The Ghost That Ate Us

THE TRAGIC TRUE STORY OF THE BURGER CITY POLTERGEIST

You remember the brutal crime, don’t you?

Maybe you read about it on Twitter. Maybe a friend sent you a news clip. Maybe you saw it on an episode of Spectral Journeys that night you were flipping through channels, unable to sleep.

Maybe after reading the true story, you won’t ever sleep again.

On June 1, 2017, six people were killed at a Burger City franchise off I-80 near Jonny, Iowa. It was the bizarre and gruesome conclusion to nine months of alleged paranormal activity at the fast-food joint—events popularly known as “the Burger City Poltergeist.”

The story inspired Facebook memes, Twitter hashtags, Buzzfeed listicles, Saturday Night Live sketches, and more. But the case was never much more than a punchline…until bestselling writer Daniel Kraus (The Shape of Water, The Living Dead) decided to head to Iowa to dig up what really happened.

Presented here is the definitive story of “the most exhaustively documented haunting in history,” including—for the first time ever—interviews with every living survivor of the tragedy.

The employees of Burger City were a family. They loved one another. At least, at the beginning.

But love can make you do unspeakable things.

BOOKLIST – BEST BOOKS OF 2022

LIBRARY JOURNAL – BEST BOOKS OF 2022

“Ingenious on so many levels. True crime meets horror meets pop culture and social commentary, circles back to full-blown horror, and BURNS IT ALL DOWN. A brilliant piece of writing.”

Alma Katsu

“The verisimilitude is disorienting, forcing the reader to question everything on the page, their own memories, and at times, their sanity. Add to this an ending so creepy it will induce a full body shiver.”

Booklist (starred review)

Kraus’s hilarious, creative, and horrifying novel is a must-add for horror collections.”

Library Journal (starred review)

“A great true crime/horror mashup, already well on its way to becoming a classic.”

The Lineup

“9.5 rating. A satirical look at the paranormal true-crime genre that’s as frightening as it is heartbreaking. It’s a page-turner from start to finish and a must-read for all horror fans. It’s hard to shake how upsetting this book is.”

Geek Vibes Nation