I had the privilege of reading along as I listened to The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig, narrated by Jay Myers, Amber Benson, and Xe Sands. Never ever climb a staircase you find in the woods. Seriously. Don’t do it! Don’t believe me? Grab the book or audiobook and travel with four friends as they climb those stairs in search of their lost friend.
by Chuck Wendig
Narrator: Jay Myers, Amber Benson, Xe Sands
Length: 13 hours and 25 minutes
Genres: Horror
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.
Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something a mysterious staircase to nowhere.
One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.
Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .
Friday June 28, 1998, five friends go on a camping trip in the woods, but only four returned. Now twenty years later, one of them is dying and requests the other three return home. The story that unfolds revisits the events of the first time when a staircase appeared in those woods and what happens when it appears again as the four ascend the stairs in search of the friend they left behind.
Twisted, dark, and on point, Wendig delivered a nostalgically dark tale that kept me listening into the wee hours. The friends’ relationships haven’t evolved past their childhood ones and they have a lot to work out, including guilt over the events of 1998. They all have baggage and not just from what happened to their friend. This follows the classic friends returning to right a wrong trope and had some terrifying moments and flashbacks. I found myself invested, particularly once they found out what was at the top of those stairs. Be prepared to turn off your phone and snuggle down, since you won’t be able to set this one down.
The story hits on relevant political points. Both Wendig and Stephen King are apt to do this and since I lean into those views, it made me laugh or nod my head. At its heart, this is a horror story, but it’s also a story of friendship and grief. Wendig has a twisted imagination and once again delivered the creep factor.
The narration by Jay Myers, Amber Benson, and Xe Sands elevated the story from the horror to the emotional struggles and fear of the characters. I highly recommend grabbing this one on audio.
Perfect for fans of Stephen King & Joe Hill, The Staircase in the Woods delivered an addictive, dark tale that will have you sleeping with a night light or second guessing that camping trip.
About Chuck Wendig
Chuck Wendig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: Aftermath, as well as the Miriam Black thrillers, the Atlanta Burns books, Zer0es/Invasive, Wanderers, and Book of Accidents. He’s also worked in a variety of other formats, including comics, games, film, and television. A finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the cowriter of the Emmy-nominated digital narrative Collapsus, he is also known for his books about writing. He lives in Pennsyltucky with his family. His agent is Stacia Decker, with Dunow, Carlson and Lerner.
About Amber Benson
Amber Benson is what we call "a maker of things." A prolific writer, she is the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones urban fantasy series—for which she read the audiobooks—and the middle-grade book Among the Ghosts. She has narrated over a half dozen titles, including the John Scalzi bestseller Lock In. Behind the camera, she codirected the Slamdance feature film Drones and cowrote and directed the BBC animated series The Ghosts of Albion. In her previous incarnation as an actor, she spent three years as "Tara Maclay" on the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Amber does not own a television.
About Jay Myers
Jay is an award-winning audiobook narrator, actor, and VoiceOver artist whose warm, relatable, and versatile voice is trusted by collaborators and brands the world over, like BMW, Netflix, Butterfinger, Spotify, Ragù, McDonald’s, Samsung, The Economist, and Penguin Random House, among many others.
About Xe Sands
Xe Sands is an award-winning narrator known for her authentic characterizations and intimate delivery. She has more than a decade of experience bringing stories to life through narration, performance, and visual art, including recordings of Wonderland by Stacey D'Erasmo, The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro, and Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman. Sands has also been recognized for her engaging romance narrations and was named Most Impressive Narrator Discovery for titles such as Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins and On Thin Ice by Anne Stuart.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Audiobook Challenge
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
Sounds really good! One I think my mom would like, but like I said in my discussion post about recommending, who knows if she’d even give it a try if I suggest it, lol. Such a great review, I might even have to check it out myself. This is an author I’ve wanted to try. Great review!
steph
This sounds like a heck of a ride and so creepy – sharing with my partner who loves this type of read (when he reads)
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
This sounds creepy and really good. I love Xe Sands as a narrator so that alone helps sell it!
Vicki
I used to get every Stephen King book as soon as it was released. I currently have Fairy Tale but haven’t gotten to it yet.
Mary Kirkland
That sounds creepy as heck. I bet this would make a good movie.
Anne - Books of My Heart
I don’t read horror but I do enjoy Xe Sands.
Sophia Rose
Probably out of my depth, horror-wise, but sounds very tempting to know what happened that night and what’s with the stairs. 🙂