Suburban Hell (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
Amy, Melissa, Liz, and Jess don't fit in with the rest of the PTA moms in their suburb; they'd rather keep up their close-knit friendship and monthly wine nights than worry about whose lawn is the greenest or who will manage the ice cream bar at the school carnival. Their friendship is an escape from the hectic lives they lead, so when Liz suggests building a She Shed in her backyard, they are eager to jump onboard. But after construction begins on their clubhouse, the ladies begin receiving strange burn marks, household objects become possessed, and worst of all, Liz begins to change from her positive loving self into something, or someone, much more sinister. Amy, Melissa, and Jess will need to confront whatever spirit is haunting their neighborhood if they are going to save themselves and Liz. Desperate Housewives meets The Exorcist in this bonkers and hilarious lite-horror comedy. I had a blast reading Suburban Hell, there was never a boring moment as the book juggled comedy, scares, and a touching story of friendship and grief.
— Parker Jensen
Maureen Kilmer, In-Person Event, Friday, September 9, 6:30 pm. Click here to register.
— Boswell Book CompanyDescription
A Chicago cul-de-sac is about to get a new neighbor...of the demonic kind.
Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and moved to the suburbs, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, snarking together from the outskirts of the PTA crowd. One night during their monthly wine get-together, the crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz’s backyard—a space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed.
But the night after they christen the She Shed, things start to feel . . . off. They didn’t expect Liz’s little home-improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that’s before the homeowners’ association gets wind of it.
Even the calmest moms can’t justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood . . . before the suburbs go completely to hell.
About the Author
Maureen Kilmer graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children. She does not have a She Shed, and thankfully has not had to battle the forces of darkness (unless going to Costco on a Saturday counts). Suburban Hell is her horror debut.
Praise For…
One of Bustle's Most Anticipated Books of August 2022
One of Buzzfeed's Summer Thriller Recommendations
One of NY Post's Best New Books This Week
One of Buzzfeed's New Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down
"A cheerfully campy take on the usual concerns—conformity, boredom, demonic possession." —Chicago Tribune
"This delightful fiction debut is the hell-arious Desperate Housewives-esque novel that dreams are made of." —Buzzfeed
"A delightful, fun, spooky, scary story. At it’s core it’s about friendship and the bonds of love for these four women. Maureen has hit a home-run with her first novel." —Red Carpet Crash
"This novel about the horrors of suburbia—both supernatural and terrestrial in origin—has plenty of genuinely funny moments. . . . A good fit for fans of Grady Hendrix's My Best Friend's Exorcism, Rachel Harrison's The Return, or Junji Ito's horror manga Uzumaki." —Booklist
"Maureen Kilmer strikes the perfect balance in Suburban Hell. This is a scary, thrilling, and funny ride through a neighborhood nightmare. The pages turn themselves, you can’t stop reading this one." —Samantha Downing, author of For Your Own Good
"A savvy, wildly relatable horror-comedy about suburban angst and the bonds of friendship, that serves chilling scares and genuine laughs. Massively entertaining and fun as hell!" —Rachel Harrison, author of Such Sharp Teeth
