I've wanted to read Marla since its limited edition was published in 2022. Unfortunately at the time I was unable to get in on the limited release. Fast forward to 2026 and Marla is being published by Blackstone Publishing, and in development for television (read the full article here). As I was reading, I was thinking it would be great on the screen. This is exciting news!
I'm a big fan of Janz's work and Marla has joined the ranks. Creepy and atmospheric, it's easy to feel the fear the town of King's Branch is experiencing. The deaths are piling up and all of the victims show signs of dying from terror. One cop suspects Marla, but how can a recluse be at all these places, let alone have the strength needed, as evidenced by at least a few of the deaths? There is a good mystery entwined with the horror. What is the motivation and who is behind it all?
Don't get too attached to anyone...there is no holding back on who dies, which is hard because Janz has a talent for endearing us to the characters.
Whether Marla is at the bottom of it or not (I'm not telling), she certainly is a creepy character. Staring out the window with a horrific leer that I found myself comparing to the "creatures" in the FROM series, or those unhinged smiles in the SMILE films. Oh, and there's gore, especially closer to the end. The final instance is quite shocking and oddly satisfying.
This was definitely a page turner. It will fill you with dread, and you just might see Marla in your nightmares.
My reviews of Janz's other works:
Children of the Dark 2: The Night FlyersWolf Land
Every small town has ghosts. King’s Branch has Marla.
A reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a creepy Gothic house, Marla Gorman is the stuff of urban legends. Some believe she’s a prisoner. Others claim she’s a witch.
The evening of the first murder, Detective Carl Lancaster sees Marla leering at him from her bedroom window. He sees her again at the exact moment a second man is killed. And though Marla was nowhere near either murder site, Carl is convinced she’s connected to the crimes.
To Carl, Marla is a menace. To social worker Annie Frost, Marla bears a bizarre connection to her past. To Dylan Ellison, a struggling college student, Marla might be the companion for whom he’s been longing.
But none of them understands Marla’s true nature. She’s about to plunge them—and everyone in King’s Branch—into an unspeakable nightmare. And teach them the true meaning of terror.
About the book
From beloved horror author Jonathan Janz, Marla is a slow-burn, full-throttle horror novel about the families we inherit, the guilt we carry, and the terrible gravity of a gaze you can’t forget. Turn the page—if you dare.Every small town has ghosts. King’s Branch has Marla.
A reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a creepy Gothic house, Marla Gorman is the stuff of urban legends. Some believe she’s a prisoner. Others claim she’s a witch.
The evening of the first murder, Detective Carl Lancaster sees Marla leering at him from her bedroom window. He sees her again at the exact moment a second man is killed. And though Marla was nowhere near either murder site, Carl is convinced she’s connected to the crimes.
To Carl, Marla is a menace. To social worker Annie Frost, Marla bears a bizarre connection to her past. To Dylan Ellison, a struggling college student, Marla might be the companion for whom he’s been longing.
But none of them understands Marla’s true nature. She’s about to plunge them—and everyone in King’s Branch—into an unspeakable nightmare. And teach them the true meaning of terror.
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