One Week Until It Appears

In one week, The Staircase in the Woods appears in the mist. Beckoning you to walk up its risers and see where it leads.

Hope you’ll check it out — and maybe even come see me as I pirouette drunkenly from coast to coast on book tour.

You can order the book from a variety of excellent places — signed from Doylestown Bookshop, or from any of the stores I’m visiting on tour, but also, Bookshop.org, Kobo, libro.fm, B&N, Apple Books, Amz, and so forth.

It’s an IndieNext pick for May, and a LibraryReads pick for May. Ahh!

I’m very excited for it to be out in the world.

I’ll post the book’s more official blurbs/reviews later, but for now, if you remain unconvinced, here’s a scattering of comments from early reviews from readers over at Netgalley and beyond:

“The Staircase in the Woods is a symphony of shadows, a haunting and unforgettable journey into the heart of fear. Wendig’s ability to conjure a palpable atmosphere of dread, combined with his talent for creating characters that are both deeply human and profoundly vulnerable, makes this an absolute must-read for anyone who craves a story that will linger in the darkest corners of their mind. Prepare to be captivated, disturbed, and utterly enthralled.” — Kori S, reviewer, 5/5

“The Staircase in the Woods isn’t just a story—it’s a sensory overload, a dark meditation, and a sprawling tangle of emotions you’ll feel long after you’ve closed the last page. Chuck Wendig takes a strange and chilling idea—a staircase in the middle of nowhere—and builds a whole universe around it, brick by unsettling brick.” — Tessa P, reviewer 5/5

“Eerie, beautiful, and utterly gripping, The Staircase in the Woods is Chuck Wendig at his best. A haunting mystery wrapped in folklore and fear, it draws you in with lyrical prose and leaves you breathless with its emotional depth. Strange, dark, and unforgettable.” — Trina B, reviewer, 5/5

“Chuck does it again. Another phenomenal book. This one has some House of Leaves in its DNA. Some FNAF. Lots of Chuck — and everything you’d expect from him. The characters are so good. The plot is awesome, full of twists and turns. And the emotional core of friendships lost after time + tragedy ties it all together. Love it. You should read it.” — Jeffrey W, librarian, 5/5

“Chuck Wendig’s novel reads like a cinematic fever dream, equal parts horror and elegy. This isn’t just a ghost story. It’s about the divide between childhood and adulthood, the secrets we bury and the truths we carry—often alone. It’s about the damage done in homes that looked perfect from the outside and the roles we adopt to survive what’s happening inside… Because at the end of the day, this is a story about truth. The ones we hide from others and the ones we hide from ourselves. As kids, we take on roles—athlete, brain, comedian—to protect ourselves. But eventually, if we want to live freely, we have to strip away those masks and face what’s really there. In the dark. At the foot of the stairs.” — Stella G., reviewer, 5/5

“What happens from there simply can’t be described to any justice without reading the book. This book is going to haunt me and give me what I am anticipating to be the worst book hangover that I can remember. I read this in one sitting and became so invested in these complex and layered characters that I could not wait to learn their fate.” — Reviewer 1316058 5/5

ANYWAY, hope you’ll check it out. Also today is my birthday so you’re obligated to buy me a present by buying yourself a present. And this present is this book. It’s just Birthday Law, I don’t make the rules, I only uphold them.