My thoughts
As I've grown older, I've come to really appreciate the beauty of a horror novel that is creepy yet not so "in your face" with the scary. Little Girls delivers in that respect. Right off the bat, we are treated to a gothic premise, complete with the Lurch-esque man waiting on the porch when Laurie Genarro arrives at her childhood home. Her estranged father recently committed suicide there and Laurie is confronted with dealing with his estate and the memories of a childhood without a father (for the most part).
As I said, the creep factor starts off almost immediately when Laurie is alone in the house and hears footsteps when she knows she is the only one there. Later, we learn that something bad happened in the past in the old greenhouse on the property (I saw something nasty in the greenhouse. lol). And there's a creepy little girl running around and befriending her daughter who largely resembles a girl who died tragically when Laurie was a girl. Yes, creepy.
This is my first read of a Ronald Malfi book and I can clearly see why he has been previously nominated for a Bram Stoker award. He clearly has a talent for the subtle scary that I appreciate in a horror novel. Not to mention a true talent for prose. There is no cheesiness in his writing whatsoever. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good Gothic horror ghost story.
About the book
File Size: 1769 KB
Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Kensington (June 30, 2015)
Publication Date: June 30, 2015
From Bram Stoker Award nominee Ronald Malfi comes a brilliantly chilling novel of childhood revisited, memories resurrected, and fears reborn…
When Laurie was a little girl, she was forbidden to enter the room at the top of the stairs. It was one of many rules imposed by her cold, distant father. Now, in a final act of desperation, her father has exorcised his demons. But when Laurie returns to claim the estate with her husband and ten-year-old daughter, it’s as if the past refuses to die. She feels it lurking in the broken moldings, sees it staring from an empty picture frame, and hears it laughing in the moldy greenhouse deep in the woods…
At first, Laurie thinks she’s imagining things. But when she meets her daughter’s new playmate, Abigail, she can’t help but notice her uncanny resemblance to another little girl who used to live next door. Who died next door. With each passing day, Laurie’s uneasiness grows stronger, her thoughts more disturbing. Like her father, is she slowly losing her mind? Or is something truly unspeakable happening to those sweet little girls?
Praise for Ronald Malfi and his novels
“One cannot help but think of writers like Peter Straub and Stephen King.”
—FearNet
"Malfi is a skillful storyteller."—New York Journal of Books
"A complex and chilling tale….terrifying."—Robert McCammon
"Malfi’s lyrical prose creates an atmosphere of eerie claustrophobia…haunting."—Publishers Weekly
"A thrilling, edge-of-your-seat ride that should not be missed."—Suspense Magazine
Links to Purchase
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
From Bram Stoker Award nominee Ronald Malfi comes a brilliantly chilling novel of childhood revisited, memories resurrected, and fears reborn…
When Laurie was a little girl, she was forbidden to enter the room at the top of the stairs. It was one of many rules imposed by her cold, distant father. Now, in a final act of desperation, her father has exorcised his demons. But when Laurie returns to claim the estate with her husband and ten-year-old daughter, it’s as if the past refuses to die. She feels it lurking in the broken moldings, sees it staring from an empty picture frame, and hears it laughing in the moldy greenhouse deep in the woods…
At first, Laurie thinks she’s imagining things. But when she meets her daughter’s new playmate, Abigail, she can’t help but notice her uncanny resemblance to another little girl who used to live next door. Who died next door. With each passing day, Laurie’s uneasiness grows stronger, her thoughts more disturbing. Like her father, is she slowly losing her mind? Or is something truly unspeakable happening to those sweet little girls?
Praise for Ronald Malfi and his novels
“One cannot help but think of writers like Peter Straub and Stephen King.”
—FearNet
"Malfi is a skillful storyteller."—New York Journal of Books
"A complex and chilling tale….terrifying."—Robert McCammon
"Malfi’s lyrical prose creates an atmosphere of eerie claustrophobia…haunting."—Publishers Weekly
"A thrilling, edge-of-your-seat ride that should not be missed."—Suspense Magazine
Links to Purchase
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Or pick up or ask to order at your local independent bookstore or anywhere e-formats are sold!
About the author
Ronald Malfi is an award-winning author of many novels and novellas in the horror, mystery, and thriller categories from various publishers, including Little Girls, this summer’s 2015 release from Kensington.
In 2009, his crime drama, Shamrock Alley, won a Silver IPPY Award. In 2011, his ghost story/mystery novel, Floating Staircase, was a finalist for the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award for best novel, a Gold IPPY Award for best horror novel, and the Vincent Preis International Horror Award. His novel Cradle Lake garnered him the Benjamin Franklin Independent Book Award (silver) in 2014. December Park, his epic childhood story, won the Beverly Hills International Book Award for suspense in 2015.
Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, and eventually relocated to the Chesapeake Bay area, where he currently resides with his wife and two children.
Visit with Ronald Malfi on Facebook, Twitter (@RonaldMalfi), or at www.ronmalfi.com.
Giveaway
Sign up to win one of two paperback copies of Little Girls by Ronald Malfi by clicking the link to the Rafflecopter below. Be sure to follow the specifics you can do each day to gain more entries.
In 2009, his crime drama, Shamrock Alley, won a Silver IPPY Award. In 2011, his ghost story/mystery novel, Floating Staircase, was a finalist for the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award for best novel, a Gold IPPY Award for best horror novel, and the Vincent Preis International Horror Award. His novel Cradle Lake garnered him the Benjamin Franklin Independent Book Award (silver) in 2014. December Park, his epic childhood story, won the Beverly Hills International Book Award for suspense in 2015.
Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, and eventually relocated to the Chesapeake Bay area, where he currently resides with his wife and two children.
Visit with Ronald Malfi on Facebook, Twitter (@RonaldMalfi), or at www.ronmalfi.com.
Giveaway
Sign up to win one of two paperback copies of Little Girls by Ronald Malfi by clicking the link to the Rafflecopter below. Be sure to follow the specifics you can do each day to gain more entries.
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