Small Town Horror

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. (June)