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.

I could taste the salt in the fictional air. A basic premise involving friends coming together in their home town because of an event that happened years ago. It doesn't reinvent the wheel in that sense but it still works all the same with some basic character tropes. Good moments of thrills and it kept me interested with the dialogue even if the ending didn't do it for me.

This slow burn ghost story has plenty of elements that we are all familiar with- the small town setting, a group of friends whose actions as teens catches up with them, haunted houses and a sinister presence plaguing the friends. But what stands out for me is Malfi’s writing; how he sucks you into the story and builds the tension and creepiness within the book until it reaches boiling point.

None of the characters are likeable and I mean none of them! The best written character is Meach and he’s probably the only one that I felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for. The group’s descent into hysteria and paranoia is perfectly drawn out by Malfi and the reader gets to watch them spiral slowly and painfully into the darkness.

One of the standout elements of this book is its setting. The small town setting with the cliff overlooking the ocean and the almost sinister presence of the creepy lighthouse witnessing the actions of the group adds to the sense of tension, unease and the eerie quality of the story. Malfi excels in bringing the setting alive – the smell of the putrid water in Andrew’s basement, the noise of the flies swarming around the characters’ heads, landing on their faces, the sound of footsteps in the hall outside the bedroom. Maybe not a good idea to read this book late at night!

The ending was so good- the twists, the revelations and Malfi finishes his story in the most perfect way. Did not see it coming! Small Town Horror is more mystery than horror, with the supernatural elements giving the reader a real sense of nostalgia for all the classic tropes we love. A gripping read that will make your skin crawl and make you want to leave a light on at night!

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the arc. Small Town Horror is out now. 4 ⭐️

This was my third Mali and it certainly won't be my last. Reminiscent of 80s horror classics, Malfi does an excellent job of telling a "small town horror" story with a tone and atmosphere that starts off creepy and builds and builds to an exciting climax. Highly recommend this book.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Ronald Malfi. After reading "Bone White" last summer, I was left with mixed feelings, but I still find myself thinking about the book. Therefore, I was quite excited when I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of his newest release, "Small Town Horror".

The story follows Andrew Larimer, a successful attorney in New York City who is still haunted by his dark past despite his achievements. One night, an old friend urgently calls Andrew, asking him to return to Kingsport, a town he never wanted to go back to.

I found it enjoyable to read about Andrew's story as it alternates between two timelines: the present and the troubling year of 2003. We also get to meet Andrew's old friends, a dysfunctional group of people, none of whom I personally liked. :)

The story takes a spooky turn and quickly starts spiraling downward from there. Despite the slower pacing, Malfi's writing style makes it a fast read, and before you know it, you're already at the last chapter.

The eerie summer horror vibe was intriguing, but I found the events to be somewhat anticlimactic. The characters were intentionally unlikable, but they came across as just plain foolish. The only character I found redeemable was Meach. Surprisingly, the ending was a pleasant surprise for me, despite not usually enjoying this type of conclusion.

After reading "Small Town Horror," I'm definitely still willing to give Malfi’s books a chance. It was a thrilling and fun read overall.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Titan books for this ARC!!🌲

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Andrew Larimer thought he'd left his small-town horror behind, moving forward with his pregnant wife into a promising future. But a late-night call from an old friend drags him back to his hometown, forcing him to confront dark secrets he desperately wanted to keep buried.

At first glance, the story might seem to rely on familiar horror tropes—a group of friends bound by a night that changed their lives, haunted by dark secrets—but it quickly distinguishes itself with unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. Ronald Malfi builds tension and suspense, unraveling just enough of the mystery to keep you hooked while leaving you craving more.

Though it starts as a slow burn, the story picks up momentum in the second half, transforming into a gripping page-turner with a satisfying payoff at the conclusion. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to uncover what happened all those years ago. The intricate plot and well-crafted characters make this one not to be missed!