Make a Home of Me

by Vanessa Santos

Peer through the keyhole and you’ll see a mysterious dinner party with a sickening twist; a woman’s intense new relationship with a single father and his strangely shy daughter; the rediscovered journals of a famous artist with a singular obsession who disappeared in suspicious circumstances; a family driven to desperation by the impossible appearance of nonsensical notes; and a seemingly happily married couple driven to the edge of despair by a neighbour’s crying baby.

Set in houses that should provide protection but instead turn on their inhabitants, places of safety invaded without warning, and familiar landscapes that gradually change beyond recognition, Make a Home of Me is about all the ways in which our sanctuaries can turn into foreign places, casting us as strangers as we roam the halls.

The stories in Make a Home of Me are unsettling and distinct, introducing a fresh new voice in the horror landscape.

Lock up when you’re done...

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Horror Thriller

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2025

Reviews

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really pretty damn great. Compelling, unsettling, imaginative and exquisitely written. I loved it.

[Quill&Queer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the early stories, particularly the opening dinner part and the creepy daughter Emily were really strong, but after the half way mark I didn't think those stories were as strong or memorable and they frequently left me feeling like they needed a stronger ending.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to connect with Make a Home of Me, but this short story collection just didn’t land for me. While the themes of love, loss, and belonging were clear, I struggled to stay engaged with the stories themselves. The writing style felt uneven, and instead of pulling me in, I found myself drifting.

There were glimpses of emotional depth, but overall, the collection lacked the impact I was hoping for. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

[Dave Musson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 rounded up.

This collection of short stories take a look at domestic bliss and kill the lights, exposing a bunch of unsettling stuff underneath.

Whether it’s a crying baby, a missing child, a lockdown, a strange wake…there’s lot to explore here and these tales all build dread and will linger long after you’re done with them. The sound of their claws scratching against the door might well infect your dreams.

There are eight stories here, and I’ve made notes on all of them:

Table scraps: blackest of black humour. The weirdest wake you can ever imagine and a darkly intriguing opener to this collection.

Emily: creepy tale of a creepy kid that belongs to the man our main character has just started a relationship with. A little too long and lost me a bit in the middle, but a strong, dark ending.

Mouthful: journals of a missing artist. Like the found footage element but the content didn’t really grab me.

Changes: sad rather than scary. A couple go for a holiday to a strange town and find they are more different from each other than they thought.

Make a home of me: a truly effective and creepy haunted house story. What would you do if you house started leaving notes for you and your family?

As above, so below: a chilling tale of alien invasion that also feels like an attempt to process that weird time of the covid pandemic. A story full of dread, like a breath being held for the entire thing. Very good.

Riverquick, saltfresh: a haunting tale of grief and guilt and the pull of the sea…even if it means death. Evocative and compelling.

The wall: a tale of madness caused by a crying baby. Brought back plenty of bad memories, so thanks for that!

Overall, an impressive collection that is perfect for a slice of something chilling before bed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

[Emily TarBush · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - this was so fun & unexpected - felt serendipitous that one of the stories was titled “emily” but then it ended up being about a demon child so lol

[LX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Dead Ink Books & NetGalley for the e-ARC!!

4 stars!!

This collection was fantastic for variety! There's so much here that can be a hit or miss but so much to also have something for anyone!

My favourite has to be Table Scraps! What a way to open the collection!

I liked this one so much I'd actually love to read more / longer / novella version of it.

Another I liked but mainly because of the creepy ending was Emily, the middle of the story seemed to drag a little but the imagery of the ending I loved.

Make a Home of Me I loved creepy haunted houses and this one had something unique to it and I loved the writing and this can also be said for the writing in Riverquick, Saltfresh. Loved the writing

So happy to have read this collection and to find a new author I'm definitely keeping an eye for!

[Jemima Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

one very creepy story that spooked me out late at night. other than that, this just seemed a bit too A Level english lit for me

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vanessa Santos' "Make a Home of Me" is the perfect quiet horror collection: just eight stories at the absolutely right length, all easy reads, every one full of creepiness and shuddering terror with minimal gore (practically none) and full of emotional upheavals - exactly what you might need to read before bed, or during a hot summer afternoon. Their common theme, if any, is the undoing of domestic comfort, the collapse of those "places of safety" one craves for after an exhausting day at work, a quarrel with a neighbor, or even the loss of a loved one without warning. Santos deconstructs safe places the way one is supposed to enjoy a cigar: slow draws, enjoying the flavor, and letting the story burn itself out - a slow and deliberate process finely crafted in words most familiar, but with the strangest and the most unsettling of endings!

All nine stories are gems, but five of them stood out for me: "Table Scraps," the opening story, challenges the funeral rituals we may accept as proper and comfortable expressions of honoring the dead; "Emily," probably the best story of the collection, takes the "creepy kid" horror trope and gives it an original spin, reminiscent of "Let the Right One In"'s ending, but with a scary twist; the titular "Make a Home of Me," an outstanding tale of a house leaving notes to the family living inside it (this will probably be most people's favorite, the premise is genius); "As Above, So Below," a spooky story about the arrival of aliens, a tale of quiet sci-fi horror, with an undertone of grief and an atmosphere of quiet indifference; and the majestic "The Wall," about a baby that never stops crying, driving mad the neighbors.. The claustrophobic ending is very well-done, and will make you look twice at noisy newborns.

This is a solid 5-stars collection, and if you enjoy Shirley Jackson or Ray Bradbury prepare for some definite chills!

[Vahinkoreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make A Home Of Me by Vanessa Santos takes you on an unsettling, haunting journey through a series of short stories all relating to the haunting harbour that is home.

Table Scraps, Emily and Riverquick,Saltfresh will forever haunt my thoughts. Especially Table Scraps, I was left speechless by the end of that one, I did not see that coming at all.

Thank you so much to Dead Ink Publishers for sending me a copy of this, I enjoyed being scared, disgusted and intrigued by these short stories and would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves horror!

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A great collection of eerie stories focused on homes and houses. There were some that I loved more than others, particularly “Emily” and “The Wall”. The entire book had an underlying theme of haunting, even though the stories weren’t connected they all felt uncomfortable to read, like I was being watched. A great horror collection!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #MakeAHomeOfMe #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Angharad Logue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make a Home of Me by Vanessa Santos

If you like books about haunted houses, strange children, quiet and eerie horror - this is the story collection for you!

Each story is brilliant and will linger with you long after you finish them. While I enjoyed each story, there were definite stand outs for me. ‘Emily’ offers a fresh new take on the classic creepy child story. The titular story ‘Make a Home of Me’ was chilling, and very reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House - what would you do if your house started to leave you notes? And finally ‘Riverquick, Saltfresh’, a story of guilt, grief and the alluring pull of the sea - perfect for fans of Julia Armfield!

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy to read and review! I’ll be thinking about what a little weirdo Emily was for some time.

[bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5.0

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this collection of short stories.

I always say this, but reading short stories is always risky because in the same book, some of these stories might feel really good and others might disappoint or confuse you, which makes it hard to then rate the book altogether.

But not in this one, as every story was a great one. So much so, I had trouble pausing my reading. Each story had its own eerie vibe that I enjoyed immensely. From the very start, I was hooked and I went through a spectrum of emotions reading throughout this book. Some stories were scarier, some sadder, but all of them made you feel something.

Make a Home of Me is definitely a collection of short stories I can recommend to anyone that is looking for a quick and easy read in the horror genre. The vibes were truly immaculate and I will, for sure, keep an eye on what Vanessa Santos will write about next.

[The Grim Reader UK]

Don't sleep on this excellent debut collection of stories. The stories are (very) loosely themed around the home and not all of them really fit the theme, but who cares when the stories are this good?

Table Scraps is the story of one last meal to honour the life of the deceased.

Emily is the standout story here for me: a woman who moves in with her partner, only to discover that he has a daughter that he never mentions. That lives with him and never says much. That exhibits some increasingly sinister behaviour...

Riverquick, Saltfresh is another favourite of mine: a reflection on grief and the solace one young girl finds in the ocean.

These dark stories are emotive, written in a familiar and comforting tone that belies the strange twists they take. One of the best debut collections I've read in some time. I'll be waiting patiently for more from Vanessa Santos.

Whilst I am reviewing the contents of the book, let's also take a moment to appreciate the incredible cover.

[Megan Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like horror-tinged, weird girl fiction you need to get ‘Make a Home of Me’ on your TBR. This short story collection focuses on the domestic mundane but injects it with sinister vibes and shows you that home isn’t always a safe sanctuary. Whilst the home is a central theme of the collection, each story has different elements that make each story quite unlike the next- you’ve got changeling children, monsters in the woods and even aliens- yet nothing feels out of place.

I most enjoyed ‘Emily’, the longest story in the collection, which focused on an uncanny child and the lengths the characters would go to escape having her in their lives. ‘Changes’ was a close second however, and whilst this story was much shorter, it was even more unsettling and shows how good of a writer Santos is that she can build so much tension in just a few pages. Like with most short story collections, I didn’t enjoy every story to the same extent (‘Riverquick, Saltfresh’ and ‘The Wall’ didn’t really do it for me) but this is a very strong collection overall and I can’t wait to see what Santos does next!

Thank you to Dead Ink Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

[Rob Crypt · Rating 5 out of 5]

huge thanks to dead ink for sending me a copy of this book. i love weird stories, horror stories and short stories so i knew this one would be my thing, and it truly is one of the best collections of short stories i've ever read.

usually when you go for a short story collection you kind of resign yourself to the fact that there'll be high points and low points, but make a home of me is such a consistently high standard throughout. i end up having to drag out my reading of it so i could allow space to fully digest each story as i read them.

incredibly excited to check out vanessa's first full length novel, in your heart a devil, next year.

[Paul Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of strange and dark short stories, with the only common theme of an exploration of home - and what that means and how it can not be the idyllic refuse and oasis we crave it to be.

Masterfully crafted stories that surprise you with twists in their prosely paths, and leave you breathless and wondering what the hell just happened. This isn't sledgehammer horroe - rather nails down your spine that reveal themselves to be sharper than you originally thought.

A joy to read, I wolfed them down and wanted more - not that any of the tales left me wanting!

[Suki J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Dead Ink Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

A collection of short horror stories set around the idea of home as a sanctuary and safe place being subverted.
Some of these stories worked better for me than others. The tales about the demonic child and the crying baby were both effectively creepy, but the others largely failed to hit the mark for me.
An interesting collection and idea though, and I'll definitely look out for more from this author.

[Kathryn McCarrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faultless. I initially thought I would rank each short story, but they would all be 5/5. I then thought I would place each on a list from favourite to least, and couldn't. Read this book!! You won't regret it, this makes you think and enjoy tales of the unexpected like you'd never believe. A quick read but one which takes up a long time in your mind. Will read again. You will be surprised and caught off guard.

[Amie Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this actually. very unsettling

[Fab · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short fiction, lyrical and haunting.

[Eilidh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 — loved a good few of the stories, liked the others

[Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim…I loved it

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so mad I spent money on this. Any creative writing student could have come up with this and gotten a solid B; but for it to be transformative horror? No. You can’t just call something strange 100 times, pair it with an ambiguous ending and then say that it’s scary.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received through Netgalley

3.5 ⭐️
This was so good!! I don’t usually particularly appreciate collections of short stories (especially when they are horror because I feel like most times they’re too short for me to even get into it and actually feel scared). This one, though? I loved it, I thought the pacing was spot on in most of the stories, the themes were interesting and the endings satisfying. I would definitely recommend if you want a nice selection of horror short stories which all somehow have to do with homes.

[Fern Davey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst this was a perfectly fine collection of short stories, written perfectly well, I find them forgettable and a bit boring. I did enjoy the story ‘Emily’ but the ending fell flat still.

[Abi Plested · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars A collection of 8 short stories that build dread and leave you feeling creeped out. I enjoyed these - Emily dragged a little but the rest were all short and drew me in instantly. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

[Damian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title story was the highlight, creepy notes left for the family by the house.

I wasn’t enamoured by the rest, though Santos’ writing is largely enjoyable there were a lot of commas where I’m not sure they were needed.

You can see the craft of story writing in each one, the foundations and structure comes through quite clearly.

[Louise T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: A collection of 8 short stories that are set in houses. We typically think of houses providing protection and safety but in these stories this is not the case.


My thoughts on each story:
Table Scraps- I love a good meal scene. The awkwardness and the building to something. This was a good entree to the book.

Emily- oh my god no just no. That was intense and eerie to next level! So many thoughts.

Mouthful - ooh fair play. Sharing is caring.

Changes- ooh okay. Depressing and eerie. Tapping into the gross feeling of being perceived. How suddery.

Make a Home of Me- ahhh you hate to love it. Creepy and warming the best kind. Disturbingly beautiful.

As Above, So Below - huh and also damn. Think this one lost me a bit. Was this about the pandemic? But also aliens?! This felt like the deepness of the ocean. Not my favourite.

Riverquick, Saltfresh- creepy,sad and deep.

The Wall- oh. Okay.

Overall an uncomfortable, nightmarey tinged collection. Great debut! Probably a more consistently enjoyable collection that I’ve experienced from a short story collection!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

Thank you so much Dead Ink for gifting me a copy to read and the fun house to build!

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent debut collection! I thoroughly enjoyed these strange, uncanny stories - very reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and The Twilight Zone which I LOVE. My absolute favourites were the opening story, Table Scraps - even though I figured out what was going on pretty quickly, it still had a massive impact; Emily scared the hell out of me - the ending!!!!; Make a Home of Me, the titular story, is this strange, scary and sad sort of a story that I really like; As Above, So Below - a tense and sci-fi-ish tale, excellent!

I’ll definitely read what Vanessa Santos writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and Dead Ink for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the spring the ice would thaw. Mr Fink's body would start to decompose and smell. Eventually someone would come - someone would walk past and smell something foul, a distant relative would think to check on them, the school would remember there should be a Lizzie Fink attending classes. But inside, Lizzie would be safe. The house would make sure of it. In the living room, she started chatting to the house again, no longer needing to be quiet and whisper into the walls. The snow fell and the house stood still, listening closely.

I read this short story collection – the author’s first– due to its longlisting for the 2026 Dylan Thomas Prize, a prize for authors writing in English aged 39 and under (Thomas himself having died at that age) which is open to novels, short story collections, poetry collections and plays – one of two short story collections this year.

More cohesive than some other collections, which is one of its strengths, the collection describes itself (on the back cover blurb) as being set in houses which “should provide protection but instead turn on their inhabitants. Places of safety invaded without warning ……….. the ways in which our sanctuaries can turn into foreign places, casting us as strangers”

It is also billed as ”horror” but I would say that “deliberately unsettling” would be a better description.

The opening story “Table Scraps” has a group of family and friends reluctantly participating in a memorial dinner requested before his death by a young man who died of a brain tumour – the macabre twist definitively revealed to us (known to them and guessed by us) part way through, although there is an excellent canine cameo.

For a moment the kitchen froze. With the exception of the chef and an assistant - whose backs were turned, bent over a dish on the stovetop - everyone looked out the open door, to the Labrador sitting there, sniffing the plate. From the dining room came the sound of glass crashing, breaking, followed by loud sobs. The dog hunkered down on the floor and started to eat. He licked the plate clean and reverently waited for more.

The second and longest story “Emily” is easily the strongest – the first party narrator moves in with a man (after a quick romance) only to find he has a strangely withdrawn (almost absent) daughter whose presence in her life becomes increasingly creepy particularly when her partner goes away on a repeatedly extended business trip – and the story develops the idea cleverly.

The other stand out story “Make A Home of Me” is both the closest to the collection’s heart and has the strongest opening line “They’d been living there for just over a year when the house started leaving them notes” – a premise (if you pardon the pun) which it develops into a residence which in effect decides to become in loco parentis.

“So Above So Below” is perhaps a little too slight but does put an interesting spin on alien invasion – with mysterious crafts that seemingly settle on the sea bed leaving the earth itself as the home which no longer feels like sanctuary (and with an earlier section when the craft first arrive which is very lockdown reminiscent).

“The Wall” has a manically crying baby which drives a neighbouring couple insane – but to the extent it has a twist borrows it entirely from “Emily”.

“Mouthful” starts promisingly with the discovered archives of a conceptual artist – but quickly becomes some rather clunkily written diaries about a monster she believes she is feeding. “Changes” is a rather obvious story with some cliched descriptive writing about a woman who travels with her companion but then seems to be ignored by him – one or the other we sense a ghost. “Riverquick, Saltfresh” is a rather nothing tale of a girl who is drawn to follow her drowned sister. With these last three stories in particular I am afraid to say that I felt both the overall execution and the writing at a sentence level was of a top grade English GCSE NEA standard (albeit in the last story perhaps this reflects the age of the narrator).

Overall, I was slightly underwhelmed with the collection – particularly when I compare to say Lottie Mills “Monstrum” from last year’s longlist.