I enjoyed josh malerman's previous story collection Goblin and was very excited for the release of this story collection. I was expecting a collection of horror short stories but this was a bit more slow burn creepy stories that are a slice of life. A few of the stories reminded me of Ray Bradbury which I enjoyed particularly The Jupiter Drop which felt scifi while still having a creepy extraterrestrial vs madness vibe.

A collection of short stories from Malerman which had a creepy vibe to them as opposed to horror. Not to give away too many spoilers, but there is a story about a dad who is a wannabe serial killer was probably my favorite. There is also a story about a horrible couple that get their comeuppance by a self-cleaning house. (BTW, I would love to have that tube that cleans my house, can someone invent this please?) Didn't really love the last story, but this is a solid book if you are looking for a few scary stories to read before bed.

I want to thank #NetGalley and the publisher for the book!
Ok, so I love Josh Malerman. I just want to make that clear. In my eyes, he could do no wrong.

BUT
Short stories may not be his thing. HOWEVER, I still enjoyed this book. I'm just comparing it to his previous full novels and not short stories.
Malerman excells at details, all of his books are like a rollar coaster ride that is slowly building up to that first drop and then is a crazy ride.
This one didn't have same fell for me.

I feel like short stories are a disservice to his talents since they seem a little more rushed then his normal stories where he can really build up the stories.

That being said, the stories in here are good, they just seem a little lacking for me as a huge Malerman fan!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy in exchange for an honest opinion. Review has been posted on Amazon.

Josh Malerman is a reliable autobuy for me. I love his books, and Spin a Black Yarn is no exception. You can easily read the synopsis so I won't summarize here but rather will describe the feeling this book gave me, which is one of creeping dread and immersion in the atmosphere. Can't wait for his next one - I am so glad he publishes often.

"Spin a Black Yarn" by Josh Malerman is a masterfully crafted exploration of suspense and horror. Malerman's storytelling prowess takes center stage as he weaves a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The atmospheric tension and psychological depth make this book an immersive and chilling experience. With each twist and turn, "Spin a Black Yarn" demonstrates Malerman's ability to create a sense of unease that resonates long after the final page. A must-read for those who appreciate a spine-tingling journey into the darker realms of storytelling.

Thank you to Random House for the gifted copy!

I love to read short stories/novellas and this collection did not disappoint. There were 5 total in this collection and each one gives the “spins” a tale of fear and horror! My favorite was Half the House is Dying.

This is a collection of 5 novellas that are mostly set in the fictional city of Samhattan. I really enjoyed this collection. My favorites were Argyle (unique deathbed confession) and Egorov (reminded me a little of The Tell-tale Heart). The other 3 were unique as well and the collection was strong. Highly recommended.

Spin a Black Yarn is a collection of 5 novellas that have fresh new takes on stories in established genres.. J.M takes on a serial killer, A.I. ( timely topic) , revenge, outer space & throw out what you think you know about haunted houses. These are novellas are definitely unique, even though the subject matter is common.
Half the House is Haunted explores a brother and sister's relationship growing up in a house that was half haunted. What does that mean? Which half?
Argyle tells the tale of a deathbed confessional detailing gruesome acts thought up but, never acted upon.
The story left a definitely disturbing impression on me.
Very effective.
Jupiter Drop is takes on a different way of dealing with grief and trying to exorcise your personal demons. But, most of the time your problems follow you

Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer ……. Definitely a comedic on privilege and secrets buried just beneath the surface, just waiting to pop up and slap them in the face
Egrov is about a couple of brothers who try to get revenge on the man who killed their third brother by haunting him and pushing him over the brink into insanity .A great gaslighting story.
Novella are notoriously hard to pull off with either too much information or not enough does an outstanding job as always 4 1/2 stars

This was an experience. I love my horror in novella size chunks. Malerman gives us a bunch of unique, mind blowing tales. Some I liked more than others. Argyle was by far my favorite because the idea of a serial killer who spent their whole life trying to be "normal" is chef's kiss and so trippy. Would recommend for horror lovers.

A wonderful—and sometimes terrible—spin around the town of Samhattan, Malerman again ensnares the reader in a rich, complex setting where characters of all sorts find themselves in unfathomable situations—from homes that are half-haunted to deathbed confessions to a story of revenge, Malerman's mastery of tension leaves the reader breathless and on the edge of their seat.

Really enjoyed this! Excited to see where the story goes from here! Thanks for the opportunity to let me read this!

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman is an eerie collection of thought provoking novellas that showcase how everyone is haunted by something. My favorite of the stories was Argyle. It was so haunting and the pacing and storytelling was superb. Each of the stories had something that felt so raw and human, but also that felt completely off and unhinged. This is a great anthology for a spooky night.

I'm a big fan of the Malerman books I've read in the past, but I just don't think his shorter fiction is for me. These novellas all had interesting premises, but it was honestly a bit of a struggle to get through most of them.

My favorite story of this collection was the first one, "Half the House in Haunted." It was an interesting take on a haunted house story, while also tackling the family dynamic between a brother and his sister. "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™" was another novella I enjoyed. That one hooked me from the very first sentence and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

I ended up having to DNF the final story, "Egorov" about half way through. Definite bummer to end the book on a DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a review copy.

I wanted so much more from these stories. Most of them sounded so intriguing in the description, and some were even off to a great start, but none of them lived up to what I felt they could have been.

Of the stories “Half the House is Haunted” was my favorite. The first half of this story was incredible. And I remember sharing with my SO that I had started a great book. But unfortunately the last part of the story fell flat to me and the compilation of stories followed suite.

I did enjoy “Argyle” and “The Jupiter Drop” as well, but I wish they had given me a stronger impact. I still can’t quite place what they were missing.

“Egorov” was not the story for me. I found it incredibly different from all the rest, in a manner that made it very hard to get into and focus on the story.

Overall, this selection of stores was not for me.

Thanks NetGalley for ARC of these stories.

Josh Malerman demonstrates his keen ability to write tight, tense prose in addition to his more expansive novels. These short works pack all the punch of his epics, concentrated in a small package perfect for a stormy afternoon of reading. As usual, he blends his scares with heart and layers of meaning that show how the horror genre works best when tapping into our deepest empathies.
This collection is the perfect introduction to his work for new horror readers.

A brother struggles his whole life to understand what his sister means when she says "Half the house is haunted:. A man lies on this deathbed, surrounded by family, and confesses to homicides he never committed. A husband and wife purchase the latest in cutting edge home cleaning products and learn how dirty their past really is. A tourist takes the infamous Jupiter Drop and loses himself in isolation. And the remaining pair of a triplet set seek vengeance for their brother's murder in creative ways.

I have often found that short story and novella collections fall flat for me due to the similarity between the narrator voices. That was not the case here. Malerman created a distinct set of characters with unique voices and thoughts that aided in setting the tone and atmosphere for the entire novella series, a feat that is hard to accomplish and truly sets this collection apart. Each novella, while distinct, had enough similarities in writing style that the whole series was cohesive and felt like it belonged together.

Because of the benefits that a longer novella style story has, compared to a short story format, each had a well plotted series of events that wrapped up nicely at the end without overt abruptness and led the reader to a moral, theme, or lesson learned (though again, not overt and in your face).

The best word I can use to describe the book is Unsettling. That's the only thing that gets even close to representing this collection. Malerman explores the inner workings of the human mind in creative and often uncomfortable ways. I really enjoyed this collection and I'm eager to read more from this author.

Despite being a fan of other works by this author, I’m afraid I was a bit underwhelmed by this collection of 5 novellas. Atmosphere and psychological terror were abundant, but never really reached the tipping point, making for a great story. Unfortunately, the final novella felt so overwrought to me…the villain an over-emoting caricature of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Disappointing and forgettable quality, unlike The Bird Box and Pearl.

Since when are horror story collections boring... I didn't find myself really scared or thrilled with any of these tales. A miss for me

Five separate novellas combine to form this praiseworthy collection. Each tale takes place in Malerman’s fictional world of Samhattan, which fans of the author might recognize for his other works. All 5 tales are dark, haunting, and with tension pulled so tight it’s just waiting to snap, but the common (black) thread between them is family. In “Half the House is Haunted”, an older sister’s bullying is rooted in the supernatural, and it haunts her brother well into adulthood. In “Argyll”, a man confesses his unspeakable urges to his family from his deathbed. “The Jupiter Drop” explores the isolation space, forcing a man to face his past and the family he lost because of it. “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™” tells of a device that brings up a wealthy couple’s dirtiest secrets. And in “Egorov,” two brothers aim to haunt their triplet’s killer.

My favorite of the bunch was “Half the House is Haunted”, but each story is unique and spans a variety of themes and voices. This one didn’t feel as whole as GOBLIN—the overarching connection of Samhattan not as strong as it’s rainy brethren—and leans into multiple genres at times, making it feel stitched together instead born from one idea. But nevertheless, each story is wonderful in its own right and any fan of the author should enjoy this collection.