I love this. This is horror. It’s fantastic.

I tried not to get my hopes up seeing that it is a Bram Stoker finalist - but I get it. It’s a very solid horror story. It’s a slow burn toward the real horror, but it’s suspenseful for almost the entire book which is a huge plus.

I received an audio version from NetGalley so I can’t speak to any other version, but the way the chapters are divided up are slightly weird to me. There seems to be chapters with chapters almost….the narrator would randomly say numbers during the chapter - sometimes in the middle of a sentence - and I didn’t love that aspect of it.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this one!

A thoroughly enjoyable creep fest four friends return to their childhood homes and confront a fiend from their past. Good characters well plotted.
I received this audiobook from Tantor audio and Netgalley for a review.

The framework of this book is basically the same as IT by Stephen King- childhood friends called home to work together to defeat an evil that they faced in their youth.

In fact, this book seems like a mashup of a lot of King novels and inspiration from other horror works.

It’s about 4 adults attempting to intervene against an evil man (or monster) who claims to be able to do magic and convinces kids to kill other kids in order to become able to do magic too…

Despite being on the slow side for the majority of this book, I enjoyed the sinister quality it has and thought the characters were unique and interesting despite a lot of overlap with other previous stories I have read.

The audio was well done and I thought the narrator did a great job portraying the book.

3.5 ⭐️
A group of friends who as kids meet a creepy man called the Magician are drawn into a sinister darkness of black magic & supernatural.👻
They barely escape with their lives but this darkness follows them for decades. ♠️♥️♣️♦️
They are bound by their shared experience but also avoided each other to avoid their trauma. 🎠

As adults, they reunite &attempt to shake off the demons & confront the evil magician.🐰

This was a great atmospheric read. It gave me Stephen king vibes🤡 I liked the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Release Date scheduled for July 26, 2022.✨

Thank you to the author, publisher, narrator and Net Galley for providing a free advanced listen copy of this title in exchange for my review.

I think I've read all of Malfi's books now, and was very excited to see this on the upcoming list, and even more excited to be awarded this audio version. I think this is my first time listening to a Malfi book and I have to say - it was even more creepy! The reviews all comment on this book being like Stephen King's IT, and I get those vibes for sure, but I got a lot more of Dreamcatcher from this book, and Malfi is a lot grittier than King tends to be. When I see Malfi, I expect horror - maybe some gross bits, maybe some gore, certainly some jump scares. But while it's all the horror goodness ? you also have the kindness and character development to pull you in and then scare the socks off of you. Narration was very well done, again, it felt like the voice fit the characters, the time, the locations. Very good choice.

This story revolves around a group of childhood friends who are all the misfit types and their experiences with the Magic Man - and it stated feeling downright creepy to me from the first mention. I didn't know where it would go, but I knew it would be creepy! The development of the characters as adults was a bit expected, but still unique in their own ways. The flow felt right. And Dennis - poor, sweet Dennis. I'm sure the way his character is written will upset some, and it was a bit hard to hear, but I also really felt like it fit the rest of the story. And he was very essential for the story (I thought of "Duddits" from Dreamcatcher, though Dennis has a larger part to the story.

And the ending - I was not expecting that! It was so sad!!

I started and finished this within 36-48 hours. I couldn't stop - had to see what would happen next. So I'm going to go ahead and give it the 5 star rating I don't often hand out!

If you’re a Stephen King fan than you will love this book!

In the beginning I did have a hard time keeping up with the characters but once everyone comes together, it makes sense.

Thank you Netgalley & Tantor Audio for this ARC. I will be looking up more from this author.

I really enjoyed this creepy, atmosphere read. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. This is my second book by this author and it just keeps getting better and better. Childhood, outcast friends return home to Black Mouth, a town filled with terrible memories to confront the evil that still haunts them. It gave me Stephen King It vibes. What could be better than that?

Black Mouth is available July 26,2022

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ronald Malfi is a 'must-read' author for me. I was so pleased to be approved for an e-ARC of his newest book, Black Mouth. I really enjoyed this story and thought the pacing and storyline was unique. I felt the same unease that our main character feels throughout and the book definitely had me checking behind me for the magician. This is a must read for any horror fan. I pre-ordered a physical copy because I loved it that much

Thank you NetGally for the ARC and opertunity to review this masterpiece!

This was such an atmospheric buffet of the magic that is Malfi's writing. The story follows 4 childhood friends in dual time lines, 1998 when they are teenagers, and present day. We spend time witnessing their time with a creepy magician in the woods as the children are engrossed learning card tricks and follow as they are enticed to learn real magic if they are just willing to go where they are asked to with no questions. The results of these escalating encounters with the magician are a catalyst for an event that rocks their haunting mountain town. As adults they come back together when stories of a mysterious man in the woods resurface and they are determined to find him.

This is my second Malfi book and I'm offically going on record that I will auto-buy anything he publishes going forward. I hear him compared to Stephen King and Joe Hill often and while I agree there are similar elements to the experience of reading Malfi's works his style is uniquely his. I throughly enjoy the time Malfi spends weaving the story in front of us. It's so haunting and the esthetic is misty and ethereal with the sensation that you saw something out of the corner of you eye and you really aren't comfortable walking with your back exposed. His characters are realistic and relatable which makes it easy to place yourself in the story. I love horror stories where you're unnerved and anticipating vs blood guts and gore and Malfi is a master at this type of horror. Needless to say I highly recommend this book in all formats!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review this book.
This was a decent listen. I usually like Malfi’s books. There were definitely some similarities or reminders to certain Stephen King books.
It wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy it.

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Black Mouth” is an area on the outskirts of Sutton's Quay, West Virginia, where twenty years ago Jamie Warren, his friends, Mia and Clay, and his disabled brother, Dennis, faced an evil that has followed them all into adulthood. Jamie, still tormented by the demons he carries from childhood, has found an escape as an alcoholic. He has left behind everything in Black Mouth, including his mother and brother. Then he gets the call: his mother is dead and Dennis was found walking up a highway in an awful state. With that, Jamie is compelled to return to the farmhouse he grew up in, still haunted by past events.

However, Jamie isn’t the only one being drawn back to Black Mouth. Clay is pulled in by a legal case involving a child which sounds much too familiar. Clay chases down the story, only to realize that a strange man that haunts his nightmares might not be quite done with the children of Black Mouth. Clay can’t face this danger on his own, so he calls upon Mia and Jamie, pulling them back into the fray. Memories come flooding back for the trio, memories of a stranger, a magician, who may just be a monster who lures in children for his own malevolent purpose. With each of them bringing a different strength to the table, they begin the hunt for the truth, both in the present and the past. They’re joined by Dennis, who seems to sense and know more than his disability belies. Will they solve the mystery and vanquish the monster? The only problem is, they have now become the hunted.

I absolutely loved this book. I was immediately drawn in and didn’t want to walk away. I listened to my audiobook copy every free moment I had, tearing through the book in two days. The author’s writing style is easy, his characters believable, and his scenery flushed out beautifully. Each character is well-rounded, believable, and engaging. The storyline pulls you in immediately and keeps you hooked through the very end.

Others have compared this book to Stephen King, of whose work I am most certainly a Constant Reader, but I think that comparison does this book a bit of a disservice. Yes, this story involves adults returning to a town to face down a childhood evil, but that’s where the general similarity ends. This book stands on its own with a strong, interesting, original plot and excellent writing. Yes, if you are a Stephen King fan, you’re going to like this book, but only because it is a fantastic horror novel.

As noted above, my copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must comment on the narrator. I think the narrator did an amazing job. He pulled me into the story with good pacing and excellent voicing of the characters, including the female characters. Frankly, when I think back on it, the female characters, as well as the males, were so well done that their individual voices don’t really stand out for me. The characters just came to life and flowed well within in the storyline, keeping me engrossed.

Overall, this book was hands-down a five-star read for me. I highly recommend this book for horror and thriller fans, both adult and young adult. It was original and captivating. The author did such a good job that I’ll be going through his back catalogue to read more works by him. I’ll also be picking up a written copy of this book when it is published. I recommend that you do the same, as I’m certain you won’t be disappointed!

Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi brings about instant comparisons to Stephen King. The story of kids who find themselves involved in something sinister and possible supernatural barely escape with their lives only to have to face that again when they are adults. The are bound by their shared experience but also avoided each other to avoid their shared trauma. And someone has to come home. I found myself making those comparisons. I am a constant reader. I realize that I’m not being fair. When I compare this to King I only see what he did better and that is not what I should be doing.

So, I waited few days to see how much the story stayed with me. It did. In it’s own way. I could picture the Magician and the tricks he taught. And the tricks he pulled. And, on it’s own, this story worked,. The characters were fairly well developed, though I would have liked to see more. Again I go to King. There are reasons his books are so long and yet so popular. You know those characters by the time you are through. I don’t know these characters that well and some stuff just seemed to get thrown in when the time seemed right.

So, maybe I can’t complete separate this work. I think it stands on its own. It was good. It had the small town creepy. It had the woods. It had the carnival. It had children out in the world on their own. It had a lot of things going for it. Just don’t place the works of others in comparison.

In the audio version I had trouble with the narrator. The voices in my head (yeah, that’s how I read) did not match up well with his take on the material. I found myself definitely preferring my own and finishing the book that way.

Black Mouth
Ronald Malfi
Genre: Horror
Grade: A- / 91% / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Out today!!

Ronald Malfi has been on my radar for some time. When I saw his newest novel Black Mouth available on NetGalley, I decided to request it, with little intention of reading it immediately. After completing a book that left me wanting, I randomly decided to sample the first few pages of this novel late one night. An hour and 15% later, I knew I was in for something good.

Black Mouth is familiar in its basic premise: a group of adults that were friends as children return to their hometown where, when they were young, a great evil changed their lives forever. The book is being compared to It by Stephen King, and while you may be quick to make that assumption, I think this book differs greatly thematically. These characters are struggling with guilt, trauma, identity, and belonging. Each of them carries the weight of their past in different ways; none of them quite able to shake it. Our four main characters were exceptionally crafted, each with motivations both obvious and subconscious, individual character arcs that are fully fleshed out, and satisfying. Even the villains of this story have great backstories, which I was pleasantly surprised by.

The prose of this book is really what grabbed my attention. Malfi is a master craftsman when it comes to weaving a story that is equal parts digestible and hearty. The themes are well-executed, and his words flow from the page like music. I was thrilled, I was moved, I was entertained, what else is there to say?

My only complaint is that the final confrontation of this story could have stuck the landing a little bit more, in my opinion. There is a lot of buildup in this novel, but the actual climax of the story seemed to rush by. There is also a somewhat ambiguous nature to some aspects of the plot, and I craved more definition in these moments. That being said, I greatly enjoyed my time with this novel, and cannot wait to pick up another book by this author soon!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ronald Malfi for providing me with a complimentary audiobook ARC for Black Mouth, coming out July 26, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was my first time listening to a book by Ronald Malfi. I’m definitely into horror novels, so I thought it would be good to check out Black Mouth as I’ve heard some things about it.

Jamie Warren has spent the last 20 years running from darkness. He has ptsd from a traumatic childhood and the guilt at having left his disabled brother. But then he happens to be reunited with his estranged brother and their friends from childhood. It seems as if fate or something more sinister has drawn them back together.

Overall, it was an interesting story. I enjoyed it was about the relationship between brothers. It gave me some Stand by Me or IT vibes. I just think I was expecting something creepier and spookier. There were definitely parts that were dark, but it wasn’t really that scary. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting. It was pretty sad.

I would recommend this to people who enjoy slow burn horror stories about ordinary people

I mostly enjoyed this book. There definitely was a nod to Stephen King's IT and the author painted the characters, scenes, and experiences in vivid detail. One thing I picked up on was that everything and everyone was "sweaty". I'm not sure if that was intentional to add to the grimy feel of the entire story, but I found myself almost fixating on every mention, since they were so frequent. I would read more of this author's work.

This was my first time reading a Ronald Malfi book and the concept of this was really interesting to me. I do love stories about adults having to face off against the monsters from their youth, but unfortunately this book didn't really grab me. There were some moments that were kind of creepy, but I feel like it didn't really add anything new to the genre.

Jamie Warren left Sutton's Quay, West Virginia, as soon as he was old enough, unfortunately leaving his disabled brother, Dennis, behind. Jamie was running from a lot of things, but no matter where he goes or how much time passes, the memories of his traumatic childhood continue to haunt him.

When he receives a call that his Mother has passed, he has mixed feelings. In spite of Jamie's complicated relationship with his Mom, he knows he has to go back. The property will need to be dealt with. Dennis can't do it himself, so Black Mouth here he comes.

Upon returning to the family farmhouse, Jamie is shocked by the state of it. He can't believe that his brother and mother had been living in these conditions. Additionally, his brother has been picked up by the police. Dennis had been walking along the highway, clearly distressed. Sadly, that's how they're reunited.

While all this is happening, states away, Jamie's best friends from childhood, Mia and Clay, are also experiencing things that are drawing their attention back to Black Mouth; the name of the area on the outskirts of Sutton's Quay where they all grew up.

The trio are pulled back into each other's lives like moths to a flame, and like many close friends, once they're back together it's like no time has passed at all. Together with Dennis, the three begin to investigate a mysterious man who had a huge impact on their lives all those years ago; a man who lived in the woods and showed them magical and disturbing things.

Through past and present perspectives, the Reader is drawn into an exceptionally twisted story with horrors great and small. Everything about this was mesmerizing to me. The writing is lush, the imagery is distinct and the atmosphere is intense. Black Mouth took me for a ride and ultimately left me with tears in my eyes, wondering how long it would be before I read it again. It's that good.

I'm so glad I preordered a copy of this because I need it gracing my shelves. The story is incredibly detailed and I'm sure there are little things that I missed as I rushed towards the conclusion. It will be an absolute joy to revisit. There are so many aspects that I loved about this book, but first and foremost would be the phenomenal quality of the storytelling. It's delicious.

As a King Constant Reader, I couldn't help but notice things that reminded me of some of my favorite King works. I don't know anything about Ronald Malfi, but just for me, I liked having all these little reminders of King's work. I honestly don't know if any of it was intentional, like if it was a doffing of the cap, but I sort of hope it was. All the elements brought together was magic for my mind.

Without saying too much, it was in the details, like Dennis reminding me of Duddits, Mia's name, the carnival vibe, a group of outcast kids fighting evil, even some of the supernatural aspects reminding me of the Bill Hodges trilogy.

Please note, I am not saying this in a negative way. I hope I am explaining myself appropriately. I don't intend any shade toward Malfi by making these comparisons. I was beyond impressed by Come with Me, my favorite book of 2021, and over the moon excited about this one. I highly, highly, highly recommend this story for fans of coming of age horror novels. This is absolutely exceptional.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Titan Books and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This could potentially end up as my favorite book of 2022. It's certainly in the lead for now!

*A big thank-you to Roland Malfi, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
Disturbing, terryfing and captivating. The latest offering by Mr Malfi bears all the hallmarks of his grand story-telling and unravelling the secrets hidden deep.
A group of friends who as children meet a man called the Magician are drawn into darkness that will follow them for decades. As adults, they are ready to shake off the demons and confront the pure evil.
Mr Hempel does a splendid job as a narrator.

"A group of friends return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they first stumbled on as teenagers in this mesmerizing odyssey of terror."

"Do you want to see a magic trick?" When young Jamie, Clay, and Mia meet the Magician he lures them in with magic tricks and a promise of becoming his apprentices that will see true magic at "the well". Jamie eventually pulls his disabled brother, Dennis, into the Magicians "teachings". As outcasts in Black Mouth they are all eager to participate. But they soon realize that the Magician is asking more of them than just learning magic tricks, he wants them to do evil things in order to get to the well. And they do.
Years later a series of events brings them all back to Black Mouth to confront the demons of their youth. Was the magician real? Was he a child predator? Did the evil lie with the magician or within themselves? What is happening with Dennis?
This book is so immersive you will feel like you're running along side the group as children to meet the magician and later struggling beside them to understand what exactly happened. I was totally engrossed in this story, wanting to find out what happened and at the same time scared to know. Ronald Malfi has a way of writing his characters that make you feel like they were your friends from childhood, becoming so invested that you don't want to say goodbye when the book ends. I absolutely loved this book, it somehow felt wholesome and completely terrifying at the same time. In the end it was Ronald Malfi who showed the reader a magic trick in this well crafted story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the audiobook. Release Date scheduled for July 26, 2022.

My first Ronald Malfi book and I was not disappointed! We are whisked into a world of a mysterious magician luring children into the woods and teaching them magic tricks. But as always there is so much more to it.

With stellar thriller vibes and rich vibrant characters we are treated to a fabulous storyline with creepy moments, carnival rides and mysterious murders. I really liked the dual timelines as it gave so much clarity and really flowed well in telling the story past and present. The suspense kept building and the ending is more than satisfactory with a little tear shed too.

I loved this book and Ronald is now one of my favourite thriller authors.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.