The best thing about the horror genre is how much freedom it allows its creators, be they authors, game developers, screenplay writers or something else. One book, for example, can wildly from the next, which I don’t think is true of other genres, which are more rigid and formulaic.
One of my life’s goals, and one of the things that has kept me going through hard times, is wanting to read all of Stephen King’s books. I haven’t made as much progress as I would like, but it’s a work in progress. Another such goal, which has developed since, is to read all of Ronald Malfi’s books. There aren’t as many of those, and they’re hard to put down, so that’s a much more feasible accomplishment. Plus, I’ve now read two since just before Christmas.
The second, and latest, of my reads was Small Town Horror by, as you guessed, Ronald Malfi. It’s a novel that came out in the warmer months of 2024, but something I didn’t finish until now. I’ve gone through a lot of health problems and personal things over the last number of years, and this review didn’t get done back then. I’m righting that wrong now, and am sorry that it took me so long to do.
Months before Small Town Horror came out, Titan Books was nice enough to send me an Advanced Reader Copy. I was excited for it, started it almost immediately and then didn’t finish it because of personal health reasons. A couple of weeks ago, I picked it back up and started it anew. Now, at 1am on a Thursday morning, I’ve finished it and can share my thoughts.
Small Town Horror is the story of a very successful, thirty-five year-old, lawyer named Andrew Larimer. As his wife nears the end of her pregnancy, the two reside in an apartment in New York, and should be happy. However, something is nagging at Andrew, and is causing him to have nightmares about the safety of his unborn first child.
Near the beginning of this 400-ish page tale, Andrew is contacted by an old friend named Dale, whom he hasn’t seen since graduating high school. Dale tells Andrew that his wife has gone missing, and begs him to return to his hometown of Kingsport, Maryland, to act as Dale’s lawyer. Andrew does so, and becomes a part of something that threatens to bring secrets from his past into play. Dark secrets. You see, Andrew and his four closest friends were involved in something at the age of sixteen which has haunted them ever since. They’ve sworn each other to secrecy, though, and hope to take it to their graves. Unfortunately for them, it seems like something is lurking in the corners, pushing them to crack, and they believe that it’s been set forth by the town witch. At least, that’s what they called the strange old lady who lived in the decrepit cement house out in the middle of nowhere.
Part ghost story, and part tale about people dealing with their past, Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi is an interesting and engaging read. It’s more of a slower burn than some, but it really delivers, especially with its ending. It’s a book that I doubt I’ll forget any time soon.
Through this effort, the author has once again proven how talented of a writer (and storyteller) he is. He really is one of the best in the business, as the cover quote states. He’s managed to take a familiar type of story and make it his own, in a memorable way. Still, I must admit that this isn’t his best work; at least out of the ones I’ve read. It’s good, but it didn’t click with me as much as Come With Me or Black Mouth did. I really liked both of those books, though, and they set a high bar. Even though Small Town Horror isn’t at the same level, that doesn’t mean it’s not still quite good. Although it takes time to get going, it really packs a punch.
If you’re a fan of good horror, Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi is well worth buying or borrowing from your local library.
**This review is based on a copy of the book that we were provided with.**