . or is it all in her head?

The Turn of the Key meets Parasite in this gripping, eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit – soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively – that will keep you up into the early hours. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Leave the World Behind.

We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer was published on 20 June 2024 by Bantam / Penguin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I can't remember the last time that I read a horror novel, probably way back in my James Herbert days, so this one took me out of my comfort zone a little. However, I was intrigued by the premise, and was sold by the blurb. It is most certainly horrific at times, but it's also a cleverly crafted psychological thriller, filled with tension and suspense. At times, I felt as though I just didn't know where this would go, but the story and the characters are so compelling that I became hooked. 

Eve and her partner Charlotte, known as Charlie are a young couple who buy old houses, do them up and then sell them. Their most recent purchase is an old house that is pretty isolated, situated in a forest. There are neighbours but they are quite far away. The house is a rambling place; there are lots of corridors, lots of nooks and crannies,  and a basement and an attic.

Eve is home alone when a family arrive at the front door. A couple and their three children. The father explains that he lived in the house as a child and would really like to show his family around. Despite her misgivings, Eve is a people-pleaser, she knows that Charlie would tell them to leave, but she lets them in .... just for fifteen minutes. 

So creepy, and Eve's first mistake. From the moment that the family enter, strange things begin to happen. At first, Eve just gets annoyed by their daughter who hides in the basement, but as she and the father search for her, she experiences things that she cannot work out. 

And, it gets creepier. There's no way that I'm going to relate the story, but be warned, this is a total head messer. We learn more about the family, about the history of the house, but what can we believe? Who are they, in fact, who is Eve, and where is Charlie?

Interwoven with extracts from reports and articles that only add to the mystery, this is a novel that will leave the reader with a spinning head for sure. With scenes of quite graphic violence at times, and some incredibly tense moments, it is not for the faint hearted. With an ending that is explosive, but throws up so many more questions, it is a book that lingers for a long time after you've turned the final page. 

Soon to be a Netflix series, starring Blake Lively.  I will be fascinated to see the adaptation when it's on screen. 

Marcus Kliewer is a writer and stop-motion animator. 

He lives in Vancouver, Canada.

X @Marcus_Kliewer

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