Description

Five childhood friends are forced to confront their own dark past as well as the curse placed upon them in this horror masterpiece from the bestselling author of Come with Me

Maybe this is a ghost story…

Andrew Larimer has left his past behind. Rising up the ranks in a New York law firm, and with a heavily pregnant wife, he is settling into a new life far from Kingsport, the town in which he grew up. But when he receives a late-night phone call from an old friend, he has no choice but to return home.

Coming home means returning to his late father’s house, which has seen better days. It means lying to his wife. But it also means reuniting with his friends: Eric, now the town’s deputy sheriff; Dale, a real-estate mogul living in the shadow of a failed career; his childhood sweetheart Tig who never could escape town; and poor Meach, whose ravings about a curse upon the group have driven him to drugs and alcohol.

Together, the five friends will have to confront the memories-and the horror-of a night, years ago, that changed everything for them.

Because Andrew and his friends have a secret. A thing they have kept to themselves for twenty years. Something no one else should know. But the past is not dead, and Kingsport is a town with secrets of its own.

One dark secret…

One small-town horror…

Publisher Review

Praise for Ghostwritten: "It's no coincidence that there are four chambers to the human heart and Ronald Malfi's 'Ghostwritten', both bound by muscle and full of blood, but once this quartet of nightmarish novellas gets pumping, your own ticker is sure to stop." Clay McLeod Chapman, author of 'Whisper Down the Lane' "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight." Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "A terrific horror novelist and his edge is just as sharp at novella length fiction also... beautifully crafted and a pleasure to read" Ginger Nuts of Horror "Malfi makes horror feel viscerally real by showing it to us through the eyes of his vividly described characters-if they are frightened, apprehensive, or just confused, so are we." Booklist Praise for Black Mouth: "Stunningly good, with echoes of King, Bradbury, Straub, and McCammon, but somehow purely Malfi. Full of malevolence and dread, and peopled by truly compelling characters, the book locks in Malfi's place as one of the best writers in the genre." Christopher Golden, 'New York Times' bestselling author of 'Road of BONES' and 'Ararat' "'Black Mouth' is good magic about dark magic: a powerful meeting between adulthood and childhood, the people we pretend to be and the people we have to be. Smart, character-driven horror." Andrew Pyper, author of 'The Residence' and 'The Demonologist' "Malfi has established himself as one of the all-time great horror writers, and 'Black Mouth' shows him working at the peak of his dark powers. Equally terrifying and heartbreaking, 'Black Mouth' is a book filled with terror, ghosts, and murder, but also hauntings of the heart, and the soul. Riveting, bloody, and cosmic, this novel will tear you apart in all the best ways." Philip Fracassi, author of 'Beneath a Pale Sky' "Malfi, like Stephen King and Stephen Graham Jones, tells horror stories that are anchored in the real world. His characters, like theirs, are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. He earns his screams and shudders honestly, through good writing and careful plotting: there are no B-movie jump scares here, just an increasing sense of dread that erupts into blood-chilling horror. Don't miss this one." 'Booklist' "The well-done cosmic horror and mix of mundane and magical scares make this a standout." 'Publishers Weekly' "From one of horror's best storytellers... If you're looking for a good, unsettling, smart and well-written horror novel, 'Black Mouth' should certainly be on your short list. This is doubly true if you enjoyed Stephen King's 'IT'." 'Eggplante' "Expertly crafted and thoroughly engrossing, Black Mouth is a sure-fire contender for the book of 2022." Bloody Flicks Praise for Come with Me: Malfi is a modern-day Algernon Blackwood... I'm gonna be talking about this book for years JOSH MALERMAN, author of Bird Box This is what it is to be transported: you might think you're on solid ground, but Come with Me is a story that will carry you, inescapably, into the uncanny, the horrific. Andrew Pyper, author of The Residence Part mystery, part ghost story, Come with Me chimes with rare beauty and page-turning brilliance. I surrendered to it completely. Rio Youers, author of Lola on Fire A must-read for fans of Stephen King. Come with Me is so damn good, truly chilling and suspenseful, yet also hauntingly nuanced Christopher Golden, author of Ararat Come with Me is Malfi's masterwork - a haunting, heart-breaking novel about grief and secrets. Utterly engrossing and terrifying. Highly recommended! Brian Keene, author of The Rising Shines as both a nightmare journey of shadows and secrets, and a poignant testimony to love and loss. I read it in a single day because I had no other choice: it's that damn good. Richard Chizmar, author of Gwendy's Button Box Malfi impresses in this taut, supernaturally tinged mystery... and sticks the landing with a powerful denouement. There's plenty here to enjoy. Publishers Weekly Malfi artfully fits the reader's head in a noose and s-l-o-w-l-y begins to take out the slack. Take a deep breath. You'll need the oxygen The Day