What do you think?
Rate this book
Housekeeper: A Psycho/Cosmic Horror
A Psycho/Cosmic HorrorThis is not her house. These are not her rules.
When recently divorced Margot takes a position as housekeeper at the House on Lakeview Drive, she's desperate for stability and a fresh start. The salary is generous, the work familiar, and the house itself seems perfectly ordinary.
But from the moment she steps in the door, something feels wrong.
Distances between rooms shift overnight. Doors appear and disappear without explanation. The red light that pulses on the other side of her bedroom door at 1 AM brings with it sounds of grinding metal and shifting flesh. And her fellow staff members seem determined to act like nothing’s wrong.
As her questions pile up, and the bodies begin to drop, Margot becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the House on Lakeview Drive. But there are dangers in its halls, in its carousel of strange rooms, behind the unending peach wallpaper. Margot has to be smart if she wants to outthink the house, but her investigation won't go unnoticed for long. Someone, or something, is watching her every move.
A haunting, literary exploration of identity, memory, and resistance, HOUSEKEEPER combines psychological dread with cosmic horror to create a disturbing vision of what might lurk behind the façade of domesticity.
When recently divorced Margot takes a position as housekeeper at the House on Lakeview Drive, she's desperate for stability and a fresh start. The salary is generous, the work familiar, and the house itself seems perfectly ordinary.
But from the moment she steps in the door, something feels wrong.
Distances between rooms shift overnight. Doors appear and disappear without explanation. The red light that pulses on the other side of her bedroom door at 1 AM brings with it sounds of grinding metal and shifting flesh. And her fellow staff members seem determined to act like nothing’s wrong.
As her questions pile up, and the bodies begin to drop, Margot becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the House on Lakeview Drive. But there are dangers in its halls, in its carousel of strange rooms, behind the unending peach wallpaper. Margot has to be smart if she wants to outthink the house, but her investigation won't go unnoticed for long. Someone, or something, is watching her every move.
A haunting, literary exploration of identity, memory, and resistance, HOUSEKEEPER combines psychological dread with cosmic horror to create a disturbing vision of what might lurk behind the façade of domesticity.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2025
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 1, 2025
Housekeeper had me hooked. There's a bit of set up with really neat and thick descriptions you can chew on (in all the good ways), and once cosmic horror gets going, it really gets going. Which I loved. I enjoyed trying to piece together what was going on right alongside Margot and I thoroughly loved the ending. There are definitely unanswered questions, but I am definitely returning should there be a sequel.
I'll definitely never look at peach wallpaper the same ever again...
I'll definitely never look at peach wallpaper the same ever again...
March 18, 2025
I ended up reading this whole book in two sittings, I was hooked from chapter one.
It's a hard book to put down, and each chapter leaves you wanting to read just one more.
The characters are likable and intriguing, I found myself wanting to know every morsel I could about each character.
Machins' writing is very good, and his ability to create and build tension is exceptional.
It's a hard book to put down, and each chapter leaves you wanting to read just one more.
The characters are likable and intriguing, I found myself wanting to know every morsel I could about each character.
Machins' writing is very good, and his ability to create and build tension is exceptional.
April 3, 2025
( 3.5 / 5)
So um...
What the actual fuck?
We follow Margot who takes a new job as a Housekeeper in order to "get her life on track" after her divorce. The manor she works at it is far from normal and not just because of its violent and atrocious peach floral wallpaper. The Cook, The Gardener and her are expected to follow a strict set of rules and one is extra strange. When the right light blinks, they are not to leave their rooms.
That's not ominous at all right?
WRONG!
I was just expecting a simple haunted house psychological thriller. The prose is deceiving because the flowery and written like this metaphorical poetry.
Until it becomes this sci-fi existentialist character journey as we watch Margot, Housekeeper, try and escape this house.
I was taken for a literal roller-coaster ride and I'm still reeling from it.
This story's strengths are in its ability to make the reader think and second guess almost everything. While that may be frustrating to some, in a mystery thriller, feels kind of on brand if you ask me. It was so difficult to full trust Margot as our narrator because like her, we are given so little and then somehow discover this vast uncertainty where we don't entirely get a clear answer in the end. Themes of grief, isolation, repressed and stolen memories are woven throughout the house and it feels like we only got maybe a 1/4 of the full situation.
That being said, I can see where this might not be everyone's cup of tea. There is a lot of teasing to when we might be an answer only to be left half satisfied. And 75% of the story focuses a lot of open ended questions that it can at times feel like a broken record. You may not get a satisfying conclusion while being left with more questions than before. That being said a book two is possibly in development.
Overall, a mind fuck of a good time!
So um...
What the actual fuck?
We follow Margot who takes a new job as a Housekeeper in order to "get her life on track" after her divorce. The manor she works at it is far from normal and not just because of its violent and atrocious peach floral wallpaper. The Cook, The Gardener and her are expected to follow a strict set of rules and one is extra strange. When the right light blinks, they are not to leave their rooms.
That's not ominous at all right?
WRONG!
I was just expecting a simple haunted house psychological thriller. The prose is deceiving because the flowery and written like this metaphorical poetry.
Until it becomes this sci-fi existentialist character journey as we watch Margot, Housekeeper, try and escape this house.
I was taken for a literal roller-coaster ride and I'm still reeling from it.
This story's strengths are in its ability to make the reader think and second guess almost everything. While that may be frustrating to some, in a mystery thriller, feels kind of on brand if you ask me. It was so difficult to full trust Margot as our narrator because like her, we are given so little and then somehow discover this vast uncertainty where we don't entirely get a clear answer in the end. Themes of grief, isolation, repressed and stolen memories are woven throughout the house and it feels like we only got maybe a 1/4 of the full situation.
That being said, I can see where this might not be everyone's cup of tea. There is a lot of teasing to when we might be an answer only to be left half satisfied. And 75% of the story focuses a lot of open ended questions that it can at times feel like a broken record. You may not get a satisfying conclusion while being left with more questions than before. That being said a book two is possibly in development.
Overall, a mind fuck of a good time!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2025
When I started reading Housekeeper I thought I was getting a standard haunted evil house. It turned out to be so much more than that. Yes, it had House of Leaves and Cube vibes, but it also dove into what makes a person and how memories shape us. The descriptions were atmospheric and the twist was foreshadowed subtly enough that it offered that “oh, so that's why this is happening” moment when stuff clicked. The only thing I’m sorry about is that I didn't realise that it was the first book in a series which meant that not everything gets resolved. However I’ll say that enough gets revealed to make the end satisfying.
I’m looking forward to seeing how all the loose threads get pulled together in the sequel.
I’m looking forward to seeing how all the loose threads get pulled together in the sequel.
March 19, 2025
As someone who's only more recently come into a love of horror media, this ticked all the boxes of what I was looking for in a story. Strong characters, bold and nuanced themes, disturbing and chilling moments all came together in the best way.
There were moments that had me cheering out loud and others that had me shuddering, and it's got a lot packed into a shorter page length. One that had me pondering some ideas well after finishing the last page.
A fantastic start, can't wait to see what comes next from Darby!
There were moments that had me cheering out loud and others that had me shuddering, and it's got a lot packed into a shorter page length. One that had me pondering some ideas well after finishing the last page.
A fantastic start, can't wait to see what comes next from Darby!
May 1, 2025
It's a good book, I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews