'The House That Eats The Dead' by Max Doty

'The House That Eats The Dead' by Max Doty

August 11, 2026 · 12 min

About this episode

Max Doty discusses his debut horror novel and the inspirations behind it.

Debut author, Max Doty, joins Sara for a natter about his horror novel 'The House That Eats The Dead'. They discuss his love of the genre, the inspiration for this story (spoiler alert, his wife sparked the idea!) and how it started life as a short story on the internet. Max also talks about power shifts, the lengths people will go to to protect themselves and their lives, and classic horror authors he loves. As well as this, Max recommends us a book he recently read - and - we hear a clip from the audiobook too. Here's more info on 'The House That Eats The Dead': The new house is a fresh start for Claire and her family. It’s a move towards the quiet suburban life she has craved since her turbulent childhood; a step up the corporate ladder for her husband, Tom; and a safe haven for their two children. Yet, as they unpack their boxes, she senses something is wrong . . . Fresh flowers dry up, store-bought eggs are inexplicably hollow and her daughter’s favourite toy disappears. Claire soon confronts a series of impossible truths: the house is hungry. It’s devouring anything that was once alive. And only Claire and Tom, the owners of the house, will remember that this ‘food’ ever…

More episodes of The Radio 2 Book Club

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Radio 2 Book Club podcast page.