Kelly Clarkson and Amy Grant lend their voices to an immersive new audiobook thriller called Caretaker, written by Clarkson’s longtime producer.
Kelly Clarkson and Amy Grant are teaming up—but don’t expect a powerhouse duet. Instead, the two musical icons are lending their voices to a haunting new thriller audiobook titled Caretaker, written by Kelly Clarkson’s longtime music director Jason Halbert and his wife Rhonda Halbert, who write together under the pseudonym R.J. Halbert.
Kelly Clarkson made the announcement on the May 7 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, where Grant appeared as a guest and performed “Home (Lyana’s Song)”, a piece written specifically for the Caretaker project.
The audiobook promises a chilling and immersive experience, blending a cast of acclaimed voice actors with an eerie score by Joe Trapanese. In addition to Clarkson and Grant, the voice cast includes Henry Ian Cusick, Erick Avari, Brandon Engman, Charles Esten, Hayley Orrantia, Michael Shanks, and Josh Robert Thompson.
Caretaker tells the story of the Keane family, who relocate to a seemingly quiet town in New Hampshire, hoping for a fresh start. But their new home—rich with history—quickly reveals a more sinister side. Plagued by strange visions and unexplainable events, the family begins to question whether the house is their refuge or their doom. The novel marks the first installment in a planned trilogy.
“The transformation of Caretaker into an audiobook with such a talented and diverse cast is a dream come true,” the Halberts shared in a statement. “We are eager for both new and existing fans to experience the story in this dynamic format.”
Though Jason Halbert is no stranger to creating hits with Kelly Clarkson—he even earned a Grammy for his work on her Stronger album—this audiobook project pushed both collaborators out of their comfort zones.
“We’ve worked on hundreds of songs together. Doing a 3.5-minute single for you versus 5.5 hours of audio, I had no idea how much work it was going to be, but it has been a labor of passion,” Halbert told Clarkson during the show. “We have had so much fun doing it, but it’s completely different.”
Kelly Clarkson agreed, revealing the process took her by surprise. “The most nervous he has probably ever seen me in the studio is when I did my part,” she admitted.
The audiobook of Caretaker is available now via R.J. Halbert’s official website, with releases on major audiobook platforms expected later this summer.
