Okay, I’m generally a huge fan of short stories. Usually, it feels like the story is just getting started when it comes to an abrupt end. With this collection, I didn’t find that was the case. I didn’t love all the stories equally though. For me, the absolute stand outs were The Stranger and After The Fade. I could hardly breath from the tension! If I had to choose between the two, The Stranger is my landslide victor here. I will remember this story for many years to come, and that, to me, is an indication of incredible work.
If you’re looking for a great collection of spooky, occasionally body horror, type short stories, this audiobook was fantastic. The narration was superb, and the flow of each story was excellent.

I picked this up after enjoying Ghostwritten and I can now say that Malfi knows how to write a compelling short story. I will say I enjoyed this less than Ghostwritten because these stories focused on a lurking sense of horror. Most of them did not have an exciting climax.

Skullbelly - I like the idea of finding teenagers who got lost in the woods, but it ended too abruptly for me. Could have been scarier. 3.5 stars.

The Separation - This had the opposite problem in that the middle dragged a little too long. I liked the ending. Definitely more weird than scary. 3.5 stars.

The Stranger - Weird, gory, and set in one location, everything I want in a horror story. 5 stars..

After the Fade - Fun bug apocalypse story. This could have had more stakes or tension. 3.5 stars.

Fierce - One of my favourite stories. I enjoyed the mother daughter dynamic and the duo timelines. 4 stars.

They have five stories alternatively narrated by Amy McFadden and Joel Hemple and although Joel does most of the stories Amy I thought also did a pretty good job. From teens going missing to someone finding a stranger in the car everyone full of manikins and a boxer who is either possessed or losing his mind all made for great stories I think my favorite was the stranger but they were all pretty good I do think the narration mainly sounded like they were just reading the story and not like the narrator‘s I am used to whom evoke emotion into character voices I am forgetting one story which was really good and that’s the one with the bugs and Tommy trapped in the bar with the other people I at first thought the story couldn’t go anywhere but it did and OMG I’m glad I read it! I do believe the narration could’ve been better but these are the types of stories I started reading Ronald Malfi for. I am not a big fan of his long form horror stories but do love his short stories and think these were a great example of why. I want to think net galley and the publisher for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I read the E book earlier and loved it and the audiobook is just as good. I love audiobooks a lot. And I love reading a book then listening to its audio companion.

Novellas are not my favorite because I tend to feel like not enough is accomplished plot or character-wise, but having read Ghostwritten recently with two stand-out stories from Ronald Malfi who demonstrated proficiency in the format, I decided to try They Lurk.

Unlike his previous novellas, They Lurk suffers from issues that generally put me off this story length. The one about the guy eating himself in someone's car felt like a gross-out attempt. The far-fetched story about the plague of bugs lacked world-building and a clear point. Anything with animal cruelty is a turn-off for me, so the unlikable depressed prize fighter story ranks among my least favorite. Skullbelly had potential, but it was as if the author quit exploring the idea of the thing in the forest and the missing persons without committing to details. It was reminiscent of Bone White and maybe December Park and felt like a rough draft attempt at something I've already read.

Narration was a bit dry. I don't think the male voice is ideal for horror and more than once, I thought the story wasn't well-served by the tone.

The collection lacks a cohesive theme. The stories don't have the emotional impact I have come to expect from Malfi's work and feel more like an early writer's attempt at horror without subtext and observation of the world around us. This one was just okay for me. Thank you for allowing me to review this early Audiobook release.

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I really enjoyed all of these stories. I’m not one who typically enjoys short stories, but these left me on the edge of my seat.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

This 2014-novella collection has been lovingly-repackaged and rereleased by Titan Books and Tantor Audio.
I am so pleased with how the cover pairs with Ghostwritten. I really enjoyed that collection as well and feel like these two would make quite a duo on the shelves.

The stories included are: They Lurk, Skullbelly, The Separation, The Stranger, After the Fade and Fierce. I felt the arrangement was great, as my favorite story was the first one and my least favorite was last, but by least favorite, we're still talking like a solid 3.5-star rounded up.

Ronald Malfi is one of my favorite authors. Truth be told, I'm a bit of a fangirl, but honestly, I feel like this collection has something for every Horror Reader to enjoy. Each story had it's own vibe, but the one thing they all had was a overriding creepiness as the narrative unfolded. There were times I was feeling like Bone White vibes, other times I was getting The Mist, I was hooked.

I listened to the audiobook and would definitely recommend that as a medium. Both narrators did an incredible job bringing these stories to life. Well done!

It's rare for me to find a short-story collection that works for me so well. This was fantastic. I can't praise Malfi enough. Every time I pick up one of his books, I'm reminded of how in love I am with the tone and delivery of his stories. Chef's freaking kiss!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tantor Audio and Titan Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'm working my way through Malfi's backlist and these rereleases are certainly helpful!! If you love Horror and have yet to read Malfi, you need to change that ASAP. 10-out-of-10 recommend!!!

I tried, but I couldn't get into any of the stories. They're just weird. I'll try a full novel in the future, maybe I'll have more luck.

{Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to listen to They Lurk on audiobook in exchange for an honest review!}

⭐️⭐️
2 Stars

I love short stories, especially spooky ones, ever since Stephen Kings sets were available, so I was excited to listen to this one!

Pros:
-The last novel was a great thriller, I could picture it as a fast paced movie
-Amy McFadden is a wonderful narrator (she’s pretty much the reason it’s 2 stars)
-Cover is gorgeous

I could sense that if I had read this book as a physical or kindle copy, I would have felt differently about the level of horror and the stories themselves. The first narrator was a horrible choice for horror story telling. He had hardly any differences between characters, minimal emotions, and just dragged on and on and on. Amy McFadden absolutely saved the audiobook for me. If the finally novel had been the only story, it would have been a great listen (reminds me of Run on Red). Apart from the narrators, the writing had gory details thrown in that didn’t totally match the vibe, I had a lot of “what 🤨” moments when listening.

The first three stories fell flat for me. I wish there was more to the first one? It just…stopped? The second (again, probably narrator issue) wasn’t scary, or creepy at all. And the conversations between characters were so bland and hardly full of any connection. What time period was it even in? The main “doctor” was speaking like he was historical fiction but then also like a dude-bro at the end? Lots of repetition and “Oh jeez, here he goes again on the horse. Oh well back to making chicken.” I feel like all of the stories have been written before, no twist or gasps from me whatsoever.

I’d only recommend this book as a physical copy to someone who hasn’t ever read a creepy-pasta story or any basic horror story.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook to review.
Unfortunately this was not a hit for me. I found my mind wandering during the audiobook and not being invested in the stories so much so that I did not care about what was happening to the characters. Might try another work from this author in the future but this was too bland for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for audio ARC. This is a short story collection and is a quick read. I only enjoyed 3 of 5 short stories, hence the rating. The Stranger is one of the most horrific stories I have read in a longggg time, but it was AWESOME. I didn't like the bug story or separation.

A story collection from Ronald Malfi.
Thank you Netgalley, and Titan Books for the review copy.
A very good collection of creepy tales.
Recommended 👍👍
💥💥💥💥💥 5/5

Thank you, Net Galley and Tantor Audio, for an audio copy of They Lurk for an honest review. This is a collection of 4 novellas. They all creeped me out. They grossed me out. They scared me. Mission accomplished!

Malfi, the modern-day equivalent of Ray Bradbury, re-releases five of his novellas of the horror lurking just beneath the surface of the everyday ordinary world