This haunted house story is such a good counterpoint to my last Gailey novel: Upright Women Wanted, that I think a contrast would be helpful, as it's likely fans of the author will be familiar with it. The audiobook narration was terrible for the UWW, this one was phenomenal; she sounds like Jean Stewart. This story also centers on a queer woman, with first-person narration. Mired in a tabloid tragedy that has haunted her throughout life; costing her work and friends and a normal upbringing. Vera is called back home by her mother, who is dying, ostensibly to take care of the house and possibly take possession after she passes. But things are a lot more complicated than that. Old nightmares resurface. Past friends come calling. And there is a slow unraveling of her memories, revealing why the house might be haunted, where her father is, just what happened to the house, her relationship with her mother, and the other small mysteries placed as easter eggs throughout the narrative.

I think an obvious comparison is Gillian Flynn. And, like Flynn, Gailey's prose has adapted to this particular genre very well. It's the strongest writing I've noticed, again a stark contrast to UWW--and prose work is generally watered down on audio, so the fact that the atmosphere is so present and the thoughts gripping is a testament to how well crafted this was. I think it could have been a hair shorter but the whole thing is wonderfully tense. I don't read in horror, occult-type intersections often, so I had a very fun time not knowing who to trust. Loyalties shifting from character to character. It is every bit the unhinged woman--and book--I was hoping it would be, and then some.