Review of They Lurk by Ronald Malfi
A.E. Jackson Review Score: 4 / 5 Ravens
How was this review scored?
Any one of these novellas would have been right at home in the Crypt Keeper’s lineup of spooky tales, or featured as part of a Creepshow expansion. Netflix would do well to keep Ronald Malfi in mind for future releases…
As the back of the book cover states - these five terrifying collected horror novellas are newly reissued from the "modern-day Algernon Blackwood." The audiobook was voiced by one of my current favorite narrators Joe Hempel, and Amy McFadden - who is a new voice.
“Skullbelly” sees three teens disappear in a forest after a wild night of partying. The private detective hired to uncover the truth winds up discovering a terrible local secret.
Readers will be transported to what seems like an H.P. Lovecraft setting, but set among the logging hills of northern California and Oregon. Throughout the opening scenes, Malfi sets up lots of questions that will have readers wondering what’s really happening.
“The Separation” is hard for everyone involved. Doctor Marcus arrives in Germany to help is friend, and prizefighter, Charlie out of a deep depression. Soon Charlie's behavior grows bizarre, and those impacted wonder if there are otherworldly forces at work?
The entire story makes use of incredible ambiance and scene setting. The author’s word choice paints a beautiful picture reminiscent of an E.A. Hoffman classic uncanny tale. (* Don’t know that reference? You should!)
“The Stranger” is set in rural Florida, a parking lot to be exact. Car owner David returns to find a stranger sitting behind the wheel. All the doors are locked, and there's a gun on the dashboard. But that all seemed normal once the insanity started.
The juxtaposition between David’s new relationship and the uncomfortable horror he’s experiencing due to the Stranger’s presence are felt with wonderful insights through deep point of view and flashbacks. This is a slow-burn novella not to be missed.
“After the Fade” starts at the end. A girl enters a small Annapolis bar, collapses and dies. The creature latched to the base of her skull didn't come alone. As patrons of The Fulcrum become prisoners within the tavern's walls, the monstrous things outside try to find their way in.
The expert layering of an ‘end of world’ setting with an ‘end of relationship’ story is handled with wonderful craftsmanship. The main character’s reflection on life, death, and relationships gives depth to an otherwise fantastic high-tension apocalypse story.
The surprise novella tucked at the end of the collection is another winner - to be certain. In “Fierce” Connie and her mother face an unimaginable horror that pales in comparison to the madness awaiting them both.
It would be a disservice to the author and reader to expose any more of this rich tale that takes its time to unfold and develop. Suffice it to say, “Fierce” would be the second film in a Drive-In horror double feature that everyone is talking about on Monday!
The terror between pages mounts and madness threatens to overwhelm the reader as much as the main character Connie right up to the wild, insane ending. Malfi is gracious enough to provide those who stick it out with a full-circle catharsis moment that sticks with readers.
Ronald Malfi is an award-winning author of several horror novels, mysteries, and thrillers. He is the recipient of two Independent Publisher Book Awards, the Beverly Hills Book Award, the Vincent Preis Horror Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award for Popular Fiction, and he is a Bram Stoker Award nominee.
Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi’s dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, and eventually relocated to the Chesapeake Bay area, where he currently resides with his wife and two daughters.
Read more from Ronald Malfi at https://ronaldmalfi.com and find him on social media at Facebook, and Twitter(@ronaldmalfi).