Burdened by OCD and the echoes of her vagabond childhood with her dangerously bipolar mother, Audrey Lucas has scrambled to achieve her current place in life. However, after breaking up with her boyfriend, the amazingly affordable apartment in Manhattan's The Breviary seems like a gift on a silver platter. Designed in the part-religion, part-architectural style of Chaotic Naturalism, the fact that The Breviary has not crumbled into dust is only one of its notable features. Another chilling aspect is how the building seems to prey on the psychological weaknesses of its tenants. Several times, Audrey attempts to break the hold The Breviary has on her, but with her architectural skills, it does not want to let her go.

Fans of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson and other artists of the haunted house tale will love not only Sarah Langan's depiction of the building and tenants, but also her careful attention to the details of Audrey's psychology. Langan possesses a deft hand at elegant plot structure and narrative eloquence. Readers might wish to be warned: perhaps this is a book for high noon on a bright sunny day because reading it in the late evening, particularly when alone in the house, encourages the story to stay with you long into the sleepless night.