Paranormal Pet Sitting

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the concept of *Paranormal Pet Sitting* at first—pet sitting as a horror-adjacent premise? But Susan Hill sells it with a mix of sharp dialogue and unsettling details that make the absurd feel eerily plausible. The story follows a narrator who’s equal parts jaded and compassionate, a pet sitter who treats ghostly clients with the same exasperation as a Chihuahua who won’t stop barking. The Virtual Voice narrator’s performance is polarizing: their flat, almost robotic cadence works surprisingly well for the protagonist’s weary pragmatism, but it occasionally flattens moments that could use more emotional punch. A human narrator might’ve leaned harder into the dry wit or the creeping unease, but there’s something fitting about the AI’s detachment—like the story’s being recounted by someone who’s seen too much weirdness to be fazed. The pacing is where this audiobook shines. At just over an hour, it’s tight enough to avoid the meandering that plagues some short stories, yet it still finds room for oddly touching character beats (the scene with the haunted parrot is a standout). My main critique? The ending feels a touch rushed, like Hill had one more twist in her pocket but decided to call it a day. And while the Virtual Voice handles exposition cleanly, its lack of distinct character voices means some dialogue blends together. Still, for fans of quirky, low-stakes horror or anyone who’s ever suspected their goldfish was judging them from the great aquarium in the sky, this is a charmingly odd listen. Just don’t blame me if you start side-eyeing your pets afterward.