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Small Town Horror

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
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 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 . . .
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 8, 2024
      Malfi (Black Mouth) refreshes a familiar horror trope—the surfacing of a long-hidden secret—with nuanced characterizations and a genuinely surprising reveal. Successful Manhattan attorney Andrew Larimer grows increasingly anxious about his wife Rebecca’s pregnancy as it progresses, and eventually comes to feel that a “dark wraith” has attached itself to their unborn child. Andrew works hard to conceal his stress, but his fears only solidify when he gets a late-night call from Dale Walls, a childhood friend, who insists Andrew return to his hometown of Kingsport, Md., to help Dale out of an undisclosed jam. Andrew lies to Rebecca about his destination, and, when he arrives in Kingsport, learns that Dale’s wife, Cynthia, has disappeared. Malfi doles out the details of the friends’ past gradually, illuminating a 20-year-old tragedy that they and several others, including the current deputy sheriff of Kingsport, were responsible for, and which involved a woman reputed to be the town witch. While some of the beats are predictable, Malfi impresses with his ability to maintain readers’ sympathy for Larimer despite the character’s past sins. Christopher Golden fans will be especially pleased.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from September 1, 2024

      Malfi (Black Mouth) delves into the true horrors lurking behind small-town facades and teenage cruelty gone horribly wrong. The story follows Manhattan lawyer Andrew Larimer, who is becoming increasingly unsettled over his wife's troubling pregnancy. Then, he is called back to his hometown of Kingsport, MD, when he learns that his friend Dale's wife has gone missing. Once in town, he meets up with the rest of his high school friends, a complicated reunion that brings up long-held secrets and events from the past that are not forgiven or forgotten. Andrew's worries over his wife are upsetting, but they pale in comparison with the secret that this motley group has carried for years. Narrator Joe Hempel's performance is utterly gripping, pulling listeners in from the beginning and ratcheting up the tension from there. Hempel's varied tones and inflections make it easy to get lost in the storytelling, even as the book shifts back and forth from the past to the present. The shocking ending may come as a surprise, so listeners may want to brace for impact. VERDICT A familiar genre trope makes for a great home-grown horror story. Fans of Josh Malerman and Paul Tremblay will love it.--Victoria Kiszka

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Returning to the scene of a nightmarish event that forever changed the course of five close friends' lives should be an experience brimming with tension and fear. But in this production, narrator Joe Hempel's lackluster approach detracts from the urgency at the core of the story. Hempel's slow-paced, straightforward approach to the characters, each of whom deserves more of an individual interpretation and perspective, leads to a rather monotonous listen. The lack of unique voices for the five protagonists is disappointing, especially given that each has their own harrowing memories of the fateful night so many years ago that shaped them into the flawed individuals they are today. L.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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