“Yet, like all totally not haunted houses in the middle of nowhere, it was listed at a killer deal.”
Lauded as ‘Get Out meets Parasite’, We Used to Live Here is one of the best horror books from 2024 by Marcus Kliewer. Young queer couple Charlie and Eve get their hands on the keys to an old house in an affluent neighbourhood. After moving in, they receive a knock on their front door. A man and his family stand outside, claiming to have lived in the building before them. He asks if he can take his children on a tour of the house. But, as soon as they enter, strange things begin to happen. The family’s youngest child disappears, ghostly presences materialise and the family refuse to leave. And when Charlie also vanishes, Eve loses her own grip on reality. If you love stories filled with twists and horrors that feel real, join us at What We Reading for the best books like We Used to Live Here!
Incidents Around The House – Josh Malerman
First up on our list of the most eerie books like We Used to Live Here is Josh Malerman’s 2024 horror novel, Incidents Around the House. To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her whole world. There’s Mommy, Daddo and Grandma Ruth. But there is also ‘Other Mommy’, a sinister entity who asks Bela every day whether she can ‘go inside your heart’.
When a series of terrifying incidents around the house suggest that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking her the same question over and over again, Bela discovers that, unless she says yes, her entire family may pay. With cracks appearing in the bonds of the family, Other Mommy is growing stronger, bolder and more restless. Soon, the safety that Bela depends upon threatens to unravel entirely.
The September House – Carissa Orlando
When Margaret and her husband, Hal, bought the grand Victorian house on Hawthorn Street – surprisingly on sale for a reasonably cheap price – they leapt at the opportunity of making a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Each September, the walls blood drips from the walls. The spectres of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something lurking in the basement.
But, rather than fleeing, Margaret is determined to remain in her house. Unfortunately for her, after four years inside the building, Hal leaves and refuses to answer any of Margaret’s calls. Margaret’s daughter, Katherine, arrives at the house determined to find her missing father, unaware of the hauntings that plague the home. Just as September begins again. Similar to We Used to Live Here, Carissa Orlando’s debut novel, The September House, is a twisty story of a woman’s dream home becoming a haunted nightmare.
The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
Jess is in need of a fresh start. She’s broke, alone and just lost her job under less-than-ideal circumstances. She rings her half-brother, Ben, and asks whether she can stay with him in his luxurious apartment nestled in the heart of Paris. He doesn’t sound pleased but nevertheless agrees. But, when she arrives in the French capital, she’s surprised to find that Ben has disappeared.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess begins to investigate her brother’s situation, which only reveals more questions than answers. Ben’s neighbours in his apartment complex are all an eccentric and less-than-friendly collective. With an unsettling array of suspicious suspects and a grand building crawling with secrets, Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment is a twisty thriller read perfect for any fans of We Used to Live Here.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Paris Apartment
Diavola – Jennifer Marie Thorne
Anna has two distinct rules for the yearly Pace family vacation: Tread lightly and survive. These aren’t easy to do when she is the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he has essentially dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, has her own family whipped into shape so much that Nicole struggles to even ask a question. Her mother uses the opportunity of a holiday to question all of her life choices, whilst her father does all he can to have some peace and quiet, whilst reminding everyone who has paid for their vacation.
Their remote villa in the picturesque setting of Monteperso appears to be the perfect place to soldier through so much family time. Until things begin to spin off the rails. The strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the locals and the dark and violent past of the villa itself soon begin to make themselves apparent to the Paces in a similar way as Charlie and Eve in We Used to Live Here.
The Haters – Robyn Harding
After years of struggle and rejection, Camryn Lane is finally living her dream. Her first novel is being published, her teenage daughter is proud, and her boyfriend and closest friends are all excited for her. But, she is soon sent crashing back to reality after receiving a disturbing message from an unknown sender. Rocked by the accusations she finds inside, she is determined to continue on as normal.
That is when she goes online and finds a scathing one-star review. So convincing is this mysterious reviewer that floods of other negative reviews soon drown her published work. As the online harassment slowly creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she resolves to find out who is really behind it. Another great twisty thriller similar to We Used to Live Here, Robyn Harding presents a deliciously addictive tale of fame and obsession in The Haters.
The Family Experiment – John Marrs
In the wake of a soaring world population, creating overcrowded cities and a huge economic crisis, the UK is close to breaking point. A growing number of families are now no longer able to afford starting families, let alone supporting them. But, for those desperate to experience parenthood no matter what, there is an alternative available.
For a monthly subscription fee, individuals can create virtual children from scratch and can access them through the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. The format of the show follows ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to eighteen years old, within a sped-up period of nine months. The prize on offer: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.
The Night Guest – Hildur Knutsdottir
Iðunn has found herself in another doctor’s office. She is aware that her constant fatigue is a sign that something is wrong, but practitioners have so far been quick to dismiss her symptoms. Blood tests have also failed to reveal any cause. When she talks to her friends and family about it, they offer the same assortment of usual remedies. But, from taking vitamins to purchasing a step-counting watch, nothing helps.
That is until one night when Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on. When she wakes up, she is shocked to find that she has walked over 40,000 steps during the night. What happens when she sleeps? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her? Like We Used to Live Here, Hildur Knutsdottir’s The Night Guest is a horror read that is as eerie as it is ensnaring.
Middle Of The Night – Riley Sager
The worst thing that ever happened on Hemlock Circle happened in Ethan Marsh’s back garden. One summer evening, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend, Billy, fell asleep in a tent on the lawn in their quaint New Jersey cul de sac. When Ethan woke up the following morning, Billy was gone. Three decades later, plagued by dreams and insomnia, Ethan finds himself returning to his childhood home.
He begins to notice strange goings-on. Someone appears to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in the same back garden. The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate deeper into what really happened that night in a quest that soon reunites with old friends and neighbours, and the creepy woods that surround Hemlock Circle. The very same woods that Billy once swore housed monsters. Similar to We Used to Live Here, Ethan soon learns that, whether it be the woods or a quiet suburban street, the past has ways of haunting the present.
Check Out The Best Riley Sager Books
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
