Acceptable horror novel, nothing special although had potential - was probably put off a fair bit by the terrible Kindle formatting.

I know it's horror but some character actions were rather implausible.

Note: I received a free unpublished proof of this book, for a limited time, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

This was actually a fun one, but I felt it could use a good editor.

Before I get into the review, I would only recommend this book to adults (18+) because there is a lot of violence and that’s the audience it’s written for. (I realize there are some pretty scary YA books on the market these days, and many that deal with heavy-hitting themes, but besides the horror aspects I don’t think the style of this book would really appeal to a YA audience in terms of genre conventions.) The book contains themes of death, blood, violence, some gore, the supernatural, substance use, and addiction.

I liked the overall idea of what was essentially a classic slasher film with ghosts in an abandoned shopping mall. However, it felt like it would make a better screenplay, or even a story read aloud on YouTube, than a book per se. The text had that sort of Sanderson-esque feel to it where everything was simply described as it was going on, without much atmosphere or literary turn-of-phrase. I initially found the straightforward introduction of characters somewhat awkward, but after finishing it I realized that the author was probably going for an Agatha Christie/murder mystery sort of feel, which I think worked pretty well for the story.

As a horror book, it was not terribly scary, and while there were some unsettling bits it was not super heavy on gore or heavy-hitting themes. I’d recommend it to people who enjoy typical horror movies and Creepypasta or SCP Foundation-type stuff.

Structurally, I liked the short, suspense-building, Dan Brown-style chapters. Much as I dislike Dan Brown for other reasons, I actually think that style is fun for books that are heavy on suspense and action. I though the spacing (at least in the Epub version) could have been improved, as there were paragraphs laid in chunks over the pages and I think that more consistent, double-spaced paragraphs that are indented rather than separated by spaces would be more readable. That said if there is a reason for that spacing, it is still readable if kept.

Overall, this wasn’t the best book I’ve read in the genre, and I tend to prefer more atmospheric/Gothic-horror or Jeff Vandermeer/Clive Barker/China Mieville-type body horror stuff myself, but I thought it was a solid 3-star read with a good ending.

This novel just wanted right for me. The don’t think o cares god the characters enough to feel emotionally attached. It’s w a good idea. But less characters would be better.

This had a compelling premise with interesting characters and a good bit of horror. If you're interested in reading something that breaks the standard tropes, this is going to be the perfect fit for you

I went I to this expecting a scary, hide under the covers type of book. I didn't feel this at all. I think a little more horror would have gone a long way. Also, I don't know if this author's writing style is for me. I know there is an audience out there for every book. I was just not for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I wanted to read this because of the mall setting, which is surely the book's strongest asset. Everything else fell rather flat. The characters especially should have been developed better. Give this a chance if, like me, you're a horror fan and interested in the setting itself.

"And please, dear God, I hope whoever wrote Supernatural turns out to be right for once."

3.5 rounded up to a 4.

While it's not exactly the pinnacle of literature, Deadfall Mall is just plain fun horror. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in conceptual creativity, this book is a well-paced read that is unputdownable from one chapter to the next. This is one of those 'I'll just squeeze in one more chapter before bed, okay maybe one more, okay may one more' types of books.

Deadfall Mall is practically made for anyone who loves urban exploration videos of dead malls. When we think of haunted spaces, it's always old houses, or abandoned castles, or spooky islands. We never consider that newer innovations can have their own form of hauntings, or how those hauntings can be used against us. Nohe is incredibly creative with how this mall comes to life, and it'll make you a little nervous the next time you step foot in your own local mall - let me tell you, you'll never look at those storefront security gates again.

What I loved most about this book was that for so long, it looked to be an eye-rolling, cliche 'we built a mall on top of an Indigenous burial ground' story, but that's not what it winds up being. Really, Deadfall Mall is less of a ghost story than it is a creature feature, and the ending of this book has so many echoes of The Fall of the House of Usher, which was an absolute treat. While the epilogue wasn't terribly engrossing, I would absolutely read more from Nohe about this particular horror.

Where this book fell short for me however was, unfortunately, largely in the writing itself. Nohe's has a very overly descriptive writing style, but less in a visually imaginative way, and more in a 'here are the exact dimensions of every single room the characters ever stand in.' That, combined with clunky and inauthentic dialogue made some parts of Deadfall Mall just plain hard to read. Hip, young teens who speak entirely in slang but also love to use the word 'inauspicious' multiple times per monologue? It was disjointed and weird.

On top of that, I think there were one, too many characters in this book, and two, not a single one of them is memorable. I kept getting Brett and Ford confused because they're both just terrible old white men who have screwed people over, and it doesn't really matter anyways, because we go into Deadfall Mall knowing exactly what happens to them. There needed to be far fewer lead characters, and of those lead characters, there needed to be more positive attributes or anything at all that would make us care about them. Sure, every horror movie knocks off two or three assholes who deserve it, but by the time you get to the ninth asshole who deserves it, you get a little bored.

I will say, though, that it was a nice surprise to have so many of the Deadfall Mall being older adults. The oldest horror movie characters you ever see are usually couples or parents in their 40s, so having multiple main characters being over 60 was a nice change of pace!

All in all, I think Deadfall Mall could easily be 5 stars, if it was made as movie. Nohe's writing style reads more like a script treatment than as a solid book, and with a really compelling plot, there's a ton of potential for the future of Deadfall Mall. Really fun read, if you're a 'classic formula' horror fan!

**Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

A quick horror read…unexpected action, fear, and deaths among 13 people trapped in an old mall on Halloween . Enjoyed reading this.

The premise of this book is good, and I appreciate the self-aware nods to Agatha Christie. I have a lot of ‘90s teen mall nostalgia, which is about the same time I discovered Dean Koontz, and this feels like a lesser Koontz with its creepy setting, large cast, and a supernatural baddie that isn’t your “typical” zombie/ghost/etc.

I had a hard time getting into the book as there is a lot of info dumping as the characters are introduced. As the story progresses, there is a more telling not showing — it almost read more like a screenplay. I could see the pictures well enough, but it wasn’t particularly engaging or scary because the choppy writing often took me out of the scene.

There is a lot of potential, and this was perfectly fine entertainment on a dark and dreary afternoon.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Michael Nohe for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Deadfall Mall. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

On the evening of October 31, 2024, thirteen people were in the Deadfall Mall, a soon-to-be-razed mall near the town of Deadfall, Minnesota.

Ten were out for an early evening walk in the warm and secure but rundown mall. Two were self-proclaimed ghost hunters on a mission. The last was the mall’s security guard. Most would never leave the mall—alive. The following morning, answering a 911 call, the police recovered nine bodies. What happened in the mall that evening?

Evil isn’t always what or where you expect it to be.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I love spooky books, so I was excited to check it out. I really loved it! I thought the plot was really interesting. A few malls have closed over the years, so it’s sad to see the downfall of malls. I loved the suspense and closed in atmosphere of the mall. I definitely want to check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys spooky books!

I love the use of people going to a haunted location and things going wrong. This story worked with everything that I was looking for and had a great concept overall. I really felt for the characters and thought it worked in this world. Michael Nohe has a great writing style and I’m glad I got to read this.

***** I have received and read an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for giving my honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.*****

An empty mall is always a great setting, so I was immediately drawn to this book.
Add to the empty mall a locked room scenario and I was hooked.

Just the right amount of tension and creepiness to really enjoy this gem of a book.

My only complaint is that the characters could have been written to have a little bit more depth to them.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to both teenagers and adults who like mysteries and horror.

November 1, 2024, Deadfall MN. Ron and Seneca, as well as Del and Doris are being interviewed by the police. They were all at a deserted mall the night before (Del and Doris, seniors going to a walk out of the elements, and Ron and Seneca attempting to complete a paranormal investigation before the mall is demolished). They weren't alone at the mall that fateful night, though, but these 4 are the only survivors; nine bodies were found and all had appeared to commit suicide. Doris and Del tell the police they were unable to leave due to the doors locking as they entered the mall. Ron tells the police that it was the mall that killed all those people. What actually happened in Deadfall Mall on Halloween?

I loved this read. It kept me hooked from the first chapter. When the action picks up, it picks up quick. The chapters are shorter, which I like in a book like this. You learn just enough about the characters and the setting description gives off a creepy vibe from the get-go. It's creepy, it's haunting, it's not terrifying to the point where I couldn't sleep but it's enough to make it so I never walk an abandon mall haha!

I would definitely recommend this book for a quick read with a lot of creep-factor. I enjoyed the writing style. I would love to read more by this author.

This book isn't deep. It doesn't develop the characters appreciably. But it's fun.
There are several people at the mall, right before it's supposed to close, who get trapped when the doors won't open. Then we find out there are a couple of ghost hunters walking around because they believe that, following its pattern, the mall is going to kill people tonight.
What follows is fairly predictable but interesting enough that I put aside everything else I was doing to find out what happened. If you want a fun ghost story/slasher, you will probably enjoy this.
Thanks to NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a digital review copy of "Deadfall Mall" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

It's Halloween and a group of mall walkers and two spirit hunters end up trapped in a dying and decaying mall in Deadfall, Minnesota. What follows is a wild ride of spooky goings on tapping into common fears leading ultimately to plenty of deaths.

This story started out as a slow burn with plenty of descriptions of the mall especially and introduces us to our core group of characters. Nohe takes the time to build the atmosphere with a creeping dread that you know something bad is going to happen but what shape will it take?!

What we then get is a mix of 'Creepshow', Point Horror and a little 'And Then There Were None'. Despite being set in the very near future (2024) this book read like a classic 90s new adult/YA horror but with older/elderly adults instead of clueless teens. Don't get me wrong, the adults are entirely clueless in this as well but it's great to see a classic horror setting of a mall being utilised with an older character age set.

As a teen in the 90s I felt right at home in the setting, identifying with the glory days of mall culture and understanding the feelings being evoked seeing it at the end of its life. I would say the mall here is as much a character as our human contingent and in many ways had more life given to it than the rest of the group. In fact I would say that's the only real downside for this book. Aside of a couple of them (mainly Del and Doris) we don't really get enough to feel connected to many of the group, however, it also didn't feel like too much of a detraction because of the nature of the story and the constant action that we get from around the 40% mark.

I had picked this book up on a whim after reading the description which made it seem like it might read like a more adult Point Horror and when I finished I immediately said to myself "well I really enjoyed that". To me, what more can you ask for really?! It's a thoroughly entertaining, easy reading paranormal horror that will appeal to teens and adults alike and I highly recommend it, especially for next year's spooky season reading.

It’s the morning after Halloween in Deadfall, Minnesota and police are attempting to question Seneca Robins, age 18 and Ron Pately, 19 about the nine people found dead at Deadfall Mall. All Ron can get out is, “The mall. The mall killed them all…”

It appears that Delbert and Doris Ray, an older couple, have also survived whatever took place at the mall. Delbert is a mystery writer and the two say they were unable to leave the mall after they went in for their nightly walking session.

Joining the Rays for mall walking were Carter Mountford, the local property bigwig, and his medical aide Kelvin Waters (also a small time drug thief), Brett and Kandi Tamila (Brett is currently cheating his best friend out of their auto dealership), Stephan and Stephanie Harkins (Stephan is an architect who fudged the numbers on the mall roof rendering it unsafe, Stephanie has been stealing drugs from the hospital) and Ford and Jeanette Humphrey (Ford’s business is in trouble with the SEC, Jeanette has been cutting corners in her real estate business).

The mall is to be demolished soon and it may have been built on an old burial site. Seneca and Ron are their ghost hunting because every ten years on Halloween people die at the Deadfall Mall. What will happen this year?

Well, clearly death happens. To a bunch of bad people, so I guess it’s OK. This is a pretty standard haunted house story, but it held my interest.

I enjoyed this book. It’s funny how it was able to stick with me. I started reading this book Back in Oct, got away from reading for quite some time yet I still had this book with me when I picked it back up to finish it.

“De-tection and Pro-tection, bro, the two pillars of spirit investigations. The silver dagger, holy water, iron bar, sagebrush, rosaries, and rock salt should allow us to defend ourselves if any of these spirits prove dangerous, and we fully expect that they are.”

Trapped in a haunted mall on Halloween night, a group of senior mall walkers, a security guard, and a couple of ghost hunters try to survive the night. There are restless spirits and malevolent energy stirring; intent on killing for revenge, no one alive in the mall is safe!

This was a thrilling story that didn’t take itself too seriously. There were some humorous moments interspersed amongst the horror. The characters were interesting, each one with their own little back story. Sometimes the dialogue felt a little awkward/forced.

The reader gets the story real-time and through police interviews. I liked this set up, but the overly frequent chapter breaks were a little jarring. There were some repetitive descriptions/ sentences that could be cut out for a faster paced tale as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and BooksGoSocial for a copy!

As a fellow Minnesotan, I picked the book up for that reason, and I couldn't put it back down because I fell in love with it! Equally creepy, dread-inducing, horrific and fun, it was definitely a fantastic book! Going to be searching for more from this author soon!

I love everything haunted and this also had that hint of like saw/ final destination/ 2000s horror film vibe! The chapters are really short so of course I kept convincing myself I'd stop after "one more" which didn't happen and I read the book in an afternoon. It's a really easy read, it holds your attention fron the start and has you wondering the whole way through. I also loved it was set in modern times, after covid and touched on the after effects and changes caused by covid which enabled this whole story to take place. The characters were individual and memorable, the twists...... ooft!! Yeah, awesome fun, lite ghost story (if that makes sense)