Babysitter's Nightmares #04 - A Killer in the House

There were a number of middle school horror and thriller paperbacks in the 1980s and 1990s. I' 've reviewed a few of them here on PW, and created videos discussing these novels. I discovered a series recently that was new to me, Babysitter's Nightmares. This was a short-lived, four-book series of stand-alone thrillers published by HarperPaperbacks, the young adult division of HarperCollins, in 1995. My experience comes by way of A Killer in the House, the series' last installment, authored by J.H. Carroll. 

Sue is a high school student earning extra income by babysitting the Andersons' young son. One night, she stumbles on an envelope left under the typewriter of Mr. Anderson. Inside, she discovers a check being paid to a person identified as R. Stoud for $125K. This fat check leads Sue into a search for who Mr. Anderson really is and what led to his wealth. 

Partnering with her friend Lydia and friend Brett, Sue begins an investigation that leads to some really dark places. Apparently, Mrs. Anderson may have killed her prior husband, stolen his money, and set up a new identity. Is she a black widow preying on rich men? Is Mr. Anderson the next victim?

A Killer in the House isn't the novel I thought it would be. I was prepared for a home-invasion setup with some sadistic psychopath breaking in on a babysitter's shift. Maybe something like the film Black Christmas, playing up the killer in the house title. Remember “the calls are coming from inside the house”? Instead, this short novel is a crime-fiction endeavor with the lead researching the suspect's former employer, a trip to the library for archived press clippings, a discussion at a New York Mets game, and other low-tension affairs. 

While the finale produced some gunfire, fisticuffs, and a few surprises, the book is generally going to attract fans of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys. It's a fun crime story with a central mystery and the obligatory self-discovery as the protagonist finds herself through the clues chase.

Get the book HERE.