The Tenant: A Novella by Odella Howe

Marvin Hoeff never thought he was a selfish bastard. Unfortunately for him, the universe begs to differ. After surveying the grim aftermath of tenant Colette Finch’s death, all petty, miserly landlord Marvin Hoeff wants is his evening takeout and a long, hot shower. The problem is, something has followed him home… something sopping wet, sharp-tongued, and absolutely furious with him. Before he can say “lease violation,” Marvin finds himself the newest guinea pig of a cosmic bureaucracy’s experimental reformation method. Colette claims the purgatorial punishments are all for his “character development,” which would be easier to believe if she didn’t look so delighted at his misery. But as her relentless haunting begins peeling back the rot he’s spent a lifetime ignoring, Marvin can’t help but wonder: What if she’s not trying to destroy him… but save whatever’s left? Twisting together dark comedy, supernatural suspense, and a sharply absurdist edge, The Tenant delivers a haunting that’s as unsettling as it is unexpectedly heartwarming. Perfect for readers who enjoy morbidly funny horror stories with a philosophical twist, morally gray heroes, and ghost stories wrapped in social commentary, this thought-provoking satire offers a fresh take on the paranormal—equal parts eerie, bizarre, and delightfully human.

Adult • Humor and Satire • Horror

Length: 32,000 words (about 91 pages)

Content Warning: blood, suicide, animal cruelty and death, spiders, death