Another amazing read by Ronald Malfi! Any horror lovers HAVE to give his books a try, I have yet to be disappointed.

His writing style is top notch and he sucked me in from the very beginning. His characters all make me uncomfortable for different reasons! It’s written in two timelines. Current and when they were 16 and they did something they kept secret for 20 years.

Malfi knows how to make you uncomfortable in the best way. I’ve always hated birds, and after this book, I feel valid to continue that. Also…frogs. Why are they so creepy!?

The plot twists in this book were 🤯 AND THAT ENDING!

I absolutely enjoyed the read and highly recommend adding this to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Publishing for the early read and review!! And a huge shout out to Ronald Malfi for always taking me on a crazy ride!

Well, that was messed up. The ending, I mean. The rest of the novel was a fairly standard slow burn of a ghost story, and then all of a sudden things got incredibly … whatever in the hell that was. I might be slightly traumatized by how quickly everything went sideways.

This book starts out as your usual “the main character did something bad as a teenager and now they have to return to their hometown and face the music” horror story. It's a fairly slow burn, with the plot shifting back and forth between the present day and the fateful night of July 4, 2003 when Andrew Larimer and his friends got themselves into … a wee bit of a situation. It kind of has undertones of I Know What You Did Last Summer meets It, but with a storyline that's completely its own.

None of the five friends are particularly likeable, but some of them are way more sympathetic than others. Meach's character is particularly well-written and complex, and you can't help but feel a little bad for him, I think. Andrew is a huge pushover and probably would have tremendously benefitted from growing a spine, but at least he's not the most awful of the bunch, I suppose?

This isn't a particularly action-packed book, but Malfi does a fantastic job of slowly building the sense of dread. You know something terrible is coming, but you have no idea what it is or when it'll happen. And then – BAM! – you're hit with a huge twist and things go wrong very, very quickly. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the ending, but the build up to it is top-notch.

But, yeah, that ending. Holy fu … crap. It's almost like the last chapter is from a totally different book, both in intensity and in feeling. Things get way, way more … weird. Did I love it or did I hate it? I have no idea, but I probably won't forget it anytime soon.

My overall rating: 3.7 stars, rounded up. Small Town Horror is a dark and creepy novel that'll keep you feeling unsettled (and sometimes downright horrified) right up until the very end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is June 4, 2024.

For starters, this didn't compare to the Malfi hype I've seen. Hopefully soon I'll try some of his other books and like those better and see what the hype is about.
This one though? I was BEYOND excited, but I was so bored throughout most of it. I expected jaw-dropping plot twists, but that didn't really happen.
Either way, I still noticed the writing itself is great, so I will still be picking up some more Malfi soon!

This is my first ever Ronald Malfi book, he has been on my radar after another book of his was recommended by a popular booktoker I follow but I decided to start out here since given the opportunity!

Small town horror begins its focus on our MC who is overwhelmed with fears during his wife’s pregnancy. It’s safe to say he has an impending sense of doom that something fatalistic is going to happen, so he distracts himself by deep diving into his work.

His career is on the rise when he receives a call from a childhood friend who states he needs to return to his hometown immediately.

The plot unfolds that a group of friends are holding secrets from their childhood that have resurfaced to haunt them in the present day.

I found there to be a lot of tension building in this book and I had no guesses as to where the author was leading us. There are a lot of heavily descriptive paragraphs and metaphors so if you enjoy hauntingly poetic writing styles you are in for a treat. I did personally find myself rushing to get to the point a couple of times however overall I really enjoyed the read!

Thank you to Titan books, Ronald Malfi and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: June 4th

Another fantastic effort from Malfi, the best in the horror business, about a group of friends who harbor a secret from their teenage years and who find themselves possibly facing a long overdue retribution for their actions. Each has grown up to differing successes and failures, but another death brings them all back together one more time to deal with the past. Nobody does this thing better than Malfi, and once again he builds the story slowly (sometimes a bit too slowly) leading to a riveting and emotional climax that does not disappoint. Strong characters and solid writing, as usual with Malfi, carry the day and the emotions that run through the story feel real and not contrived. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of secrets in a small eerie town. Totally creepy and suspenseful!! There’s twist that dropped my mouth worthy!!

10/10 recommend and love this author.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Small Town Horror is so much more than a horror book. I definitely was scrunched under a blanket waiting for the next thing. It’s also a terrifying look at human nature. At first, I was mentally comparing it to the movie I Know What You Dos Last Summer. It is so much more. This book is bound to live rent free in my head forever. And the twist(s)!!?!??!? This books delivers!

Like, what?!

I👏🏻WAS👏🏻HOOKED👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This book is creepy A F! Malfi serves up a cinematic rollercoaster that had me nervously eyeing the next line, like peeking through my fingers at a movie's jump scare. The clever beginning build-up does exactly what a horror film should: sets up the expected and reels the audience in with a false sense of security. But, when the MC returns to his hometown, all bets are off!

Vibes: King's "It" meets "And Then There Were None", mix in "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Drag Me to Hell", then sprinkle a lil Netflix's "The Haunting of Hill House" on top.

Releases like this reignite my love affair with horror fiction.

I love reading books with a creepy vibe so I knew this one was right down my alley when I started reading it and I definitely did not want to put it down.

Another great read from Ronald Malfi. He really is the Stephen King of the Mid-Atlantic. Similar to his previous work, familiar tropes of adults called home to confront childhood trauma abound. However, Malfi skillfully plays with ambiguity and unreliable narration to keep the reader guessing, despite the initially familiar premise. Deeply unsettling and compulsively readable, the author solidifies his reputation of one of the best horror/suspense writers working today.

Ronald Malfi is a superb writer and this is one truly brilliant spooky horror novel. Small town America, events that happened in the past coming back to haunt you, have always been a lucrative ground for creating atmosphere and don’t turn the lights off tension! Andrew Larimer, a successful New York lawyer, has left his past behind him, and the small town of Kingsport where he grew up, long forgotten. However when he receives a somewhat distressing phone call from a childhood friend, he decides to return one last time to Kingsport, leaving a pregnant wife confused and alone in the big apple…….Five friends; Andrew, Dale, Eric, Tig and the sad somewhat pathetic figure of Meach are being called to account over an incident and a secret that they have managed to hide for 20 years. Robert Graves now holds the key, or not, to their future wellbeing, and it would seem that revenge and retribution know no boundaries….This is a first class horror novel, with some wonderful twists that kept coming until the final page, an ending whilst not expected, was perfect to the conclusion of my favourite horror read this year. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for the early access to Small Town Horror, in exchange for a truthful review.

Small Town Horror's beautifully constructed, with logical reveals and satisfying misdirections aplenty. Add in moments so chilling you won't just sleep with the lights on, you'll fire up the back-up generator, and you've got a book that'll haunt all the end of year horror lists. I know I'll still be thinking about it when the nights get darker.

Without going into the spoiler zone, fans should absolutely file this next to Come With Me in terms of Malfi's epic finale mastery -- Small Town Horror builds to a truly unforgettable crescendo, with the whole book revealed as one big jagged jigsaw. And pay close attention for a reference to another Malfi masterpiece -- creating something of a King-esque shared universe here.

A plot so packed it could be a graveyard, full of characters that feel so real they could be standing in front of you (with moments so horrific you really hope they're not) -- this one gets my highest recommendation.

This was the fifth book I've read by Ronald Malfi, and I think this might be my favorite so far. Malfi does a great job of making you question if the events of the book are supernatural or not for most of the book. Great pacing and great ending! Highly recommended. This book has one of the most shocking twists that I did not see coming at all and I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC to review.

I feel like I need to go sit in a church after reading this. What a haunting novel! While I wasn’t immediately hooked, after around chapter 10 I couldn’t put this book down. I thought the mystery surrounding Robert’s death would be the biggest plot twist, but the twists just kept on coming. There were so many clever clues hidden throughout the book, ones that had me audibly gasping. The gruesome scenes combined with the terrifying undertones left me feeling sick. Such a masterfully executed story.

I love Ronald Malfi's way of drawing in the reader. I get such Stephen King vibes Everytime I read a Malfi book. Small Town Horror was so good. I love the trope of a group coming back to face something from the past. You will get lost in this story.

A classic horror trope of five childhood friends who are now adults and are all called to return to their home town. At first, I really wasn't sure about this one despite being a big fan of the author. It veers off so much from the main story line and gets so confusing. But things straighten out and the foreboding settles in.

Eerie and haunting. The ending was delicious. I loved all the dark secrets in this small town in Maryland.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi.

Small Town Horror was absolutely phenomenal. It is my top read of 2024 so far and also top over everything I read in 2023. There are certain books you read in your life that you always come back to, always think about and will always stay with you. This is one of those books. This is my first time reading a novel by this author and his writing is excellent. The voice of this book and the descriptions allowed me to watch a full movie in my mind. This book is so spooky, atmospheric, haunting and is truly what my worse nightmares are made of. The last few pages... Wow. I am so thankful I had a chance to read this ARC and I look forward to reading more from Ronald Malfi. I don't see how any other book I read this year will top this one for me. It was just that good.

The main character Andrew got a call from an old friend that asked him to come back to his home town. It was a cryptic call and he knew he had to go home. Andrew left his home town many years ago and never wanted to look back. Andrew and his four friends have a secret.. one that can destroy everything and one he will soon have to confront.

5 stars!! Wish I could give it more. This book will be published June 4th.

Here is my confession…

I’m a huge horror fan, King, being my all time favorite. I have of course, through the years, read Koontz, Saul, Rice, Cutter, Wendig, and others. However, I’ve never read Ronald Malfi. My bad, yes? So, when I was offered the opportunity to review “Small Town Horror” I was pleased, but a bit dubious, as it has been compared to “It”. In my opinion, nothing can touch the depth, scope, and horror of “It.”

As the title suggests, this novel takes place in a small town once home to a group of 5 friends with a secret, whom are now adults living their own lives, until they are called back. Told in dual timelines, we discover the secrets and horrors of the small town and the friends.

The novel is atmospheric and eerie. It’s filled with a sense of foreboding and tension that skips along through the entire story. In my opinion, you have to stick with it, because in the beginning it veers off course onto a meandering path of nothing. But, once you hit the meat, in the middle, the story will provide you with a solid horror story and a story of guilt and regret.

Though, I still think “It” is a much deeper novel, I found my first Malfi, novel to be solid and entertaining.

I will definitely pick up his other works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First of all, wow.
This was the first Ronal Malfi book that I've read and I've instantly become a fan.

Small Town Horror is the kind of book that will slowly but surely wrap its hands around your throat as you turn each page.
The story of 5 friends meeting up in the town they grew up in nearly 20 years after a horrible accident changed the path of their lives forever. And let's just say things for them all have started to get a little weird.

The way the feeling of unease creeps up on you as you race your way to the end is incredible. I had moments where I was genuinely scared and as someone who reads a lot of horror, that's not something I experience a lot.

For a more in depth review please check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVZKdJ9bDQ4&t=227s

This book was a really enjoyable read! I love any kind of small town horror so this was really great for me, I definitely want to read it again in the fall because I think that will contribute to the spooky feeling even more. This was very well done and I am excited to read more from this author in the future.