“From the bestselling author of Come with Me, five collected novellas from the master of terror, featuring possession, parasites and something monstrous lurking outside…“

COME CLOSER…

Five terrifying collected horror novellas newly reissued from the “modern-day Algernon Blackwood”.

Skullbelly

A private detective is hired after three teenagers disappear in a forest and uncovers a terrible local secret.

The Separation

Marcus arrives in Germany to find his friend up-and-coming prizefighter Charlie in a deep depression. But soon Charlie’s behavior grows increasingly bizarre. Is he suffering from a nervous breakdown, or are otherworldly forces at work?

The Stranger

Set a rural Florida parking lot, David returns to his car to find a stranger sat behind the wheel. The doors are locked and there’s a gun on the dashboard. And that was when then the insanity started…

After the Fade

A girl walked into a small Annapolis tavern, collapsed and died. Something had latched itself to the base of her skull. And it didn’t arrive alone.

Now, the patrons of The Fulcrum are trapped, held prisoner within the tavern’s walls by monstrous things, trying to find their way in.

Fierce

A teenage girl and her mom are in a car accident with another vehicle on a remote country road in the middle of a nightmarish snowstorm, which soon devolves into gruesome madness.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of They Lurk by Ronald Malfi. They Lurk was published by Titan Books on 18th July 2023 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of They Lurk but that has in no way influenced my review.

Regular visitors to the blog may have noticed that I have become quite a big fan of Ronald Malfi’s work over the last few years. It started with the incredible Come With Me and was followed by the divine Black Mouth. I then read Malfi’s first brilliant collection of novellas with Titan Books, Ghostwritten. After that I took matters into my own hands and hunted down a copy of Bone White (which incidentally is being republished in early 2024 and is well worth getting hold of!) and that leads us to here and to They Lurk. They Lurk is Malfi’s second collection of novellas with Titan Books and features five expertly written, standalone horror stories. Of these, four have been published elsewhere before with one new addition which is the fifth and final story, Fierce.

I do enjoy a collection of novellas or short stories. I know they’re not for everyone, we all have our opinions on these things but I think the novella or short story poses a challenge to the author. With a full length novel there’s time to expand on ideas, develop characters and imbue a sense of place in the story. With a novella or short story, it sometimes feels as though it’s over before it’s even begun! But Malfi, with his collection of five novellas, delivers everything the reader is looking for and more. You get character development, fully fleshed out plot arcs, a great sense of place and a well-planned, beautifully immersive storyline.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping, unnerving collection of stories from a favourite author and master storyteller. The five stories are all very unique and seamlessly blend several different horror sub-genres in one collection. It’s a mighty compilation which showcases the author’s skill and I loved it! My favourite story was After the Fade, closely followed by Fierce. In After the Fade in particular, I felt I had read a full length novel. All five tales stand tall though – there isn’t a dud amongst them (of course there isn’t, Malfi wrote them!). They Lurk is a highly immersive, very readable collection of horror fiction that all fans of the genre will enjoy. I would also recommend this book to readers who are looking to try horror fiction for the first time. It gives you a taste of what the best horror writers can create but in a condensed, somewhat less intimidating format. I remain a huge fan of Malfi’s work and I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for us next. Whether that’s a full length novel or another collection of novellas, you can guarantee I’ll be first in line. Recommended.

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

They Lurk by Ronald Malfi was published in the UK by Titan Books on 18th July 2023 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Ronald Malfi is the award-winning author of several horror novels, mysteries, and thrillers, including the bestselling horror novel Come with Me. He is the recipient of two Independent Publisher Book Awards, the Beverly Hills Book Award, the Vincent Preis Horror Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, and his novel Floating Staircase was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Maryland and tweets at @RonaldMalfi