SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS opens with an ominous quote from an unknown source: “For a haunted house to be born, somebody has to die.” This should set expectations for what we are about to encounter. J.D. Barker takes us on a journey through a house that is said to be haunted, presenting a challenging scenario that has persisted for an extended period of time.

We are introduced to a handful of characters in this tale, but the focus is on a trio of residents in New Castle, New Hampshire --- 17-year-old Billy Hasler; his best friend, David Spivey; and Police Chief Whaley. The primary action is set in 2010 as the now-adult Billy is looking back at the events that changed his life.

"SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS truly goes there, and I so enjoyed seeing Barker’s unrestrained horror set free. It reminded me of classic Peter Straub with just a dash of Stephen King’s IT."

When David’s grandmother passes away, she wills her home on nearby Wood Island to him, even though they had no relationship. This is all presented to him by Marston, a creepy attorney who represents his grandmother and her estate. It is not long before a local friend with a boat takes David to his new place. He is among the first to see and experience his new digs, along with Billy; Billy’s girlfriend, Kira; and the boat’s owner, Matty. It appears to be incredibly old and yet somehow new, and the teens keep going there to hang out, party and explore.

One night, a girl named Chloe who is with the group on Wood Island recalls its mysterious past, as it was used in 1869 as a yellow fever quarantine facility. Grandma left behind several notes with certain rules, one of which makes no sense initially to the young people: Please feed Emerson. David was not aware of any pet for which he needed to take responsibility. It's a mystery that inevitably will be revealed in a big way.

Knowing that the location has a spooky history, David, Billy and Kira introduce a Ouija board to their activities. This, of course, leads to a slew of unexplainable and exciting changes. Billy seems to remain sane throughout all of this, even though the house is physically transforming visit to visit. New floors, including a basement and an attic, appear where there was once none, and most of the guests seem to be under some form of mass hallucination as none of this bothers them. The only two people who are oblivious are Billy and Whaley, the latter of whom visits the location after reports of wild parties. The case of a missing teenage girl who was known to the group becomes part of his investigation.

Unfortunately, the protagonists will have much more than a missing teen to worry about. An ancient evil --- the probable reason for the name Emerson --- is at play here, and it seems that this being has had a history of infiltrating the young people of New Castle, not always to positive or safe outcomes. To experience this is quite mind-bending, and readers will feel exactly what Billy and Whaley are going through in the face of this horrific terror.

Barker, through Whaley, makes regular references to Brigadoon. This classic Broadway musical revolves around a Scottish village that appears for one day every 100 years. This rings true for Whaley when he begins to wrap his mind around Emerson and what is happening on Wood Island. I absolutely loved it!

SOMETHING I KEEP UPSTAIRS truly goes there, and I so enjoyed seeing Barker’s unrestrained horror set free. It reminded me of classic Peter Straub with just a dash of Stephen King’s IT. It is so much more than a coming-of-age tale, and the ancient evil at the heart of the novel makes for a great American-based supernatural epic.