Release: April 15,2025
Author: Ronald Malfi
Publisher: titan books

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

Senseless by Ronald Malfi is a haunting and gripping supernatural thriller that combines elements of psychological horror with a complex mystery. Set against the gritty backdrop of Los Angeles, this novel is a page-turning, multi-layered narrative that will keep readers on edge from start to finish.
Malfi's ability to weave together different storylines—each seemingly disconnected, yet all intertwined by a dark thread of horror and suspense—is one of the novel’s most impressive qualities. The book begins with a grisly murder in the desert and quickly escalates into a chilling exploration of secrets, obsession, and supernatural forces that seem to defy logic. Detective Bill Renney’s investigation into the murder is not just about solving a crime—it’s about confronting a personal secret tied to the first victim's husband, which adds an emotional and psychological layer to the plot.
The novel’s secondary plotlines, focusing on Maureen Park, a woman drawn into a tense relationship with her fiancé’s son, Landon, and Toby Kampen, the bizarre "Human Fly" with a dangerous obsession, contribute to a constantly building tension. As the characters’ paths cross and secrets begin to unravel, the reader is thrust into a world where nothing is quite as it seems. Malfi’s atmospheric writing enhances the suspense, creating a palpable sense of dread that builds with each chapter.
The supernatural elements in Senseless are subtly woven into the narrative, amplifying the horror without overshadowing the psychological depth of the story. As a result, the novel will appeal to fans of both traditional thrillers and supernatural horror. Malfi has crafted a story that doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of human nature, while also delivering a spine-tingling mystery that keeps the reader guessing.
In Senseless, the discovery of a mutilated body in the desert near Los Angeles sets off a chain of events that connects a series of characters in unexpected and eerie ways. Detective Bill Renney is drawn into the case, but his personal ties to the first victim’s husband cloud his judgment. Meanwhile, Maureen Park, who is engaged to a Hollywood producer, becomes increasingly suspicious of Greg’s son, Landon, as he becomes more involved in her life. Toby Kampen, a man obsessed with a mysterious woman who may not be entirely human, adds another layer of intrigue and terror to the story. As the three storylines converge, a tapestry of deceit, obsession, and supernatural horror unfolds in this spine-chilling, fast-paced thriller.


Favorite Quote:
"the mind is a fragile thing, and once it's broken, there's no telling what kind of damage it can do."

A body is discovered in the desert outside Los Angeles, the victim of a gruesome murder. A murder eerily similar to one that took place earlier. Is a serial killer on the loose? Malfi intertwines three plots: the detective who investigated the previous murder and who formed a rather strange relationship with the victim's husband; the fiancee of a Hollywood executive who becomes fearful of his son; and a young homeless man who thinks he has met a female vampire, into a haunting, compelling story that explores the depravity that human beings can descend into.

This book was creepy! I read an eARC of this book on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a horror novel with a core police procedural story. We follow in the main, a detective presented with a case very similar to one he had investigated a year earlier. With a very particular way the body has been left. However we also follow some other characters, seemingly unconnected at first. It’s interesting how these build throughout the story, the menace in each getting more intense as we progress.

What this book does so well is the way it suggests the supernatural. Sometimes pervasively, sometimes in sharp flashes. It’s really unsettling. It’s hard to know what to believe at times, or to understand the mental state of certain characters.

The inclusion of Maureen as a perspective was brilliant. It not only added new layers to the book, but it created a vulnerability that made the horror feel very real. Maureen was a really interesting character for her reactions to new information. I don’t want to give spoilers by going in to detail, but I really enjoyed her sections.

I found this a fascinating mystery that took me in unexpected directions. It’s dark, broody, atmospheric, scary and I would read more from this author.

In what I had suspected after reading Come With Me and Black Mouth, Ronald Malfi seems to be the author I have been looking for in the horror/supernatural thriller genre. After so many swings and misses with modern authors of this type, finding Malfi has been a huge boon. Senseless takes the not unusual "is it a serial killer or a copycat killer" formula and gives it a fun spin by adding supernatural elements to it (I'll leave it to you to discover what those are). Another page-turner from Mr. Malfi that feels like he is going to become an automatic read for me.

I chose to read a free eARC of Senseless but that has in no way influenced my review.

Ronald Malfi has quickly become my favourite horror author. His books, whilst quite dark and disturbing, have such beauty and depth to them. I adore how this author tells a story, along with the characters he creates. The release of a new Ronald Malfi book is something I always look forward to very much. And if you're a fan of horror fiction and you haven't discovered this author yet then you're truly missing out on something GREAT! Senseless is a superb addition to Malfi's catalogue of work. Something a little different, but just as haunting and unsettling. A subtle horror story that gets under the skin and doesn't let you go.

Detective Bill Renney is called to the LA county line to investigate the murder of a young woman. Having recently lost his wife, Renney is deep in grief and struggling to function normally. But even he can't help but draw similarities between this recent murder and an unsolved murder from a year ago.
Maureen Park is celebrating her engagement to movie producer, Greg Dawson in a room full of people she doesn't know. When Greg's son, Landon, arrives uninvited, the mood instantly sours. There's something about Landon that makes Maureen feel uncomfortable. And Landon seems to relish the fact.
Toby Kampen is a human fly. Finding himself in a nightclub one evening he meets a woman who Toby finds utterly captivating. He believes the mysterious woman has supernatural powers and he wants more from her. Toby's obsession knows no bounds.

Three seemingly unconnected stories come together in a creeping, nuanced way. Unexpected and completely shocking, the links are slowly revealed to the reader. I loved Senseless. It's one of those books (and I do find this happens a lot with Malfi's books) that just stays with you. You'll be thinking about this book weeks after you've finished reading it. The storytelling is superb. The reveal of how each storyline is connected - where all of a sudden, the pace completely changes and you don't know which way is up - will leave you breathless. Senseless is such a clever, well-plotted novel. No one else tells a story like Ronald Malfi.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Senseless is a dark and hypnotic story. Full of dread and menace. It puts you on edge with its palpable, building tension and I loved every second of it. I've already said it once in this review but it bears repeating, no one tells a story like Ronald Malfi. The writing is sublime. The characters are truly magnificent creations, and the plot was unlike anything I've read previously. Three very different stories featuring their own beautifully defined characters whose paths eventually cross and it all makes the most perfect sense. Personally, I'm always in awe of writers and how they create their stories. But to do THIS, to create Senseless...WOW! Absolutely outstanding. I savoured every word, every minute I spent with this book. All in all, a dark, subtle, meticulous tale. Expertly written and a real experience for the reader. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Senseless. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Review will be published on 15th April 2025]

Thank you NetGalley and Titan books for this e-ARC!
4.5 ⭐️
This was such a tense and creepy rollercoaster of a story! We are following 3 very different POVs that are wound together in a dark and twisted spiderweb. I loved the way that I felt so lost, tense, and confused by these separate POVs, and then slowly they came together in such satisfying, weird, and shocking ways! Really enjoyed this!
This book releases on 4/15/25.

4.5 stars

Senseless is a deeply unsettling psychological thriller that intricately weaves together three distinct narratives.
Bill is a seasoned detective, but the gruesome murder of a woman found mutilated in the desert shakes him to his core. The case eerily resembles an unsolved crime from a year prior, and as he digs deeper, his ties to the first victim’s husband begin to blur the line between professional detachment and emotional involvement.
Maureen is planning a future with her fiancé, when she suddenly finds herself trapped in an unsettling dynamic with his teenage son, Landon. Maureen’s growing unease is palpable as she begins to suspect Landon may be more dangerous than anyone realizes.
Toby is perhaps the most unusual of the three main characters. Self-identifying as the "Human Fly," Toby sees himself as an outsider, floating through life with no real attachments. Toby’s perspective adds a strange, supernatural edge to the novel, making his storyline the most unsettling and unpredictable. The character development is exceptional, with each character contributing to the novel’s overwhelming sense of dread.
Ronald’s writing is sharp and evocative, bringing the setting itself to life with the oppressive heat of the desert, the isolation of forgotten city corners, and the quiet menace of certain characters seeping into every page. The environment becomes as much a character as the people living in it, amplifying the novel’s dark, tense atmosphere.
Senseless is a haunting exploration of human fragility, obsession, and the darkness lurking beneath the surface of everyday life. Fans of psychological horror and intricate thrillers will find this novel both disturbing and captivating.

Ronald Malfi is always an anticipated read of the year. In this crime horror, the rumors of a possible serial killer run rampant in this new thriller set in Los Angeles.

With 2 points of view, lonely widow Detective Bill Renney fills a misogynistic stereotype and I can tell I already don’t like him. And then we have Maureen, newly engaged and feels like a new person, the cliche of small town girl to big city and leaving the small town behind. I’m seeing a cliche themes here. So how do these two random characters intertwine? They may just have the same person of the interest on their mind. The beginning reads more crime thriller and I’m realizing I prefer Ronald Malfi more in his small town horror elements.

For a newly engaged couple, they seemed completely clueless of each other and the story lost me in that element. But the Ranney point of views were stronger, the reflection of grief and loneliness mixed with his detective work. His character softened as the story continued. Maureen just didn’t work for me at all and felt out of the element of the writer. The plot gave the reader some ideas of delusion, to question what we believe to be reality, and I appreciated those moments.

This didn’t feel like a work of the author, no last minute twists, additional twists unexpectedly. So a little disappointing. If you go into this as a crime thriller, you will probably enjoy. But don’t go into it for the horror elements, as those felt more lackluster and rushed.

I am not normally a reader of this kind of book but I decided to try something different and am pleased I did.

From the first page you have a bad feeling about what is about to happen, there is a high sense of dread and the setting ensured that this was the case, Eerily atmospheric you are taken into a world where the characters are all wondering if this life they are living is real or not.

Bill Renney is a detective who meets a widower whose wife was murdered and the circumstances of this are likened to another death. But as Bill discovers more and more he begins to wonder if all is as it seems and is this widower actually part of the resolution of their loved ones death.

Creepy and well written this tale will take you in and leave you wondering about what you have just read. The author does an incredibly good job of keeping tensions running high and he presents us with a group of characters that more than enhance the story, they make it.


I will now be looking up more books by this author to see how his other works compare and if he can take me on another journey such as this that I was not expecting.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. This was such a dark and creepy read, very addicting, and horrifying. a body of a woman is found and Bill is the detective on the case. He has to find out what happened.

Ronald Malfi is so good. This book was such a great murder mystery. The suspense and interwoven elements were next level. I really enjoyed it. I will never see a monkey mask the same again. But I will read anything that Malfi writes.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Titan books and Ronald Malfi for allowing me access to read Senseless by Ronald Malfi.

The first thing that drew me in was the cover. Somehow it manages to be both beautiful and deeply disturbing, it also took me wayyyy too long to figure out that she was missing her eyes and nose and fingers. I audibly had an aha moment when I figured out why it was called senseless.
The novel follows three characters, a detective (Renny), a writer (Maureen), and whatever the heck you want to call Toby (I would say human fly but then the only thing I would be able to picture would be Jeff Goldblum)
As this is my first Ronald Malfi novel, I am not sure if this is his usual style of writing. This novel gave big film noir vibes to me, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I enjoyed watching and learning how each of the three drastically different characters were somehow interconnected with each other through these murders, though none of them had ever met. I wish that each of the characters got more time to be fleshed out, I really wanted to learn more about Maureen. Her ending left me with more questions than answers, but so did the ending in general.
I will say this novel was extremely atmospheric. Malfi’s attention to surroundings and background imagery made me feel like I was right beside the characters looking over their shoulders. I usually have issues visualizing locations, but for better or worse I did not have these issues with Senseless. The only time I was taken out of the story was the Monkey scene, I busted out laughing. I am sure if that had happened in real life it would be terrifying, but I felt that it had no real connection to the plot of the story and was only there to make that character seem unhinged.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. At times it felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book. I could see this translating well into a movie or miniseries, and I would certainly watch it if it ever did.

Some books keep you up at night because you can’t stop reading. Others because you shouldn’t have read them before bed. Senseless is both of these.
Ronald Malfi weaves three storylines into a sinister, haunting, psychological suspense. Three lives collide- a detective unraveling by a past and current murder, a woman questioning the people closest to her, and a man obsessed with something that’s not human.
This is a thriller that is unsettling, unpredictable and hard to put down!

"Senseless" by Ronald Malfi is an eerie, unsettling blend of horror, mystery, and psychological thriller that hooked me from the start! The story weaves themes of grief, paranoia, and the terrifying reality of not knowing who—or what—you can trust.

I loved the creeping dread throughout the book, and Malfi masterfully keeps you second-guessing everything. That fly guy (if you know, you know) was seriously testing my patience, but when everything clicked in the end? Mind blown! It was one of those “OHHH, now it all makes sense” moments that made me want to go back and reread.

Beyond the chills and twists, there’s a deeper message: stay aware of your surroundings. The horror isn’t just in the supernatural—it’s in the everyday dangers we sometimes ignore. And the grief aspect? Absolutely gut-wrenching but beautifully done.

If you love horror with a mystery-thriller edge, I highly recommend this one!

“Senseless” by Ronald Malfi is a chilling, slow-burn, dark thriller. The novel weaves together three distinct storylines, each filled with tension and mystery. Malfi’s masterful pacing builds suspense as the dark, gruesome elements unfold, creating an atmosphere of dread that intensifies with every chapter. The narrative's gradual convergence of the plotlines adds a layer of intrigue, making for a gripping read. Fans of psychological horror and twisted thrillers will find Senseless a satisfying, if unsettling, experience.

This psychological thriller masquerading as a mystery/noir novel is not for the faint of heart. Delusions, grief, mental illness, exploitation, trauma, and a genuine inability to know oneself all scurry their way into the heart of this dark novel.

The writing, atmosphere and tone saved this novel for me, they supported other aspects of the book that didn’t feel like they were carrying their own weight. The writing style changed depending on the POV, moving from exasperated noir to tightly wound up, anxious, and on edge to the complete dysregulation and disassociation of schizophrenia and other mental illness. The writing flowed between those modes smoothly, with straightforward prose that never veered into purple territory but did move and shift to match the tone or intensity of the characters. At the writing level it was quite compelling, with hard-hitting descriptive prose that made the scenes immediate and real but still leaving enough to the reader’s imagination that you feel almost complicit. The atmosphere was also great, there was a real strong sense of place whether it be the unforgiving desert or a pompous Hollywood mansion or a grimy dance club.

I enjoyed the characters, I felt they had some depth to them, but I wanted a little more out of them. I think this has more to do with the plotting and structure than the characters, though, if I am being honest. They didn’t ever feel boring, and while some felt a little over-the-top (and a little cliché) they all served as interesting enough pieces to this puzzle that I didn’t mind. The characters weren’t particularly likeable, they didn’t give you a lot to root for. Instead, they were incredible sympathetic characters, all haunted by their own ghosts, whether that be loss, trauma, or mental illness. The novel starts and finishes with this façade of being a gritty mystery, a “horror noir,” following a somewhat broken detective. But there are large stretches of the novel where he is absent, and he doesn’t really do much detective work at all, basically the answers just fall into his lap. Yet he is the most heartfelt and interesting character in this novel! That is why I say the novel is masquerading as a mystery or noir, because we are never actually given enough details to solve anything (though Malfi does plant enough seeds that nothing in the conclusion feels out of left field), and we see very little actual detective work being done. This character is tragic, and lost in grief made bad decisions that he is having to pay for now, complicating this case, and I really just wanted to spend more time with him. The story really feels like he is the throughline, it is his story (as opposed to a slice of life that centers around this murder investigation), and the time we get with him doesn’t live up to that vibe or expectation. I appreciated having the three different perspectives, trying to piece together how they would all connect, and I liked the way those connections were resolved. But somewhere in adding in these additional perspectives Malfi literally stripped away anything for his detective to do. The most our detective gets to do is in a lengthy flashback to a similar murder that happened a year prior. Otherwise, he literally just shows up somewhere to have another character tell him information. This just felt like a little messy plotting, to me. He needed to actually do some investigative work to run parallel with his guilt, frustration, and despair. He felt inert and lifeless, yet the story is structured as if he is its lifeblood, and that really made the experience drag for me.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. As I mentioned at the top, Malfi is playing with some dark and weighty ideas here. The themes and the writing style always make it seem like the reality of the thing is being held at arm’s length, and with every character we have doubts about their experiences versus what is really going on. I liked that ambiguity, that continual discomfort. While some of the plotting felt lopsided and wasn’t my favorite part of the novel, the strong writing, compelling tone, and immediacy of atmosphere all kept me turning the pages.

(Rounded from 3.5)

I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Titan Books, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

📖 Senseless by Ronald Malfi

⭐ 4.5/5

📖 Quick Summary:
Detective Bill Renney investigates a string of brutal Los Angeles murders where victims are gruesomely robbed of their senses. Meanwhile, Maureen Park struggles with unsettling suspicions about her fiancé’s son, and Toby Kampen’s obsession with a mysterious woman sends him spiraling toward darkness. Their stories intertwine into a chilling narrative of paranoia and violence.

💭 What I Liked:
Atmospheric Horror: Malfi creates an intense, gritty atmosphere that's consistently dark and gripping.
Complex Characters: Renney is deeply flawed, genuinely human, and thoroughly relatable. You really root for him, even at his lowest points.
Unrelenting Tension: The suspense builds steadily, keeping you locked into the story with each new chilling discovery.
Sharp, Engaging Writing: Malfi’s prose is crisp and unsettling, perfectly matched to the psychological tension throughout.

🤔 Just a Quick Note:
The story intentionally keeps readers guessing about reality versus delusion, which can feel disorienting. It's absolutely part of the charm, but something to keep in mind if you're expecting a straightforward detective thriller.

📖 If You Liked...:
"Bone White" by Ronald Malfi (another chilling thriller with gritty realism and psychological depth)
"The Ritual" by Adam Nevill (similar eerie tension and unsettling atmosphere, deeply psychological)
"No One Gets Out Alive" by Adam Nevill (dark, relentless horror blending psychological torment with terrifying realism)

💬 Final Thoughts:
Malfi absolutely delivers with Senseless. It’s dark, disturbing, and impossible to put down. If you like your horror intense, character-driven, and psychologically gripping, don't miss this one.

Senseless by Ronald Malfi is a psychological thriller that dives deep into the dark side of human nature, focusing on a chilling tale of a man who wakes up to find himself in a nightmarish situation, unable to understand how he got there or why. The premise is intriguing, and Malfi does a solid job building a tense and unsettling atmosphere that keeps readers on edge throughout.

However, while the suspense is palpable, the pacing sometimes falters. There are moments where the plot feels repetitive, and the buildup to the climax takes a bit too long to pay off. Additionally, while the central mystery is captivating, some of the character development feels lacking, and the motivations behind certain actions aren’t always clear, making it harder to connect with the protagonist on an emotional level.

Despite these flaws, Senseless is a gripping read for fans of psychological thrillers, offering a chilling look at fear and survival. It may not be a perfect execution, but it does succeed in creating a tense, suspense-filled atmosphere.

This is my second book by Malfi and he is slowly becoming one of my new favourite authors.
This book made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable, which is a sign of a good horror book for me.
Read like a flawless literary jigsaw puzzle and just when you think you’ve figured it out, a secret piece is pulled from the shadows.
Malfi is an exceptional storyteller with immaculate writing.

Ronald Malfi's works are always unsettling, and this piece is no different. I found myself drawn into the plot and incredibly engaged, thinking about this story long after finishing.