My sister called me at midnight and whispered, “Turn off every light. Go to the attic. Don’t tell your husband.” I thought she was losing her mind — until I looked through the floorboards….

is Caleb’s calm. He isn’t frantic, he isn’t violent—he’s methodical. That composure makes him more believable, and in a way, more disturbing. He doesn’t feel like a villain performing evil; he feels like someone following a process he’s done before.

The introduction of the child raises the stakes without turning the story melodramatic. Noah isn’t just continue reading …