First published 2015
Nathan Bishop walks down a narrow alley searching for a small black iron door that shouldn't exist. When he finds it, a stranger calls him by name and welcomes him into Slade House. The interior feels warm and inviting, exactly what the lonely teenager needs. But Nathan discovers he cannot leave. Every nine years since the 1970s, the house's strange residents have extended their invitation to someone isolated or different. A divorced policeman responds to what seems like a routine call. A shy university student follows mysterious voices. Each visitor finds temporary comfort in Slade House before learning the truth about their hosts. The brother and sister who live inside the house need these guests for reasons that become clear too late. As decades pass, their pattern continues across five separate encounters. Each visitor must confront what the siblings really want and why the house exists at all. The story builds toward a final confrontation that will determine whether anyone can break free from Slade House's grip. Mitchell weaves together multiple timelines to reveal how past and present collide in this twisted version of home.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Slade House
Period: 1970s
238 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: anxiety, death