THE FACELESS OLD WOMAN WHO SECRETLY LIVES IN YOUR HOME / AUTHOR: JOSEPTH FINK , JEFFREY CRANOR / PUBLISHER: ORBIT / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 26TH

And now, the weather… Welcome to Night Vale is the sensational podcast that documents the strange goings on of the even stranger residents of the small town, Night Vale. It’s spawned live shows, comics and crossovers with other podcasts such as The Thrilling Adventure Hour. It’s also spun-off into several tie-in novels from the show’s creators Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. This particular novel features (if you haven’t already guessed from the title!) the faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, who is voiced by Mara Wilson on the podcast itself.

The Faceless Old Woman follows a duel narrative of the aforementioned character, providing a back story to one of the more mysterious characters in the series. The narrative follows how the Faceless Old Woman became who she is today, retelling the trials and tribulations of her life beginning in Europe in 1810. Concurrently, we are also introduced to Craig, who’s home in Night Vale the Faceless Old Woman is currently a visitor of, and her efforts to help Craig better himself. However, unbeknown to the both of them, the Faceless Old Woman’s past and present are about collide in a big way.

The best tell of a good tie-in book is if the book can be read as standalone without the need for background from the series that inspired it. In this instance, The Faceless Old Woman can be read without any prior knowledge of the series and it still be a great tale to read. It has the hallmarks of Night Vale throughout, the creepy imagery coupled with the random sense of humour. Meanwhile, you get a multilayered protagonist in the Faceless Old Woman who has experienced so much that you constantly root for them despite the voyeuristic nature of her personality throughout.

This book is a welcomed addition to the collection of Night Vale novels that already exist and is just as strong as previous releases.