The Cul de Sac

by Liz Sower

After suffering a harrowing break in, Mae is desperate to leave her apartment in the city. Her husband, Tom, is dead set on a fixer-upper in a snobby little New England town just outside of Boston. The neighbors are fabulously quirky, the house has potential, and Mae is too traumatized to pay attention to the red flags lining their path to the cul de sac.

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2025

About the author

Liz Sower is a writer of paranormal horror. Her novels, Claire and Lilith, are based in the world of Ghosts in the Burbs, a blog and podcast about the people of Wellesley, Massachusetts and the ghosts (and monsters) who haunt them. She lives in that haunted little town with her husband, two daughters and four elderly dogs. She is most proud of her PhD level knowledge of reality ghost hunting television.

Reviews

[Sarah Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae and Tom live in a little apartment in Beacon Hill. They love the city. Mae is a librarian (I’m so jealous!). They’ve got a groove going -until their home is broken into. Things aren’t stolen during the break in, which would have been bad enough, but the madman who got in trashed the place. Their clothes were slashed - their bed was urinated in - most of their furniture smashed. And in one fell swoop Mae no longer feels safe in Boston.
Tom is a real estate agent and he finds them a big old New England house in a swanky suburb of Boston. The house needs some major renovation, but it is on a secluded cul de sac that abuts preservation land and if they don’t lock it in right away they will lose it. Mae isn’t sure but she can see how much Tom wants it so she ignores her intuition and agrees to buy the house.
Not long after they move in some weird stuff starts to happen and Mae finds out about some sketchy history about not only her house - but the whole neighborhood. No big, right? Worst comes to worst they can move - right? Right? Ummmmmmm… it turns out that they can’t because of a clause in their mortgage. It’s complicated.
Seem bad? You ain’t seen bad yet - but it’s coming.
I enjoyed this book! It was scary! It also had all of the New England vibes. Having lived here my whole life - I’m here for it. I love the way that the author writes about the elite in New England. I have to admit I am not in their tax bracket - I have rubbed elbows with them (as a nanny, as a housekeeper, as a local politician, and sometimes as a friend) and she is so spot on. Good! Spooky! Fun!

[Jennifer S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz always does cozy horror best. The main character is a completely normal woman and actually feels like a real person making realistic decisions for the situation she’s in. I love the characters in this book, they feel like everyday people living their lives and not plot devices used to move the story forward with dumb decisions. The story is just the right amount of spooky and mysterious without too much blatant body horror or gore. There is a narrated version which was released in a series of episodes on the writer’s podcast “ghosts in the burbs” and is definitely worth giving a listen.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liz Sower is the queen of cozy horror.

[Natalie Crispin · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an audiobook i listened to over multiple podcasts made by the author bc i love her podcast. #counting it
extremely impressive body of work for someone who spent the first and last 2 minutes of each episode insecure about the writing and the fact that it wasn’t traditionally published
cool story, unique idea, spooky vibes, suburban young family, ghost, eek! all the things i like! great listen, im glad i took my time with it

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, now talk about fun! This is a fun book! There are ghosts, hauntings, relationship drama, neighborhood drama, and demons! It’s fast paced, and winds around in interesting ways. I think Liz does an excellent job with the audio book, and I really enjoy the female characters she creates, they have depth, nuance, and aren’t classic horror story dumb.

I also love this genre of cozy horror, and would love any recs of other cozy horror books

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories that Liz writes are always deliciously creepy! This was very good - I highly recommend the audio. Very atmospheric, and you slide right into the characters and story.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

my cozy horror QUEEN

[Evelyn (S'more Books Please) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mae loved her Boston apartment until a break-in stole her sense of security. Her husband, Tom, is determined to purchase a fixer-upper in an exclusive neighborhood outside the city. Mae feels that something is off in the neighborhood, but pushes aside her fears, convinced they are just remaining anxieties from the break-in. Unfortunately, Mae's gut feelings were correct, and something dark, dangerous, and otherworldly lurks within the quiet cul-de-sac. But Mae might also be the only one who can figure out what's haunting her neighbors, and how to stop it.

This was really fun to listen to on my drives to work. The book has the perfect spooky vibes you need in the fall, but isn't so terrifying that it prevents you from moving on with your day. There were plenty of shocking moments and surprises that kept me invested in the story. It is a great mystery with an ending you won't be able to guess. I also loved that Mae was a librarian, being one myself, and that she found some important information in the library. As a regular listener to the Ghosts in the Burbs podcast, this book was a great addition to the lineup. I always enjoy listening to an author read their own book. I would recommend this one for your October reading or listening list.

Follow me @smorebooksplease on Instagram for more bookish fun!

[Bryan Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poltergeist meets Big Little Lies in this fantastic cozy-horror novel from Liz Sower, host of the "Ghosts in the Burbs" podcast.

A couple's move from the city to their suburban dream home turns into a nightmare. The neighbours are all keeping secrets and there's things moving in the woods behind the cul de sac...and in their attic! Demons, gaslighting, cults, curses, haunted houses, evil doppelgangers...it's another beautiful day in the 'burbs.

Highly recommend if you're looking for some spooky fun! Enjoyable throughout with a great central mystery and some genuinely chilling moments.

[Mandy Kauphusman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true Liz Sower story: ghosts, monsters, curses, the woods, and more - it's a good spooky tale! A little predictable at times, and completely unpredictable at others. I love supporting this creator, and have for years. I wish I could give it 4 stars, but I've read scarier stuff, and the narrative of this just felt a little clunky. This is a good showing from Liz, even though it isn't my favorite, and I'll keep tuning in for everything she puts out for years to come!

[Emily Lofthouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her characters! The story is so good.

[elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and cozy!!

[Karly Garofolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Listened to it on her podcast, Ghosts in the Burbs!

[Tiffany Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Definitely recommend! The story starts off a little slow but when it starts to build, it takes off! Loved it!

[al pal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one I would KILL to see made into a movie or series. Liz paints every scene so perfectly, you can really see it all playing out behind your eyes. A perfect cozy scare!