I plan to read everything by Malfi, and I enjoyed this for the atmosphere, the dread, the horror. However, the plot seems so overdone right now: kids have a secret and grow up to pay for it. The punishment also seemed disproportionate -- although some of the main characters were pretty terrible.
I did like the twist and how everything ended up fitting together. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This book took me awhile to get into.. however, it was not the book or authors fault! I was in a heavy reading slump for awhile, so I wasn't immediately wanting to read anything.. but once i got into this book, man i was hooked! And gawd I did not expect that twist at all!!!! What an atmospheric read. The writing was phenomenal, and the characters... amazing! Definitely will be reading more from this author!

This is a ghost story about a group of estranged friends who are haunted by something they did when they were teenagers. It jumps back and forth between current events and the past events. I really like how the story was told. It’s not too scary but definitely had some creepy moments. I also absolutely loved the ending…

Malfi has quietly been establishing himself as the "Peter Straub" of this generation. His prose is tantalizing, his stories are dark and strange, and this one is no different. "Small Town Horror" nestles inside of your mind and it won't dissipate, even days after you've turned the final page. Go into this one blind. And if this is your first experience with Malfi, welcome to the fandom for a writer who is clever and sinister.

From its prologue to the end, the sense of dread in Small Town Horror is unrelenting. Malfi has crafted his latest book complete with a town haunted by bad memories, deeds, and their consequences. The scares come quickly and often. This is perfectly suited for summer reading: most of it takes place on or around July 4th. There was more than one occasion where Malfi’s writing scared me into having to put it down for a spell. This is a twisty (most of which took me by surprise), terrifying story that manages to ramp up the frights until the final chapter.

This is my first Malfi book, but I’ll definitely be looking into his backlist. Although I didn’t care for some of the characters, I really enjoyed the storytelling, and the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed each Ronald Malfi book I have read and did enjoy this one also, though not as much as some of his earlier works. I’m trying to put my finger on why, and I think it might be down to characters in the story, all of whom were shown to be flawed to the extent that it made them unlikeable to me!

The plot is solid. A successful New York lawyer is summoned back to his hometown to help a childhood friend, and the timing of his return coincides with the 20th anniversary of something terrible that him and his group of friends from that time were responsible for. But all of the friends have started to experience strange visions and have weird things happen to them, so are they all about to pay for their past sins?

Spooky, creepy, atmospheric, gory … all of the things I have come to expect from Malfi.

With thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and of course the author for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent horror with a brilliant view of small town life and the nostalgia of childhood friendships vs the pressures of adulthood. I'll read more of Ronald Malfi's work without a doubt.

Six friends are out partying when one gets killed. The others are left with a guilty conscious. Each adult, twenty years later, thinks they see the dead guy.
This is a very good novel.
Thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a fun read which gave me nostalgic Stephen King vibes. The protagonist has to go back to his home town to help an old friend and as the group of childhood buddies get together, secrets are lingering between them.
A suspenseful read that comes highly recommended.

3.5 to 4/5 stars.

This is the story of a shitty group of friends getting what's coming to them. Very mixed but mostly satisfied.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Malfi's Small Town Horror is pulling on old tropes as a group of old friends coalesce together in their old town as their past comes to haunt them. While for many this may be over done, I was intrigued. I love it, and I liked the vibe of Ghost Story. I don't mind a new twist on an old classic.

Malfi's writing is solid. This is my first read, and I can see myself giving him another try. The design and tone are well executed, and it made for an enjoyable read at the very least. I did not expect, however, to dislike everyone so much. In retrospect, I should have realized these people were POS. Our protagonist starts the book by lying to his near to term pregnant wife as he returns home. It wasn't until the mystery was revealed that I realized this wasn't the kind of story based on an innocent mistake. These people are privileged and entitled. Some of them do venture into the realm of caricature, but others are more self deluding.

I can't quite pinpoint what I didn't love about this story, but if I had to choose, it would be the characters. I think the characters are part of the things I didn't love. The caricatures were just that, and even those who were presented as more sympathetic felt a bit shallow. Perhaps our main protagonist is the only one I can see a bit of depth to despite him being pretty unredeemable in my book. I don't mind the characters being bad, but I expect to see some reckoning.

Overall, the story was at least somewhat satisfying, but by the end, I was ready to say goodbye to these characters. I wanted that comeuppance, and it couldn't come fast enough.

It's early to say this, but I think I have a new favorite author. Small Town Horror was my first Malfi but, as I'm currently reading Come With Me, it won't be my last.

Five childhood friends must face the darkness of their past mistake and attempt to make it right in Malfi's latest book.

Andrew Larimer is a successful lawyer in the big city, with an adoring wife, and a baby on the way. Yet, something is troubling him, and when an old friend from childhood calls and asks him to come home, he sees it as a chance to put old demons to bed. One by one, the five friends are forced to face the music. Who will make it out alive?

I loved the atmosphere of Small Town Horror. I've lived in a small town all my life and Kingsport could have easily been my hometown. The five friends could have easily been my own group. For me, this gave the novel an immediacy I haven't felt in awhile.

When describing the book to a friend, I said it felt like Stephen King if he had an editor. The story didn't drag for me, but was face-paced and engaging. I can't wait to read everything Malfi has written.

Do you have a favorite book by this author?

5/5 stars

Thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for an eARC of this novel.

🧨Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi🧨


Pages: 400
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Goal 2024: 76/100

Wow! WOW! Thank you so much @titanbooks and @netgalley for this ARC! I am a bit behind on reviews as this came out the beginning of June but I’m so glad I read this one around this time!

Small Town Horror takes place around an event that occurs on the Fourth of July almost 20 years ago. It’s a dual timeline going from present day through the past. It has a haunting presence surrounding the town and friendships that just never recovered.

While you’re reading this story of friendships, you are also getting a glimpse of what is going on around their individual lives in present day.

You start to wonder if they are each cursed, if the town has a witch or if they are all just suffering trauma…

The events that unfold leave you guessing on what’s really happening… and the ending had me gasping out loud with shock.

One of my favorites for 2024. I think 2024 is my horror year. 🧨

(I didn’t personally feel like this book was too scary but the details surrounding some of the gore that takes place may make some people cringe fyi.)

Andrew, a big city lawyer is called back to his childhood home after an old friend asks for help. There is a missing woman, his friend's wife, who is presumed dead. As old friends reunite, Andrew hides the fact that he is not only married but expecting a baby on the way. When his wife calls, he pretends he is in another city working on a big case.
Andrew and his friends have a secret. Secrets upon secrets. And the horror of the past is threatening Andrew's future.

As a huge fan of Malfi, I was thrilled to get the ARC for Small Town Horror.

This story is an intentional slow burn, told in first across two timelines from the perspective of Andrew who returns home when an old secret threatens to surface.

I did not find a single one of the characters in this book likeable! Of the five main friends and various side characters, all of them were terrible people. In a way he had me rooting for bad things to befall them all, which made the story fun in an entirely different way.

I didn't so much get a scary vibe, although there are certainly creepy (and some pretty gross) scenes throughout, for me it was more the anticipation of well deserved revenge.

Small Town Horror takes some bizarre turns and surprised me with a bonus unexpected twist late in the game.
As always I found Malfi's writing to be perfectly balanced, I've said before this man can write about paint drying and still keep me interested in the moment. Something about his style just suits me perfectly. I can't wait for the his next novel.

Small Town Horror follows Andrew who must return to his hometown to help out a childhood friend. A childhood friend who shares a big secret with Andrew and their old friend group. When some of them start seeing visions and experiencing weird things happening it might be time for them to ask for forgiveness before its too late.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for the ARC!

I have yet to read a book by Malfi that I didn’t like. His storytelling is so immersive and I knew this would be an instant win for me. Decently paced with twists and several reveals. Blend of mystery and supernatural. I loved the creepy small town atmosphere, also it’s been a while since I’ve read a book where no one gets a happy ending. Perfection

Ronald Malfi is a longtime favorite and I look forward to all his titles. This one goes into territory very familiar to thriller readers (not Malfi's usual well to draw upon): Childhood friends reunite and must deal with secrets of the past, told in dual timelines. You can find dozens of titles with this plot. What you can't always get is grippy storytelling with genuine heebie-jeebies. I really enjoyed this NIGHTMARE inducing horror book.

This book is absolutely phenomenal!!
It was so chilling, extremely atmospheric, and every thing a FIVE STAR Horror read should be. And, that ending was a punch to the gut! This was my first Ronald Malfi read and it will definitely not be my last!

Highly Recommend!!!

Nostalgia is common, and returning to one’s roots after many years can be a wondrous reflection. This town is where I grew up. This is the street I lived on. This was my school. This was my home.

But for Andrew Larimer, his roots are coated in blood. He doesn’t want to return to his childhood home, Kingsport. He’s built a new life with his pregnant wife in New York, but when an old friend rings, asking for help, Andrew has no choice but to dig up the secret he’d buried.

Ronald Malfi’s 400-page Small Town Horror circulates between five friends: Andrew the lawyer, Eric the town’s deputy sheriff, Dale a real-estate developer, Tig a single mum and bar owner, and Meach a drug addict and alcoholic. They are bound together by a deadly secret. Only this secret is now haunting them after twenty years. Small Town Horror is a slow burn, hinting at the paranormal and strange ongoings, while shifting perspectives from the present day to 2003, on that fateful night when their lives changed forever.

For me, the horror was explosive. Spooky shadows, corpses, animals, things that appear at random, etc. The list goes on, diving from eeriness to disturbing to full-on gore. This is not for the faint of heart or for those looking for a gothic-like ghost story. This ghost plays tricks on your mind, disturbing your mentality. Is there a ghost or not? With some characters like Eric and Dale in denial about the weird things occurring, it is easy to follow their reasoning. Andrew never concludes an opinion about it, which was frustrating, so it felt almost maddening as I read on.

As for the characters, none were particularly likeable. I didn’t feel any connection towards them, but a bit of sympathy for Meach, who suffers hallucinations and warns the group over and over about the ghost. A ghost that is a part of a curse.

The plot overall was phenomenal. Every disturbing occurrence and weird event connected with no gaping hole to the structure. There was a huge twist I didn’t see coming and once it’s revealed everything slid into place like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s worth the journey to reach that twist, I assure you. The ending was interesting with some of it obvious to me. There was no other way it was going to go. The ending also concluded with a sort of limbo that perfectly satisfied me. How we end up in this limbo, however, was a bit weak in the story-structure.

Small Town Horror is sharp, dark, creepy, and tense throughout. Malfi writes with an elegance to his language and sentences, poetic in parts, while relentless with his gory, heart-pounding, and terrifying events. His characters do not hide their ugliness, nor do his settings. For fans of the small town horror trope, this should be high on your to-be-read list. If you want to be truly terrified, you can do what I did, which is read it when there’s a power cut, when you’re home alone, and when it is dead of night. I won’t forget Small Town Horror anytime soon, that’s for sure.