by Ronald Malfi
First published 2023
Three teenagers vanish without a trace in dense woodland. A private detective takes the case and discovers the locals harbor a dark secret they will kill to protect. In Germany, Marcus finds his prizefighter friend Charlie sinking into depression that transforms into something far stranger and more dangerous. David walks to his car in a Florida parking lot and finds a stranger sitting behind the wheel, doors locked, gun on the dashboard. A young woman stumbles into an Annapolis tavern, collapses, and dies with something latched to her skull. The patrons realize they are trapped inside as monstrous creatures try to break in. Ronald Malfi delivers five novellas that drag ordinary people into situations where the familiar world cracks open to reveal the predatory forces that wait beneath.
Genres: suspense, mystery, horror, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: supernatural-elements, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Germany, Florida, Annapolis
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Paperback · Titan Books
Content warnings: gore, violence