Aaron Decker recently lost his wife in a senseless shopping mall shooting. Feeling a bit haunted by her, Aaron begins to go through Allison's things and discovers a hotel receipt. This receipt spurs anger, then curiosity as Aaron continues to find things Allison never told him about. Is Allison actually haunting Aaron, or is he haunting himself? You'll have to read this to find out!

Having to keep things intentionally vague is hard when it comes to this book. At first I wasn't crazy about it, to be honest. The protagonist is talking to his dead wife in his head the entire time. This leads to many long portions with no external dialogue whatsoever. Then things really started to heat up.

As Aaron continues to seek out more and more information about what Allison was up to prior to her death, more characters and dialogue come into play. Aaron is someone you can really root for, he cared for his wife, and his grief stricken mind is reaching out to her the entire time. Every woman deserves a man like Aaron, a man that TRULY loves them.

The pacing was generally good, (except for that rather slow start), but it picked up quite a lot towards the end. The denouement was surprising and had me at the edge of my seat. There were so many suspect characters, I had no chance of guessing the culprit. I love when that happens!

The narrator, Joe Hempel, did a marvelous job voicing Aaron. It must have been particularly difficult too, as we are living in Aaron's head for a good part of this novel. Aaron's grief and anxiety seemed to spill out of my phone's speaker and tear right into my heart.

I've long thought that Ronald Malfi was an under-rated author; he deserves to be more well-known. He's quietly turning out brilliant books and as for myself? I will line up to read them. I hope that you'll COME WITH ME and give this one a try!

Highly recommended!

*Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the download of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

4.5 stars
What a great sad yet intriguing story. If you like suspense, mystery, and a small touch of paranormal this story is for you.

The narrator has a great voice and wasn’t boring or soothing like a lot of other male narrators. He made me want to listen rather than sleep.

Definitely a must read or listen!

4.83 stars

Aaron’s life is turned upside down when his wife, Allison, is killed. Missing her and still sensing her presence, Aaron is shocked to find a receipt for a motel room when he is sorting her belongings. He is determined to follow the trail and find out what Allison was hiding from him and why.

His investigation will take him on a path of danger and dark secrets. Will the truth bring him closer to Allison or make him realize he never had her at all?

I first read Come with Me as an audiobook produced by Tantor Audio and narrated by Joe Hempel. I was delighted with this production. Hempel was the perfect choice for this book. His narration added so much depth and life to Aaron and the story. I felt the pacing was excellent, and the narrating style was very compelling. I also appreciate that the way Hempel told the story was easy to follow and focus on. I listened to it every second I was free until it was done.

This is my first Malfi book, and what a punch in the face his writing was! I mean that in the best possible way. Now and then, you will read a genre book and feel every word written, breathe at each comma and bask in the literary sun you were just gifted with while being extremely entertained by the story. Such was my experience with Come with Me. The character work was superbly done, and the way we followed the story as Aaron shares his journey with Allison’s ghost/memory made me feel like I was immersed and invested in the outcome. It felt like being in both Allison and Aaron’s shoes, and oh boy, was that an emotional ride!

I have no words to describe how fantastic this book is. Speechless.

Aaron’s grief really touched me. His journey for closure, juggling the fear that it will end with realizing he didn’t know Allison, and the hope that he will honour her by completing a mission that consumed her life, was absolutely relatable and touching.

Grief is a big part of my life, and the way Malfi handled it through Aaron was authentic, compelling, and emotional. And I think this visceral, raw, and vulnerable depiction is what kept me from thoroughly enjoying myself while reading this book.

I am no genre expert, but Come with Me read more like a dark psychological thriller than a horror. Maybe I was so connected to Aaron and his grief that I overlooked the horror – grief tends to blur other feelings around it. At least it does to me. Regardless of how this book is marketed, it is an excellent read.

When I first started reading Come with Me, I thought it would go in a direction I didn’t want to go. I was so happy when it didn’t. There are no flaws in Malfi’s telling of Come with Me. With this one book, I have become a fan, and he became an auto-buy. I will be binging on his other books and highly recommend this to everyone!

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Ronald Malfi, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley or providing me with a copy of Come With Me

This dark serial killer thriller was everything I wanted in a new (to me) author, plus plenty more. I'm not one to go guessing ahead, so this compulsive read was perfect for me. I could follow recently widowed Aaron in his quest for answers to questions that arose after his wife was killed in a shopping center shooting. It was atmospheric and spooky, and didn't beg me to figure it out as layer after layer was peeled back. The fact that some of the story is based upon a true crime just adds to the creep appeal.

I will admit the POV in Come With Me was unnerving at first, but about 20% of the way in, I finally figured out its value. It had the same creepy feel -- you know the one, where you're stream-of-consciousness inside your protagonist's head -- as Caroline Kepnes's You series. I'm not sure why it's effective, but it works.

I received this audiobook from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. A serial killer novel with slight supernatural slant. Well written atmospheric thriller could not stop till I completed the book highly recommended.

This was a great thriller and will appeal to a lot of readers. The plot itself was a little formulaic, but overall I really cared about the characters and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. It also delivered me my favorite kind ending. The narrator was great as well!

*Many thanks to Ronald Malfi, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for an audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
This was my second book by Mr Malfi and having enjoyed his other work, I had high expectations regarding this audiobook.
Aaron Decker, grieving after his wife, comes across some documentation of unsolved murders of teenage girls which span over a decade. Intrigued by this discovery Aaron decides to follow the links and embarks on a journey that uncovers the truth about his wife, and not only that.
I must admit that while listening I thought I had some clear ideas about Allison and the murders, however, I was wrong. I am still a little confused but it does not mean the book did not deliver. It held my attention and the hours I spent listening to Come With Me, narrated by Joe Hempel, were quite enjoyable.

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

I don’t tend to love books where that revolve around heterosexual marriages. The reason I picked this book up was that I have heard overwhelmingly positive things about this author. Which makes sense because overall his writing is enjoyable. However, I prefer a lesser-skilled writer to one who is good but overuses similes and metaphors to the point of it pulling me out of the story.

Come With Me is definitely more suited towards character-driven readers. Malfi did a really good job of getting me to care about the main character and his relationship with his dead wife. I enjoyed the other background characters in the moment but as the book went along, they kind of blended into each other which made the mystery suffer as I had no suspicions or guesses.

There are some good horror moments, but I wanted them bumped up a notch which might be unfair as this a primarily a thriller/mystery. I think I might just have to read some of this dude’s horror because I definitely think I could enjoy this work…just not this one.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4100147463

This is a beautiful story of marital love and grief blended into a compelling mystery</b>

Malfi is an incredible storyteller and his latest novel once again demonstrates his ability to tell an immersive narrative. In terms of writing, this one might be his best work yet. The prose was lovely and haunting.

The character development was equally strong. I felt deeply connected to the main character, sharing in his grief. This book certainly packs an emotional punch.

Malfi is better known for his horror stories, but this one better fits the label of a slow burning mystery. The story touches on dark obsessions without becoming gruesome or grisly. 

December Park remains my personal favourite, but from a more objective perspective, this one is arguably his best. Come Wit Me is a fantastic place to start for readers new to Malfi's books.

Needless to stay, I would highly recommend this emotional novel to fans of dark fiction. 

Disclaimer I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher.

Small town intrigue, tragedy, murder and hints of the supernatural all combine in this carefully crafted mystery.

💚 I was totally unprepared for this journey. This book is like that friend who suggests coffee only to end up taking you to Colombia for the beans. Fun, complex and full of surprises.

💜 There's a lot going on in this plot. Lots of little threads, themes that come together to create intrigue and doubt. The mass shooting, Aaron's grief, each clue along the way. I liked how each one touched on different aspects of the psychological thriller genre. What's more, it was subtle.

❤️️ I suspected every character at different points of the story. This - to me at least - is the main hallmark of a good mystery, especially for someone like me who reads so many of them.

💛 I would not call this a horror story. Supernatural and creepy elements are woven in effectively, but they are not prominent enough to define the book.

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SOUNDBITE

🎧 Joe Hempel elevates this story by giving Aaron Decker' the kind of relatable, affable voice not normally found in darker genres. It makes Decker more authentic in his grief, his motivation and his actions. Hempel's voice brings to mind that typical guy you might know, maybe a Ted Mosby of How I Met Your Mother (Josh Radnor). I liked Aaron and trusted his intentions and Hempel had a lot to do with it.

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SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO...

I don't normally make this comparison because it's done so often it's lost all meaning, but this had echoes of Gone Girl.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing me with an audio ARC in return for an honest review.

Come With Me by Ronald Malfi (narrated by Joe Hempel)

Aaron Decker's life has been shattered when his wife of five years is killed. The grief that racks Aaron after Allison's death is a solid and real thing. She haunts his sleeping and waking dreams, he sees her, hears her, feels her. His only way of moving and coping is to rely on the side of himself that he calls Other Aaron, the part of him that finishes his latest job translating a book. Other Aaron moves Aaron through life, answering questions, accepting sympathy, putting food in Aaron's mouth. Aaron's grief is almost like another character in this story.

Going through his wife's belongings, Aaron finds that Allison was living a completely hidden life for years, before and after he knew Allison. He feels betrayed by Allison and wonders if he ever really knew her. At the same time he feels compelled to continue on the path of whatever it was that Allison was following, always with Other Aaron, right there with him, helping (or is he hindering?) Aaron's attempt to discover what Allison was really doing in secret.

The story is dark and there is a hint of supernatural, dreams that seem real and reality that seems dreamlike. At the same time, the events seem so down to earth, like we could be right beside Aaron on his quest for information. He takes on Allison's obsession, follows her path, putting himself right in the line of fire of...what? Often Aaron walks right into very unwise situations as he wonders if one or another of the people he interviews could be the monster that he hopes to find at the end of his journey. There is a very real sense of foreboding, danger, darkness, fog, dreams, visions, and possible coincidences that merge together so that we can't tell what is real and what is something else. All through the story, Aaron thinks back to things that Allison told him, things she really couldn't have known but now seem prophetic.

Once again I was listening to a book that I had a hard time putting down. I almost felt like I was in an interactive story as Aaron questioned people and I'd want him to ask something and he'd ask it. Creepy!!! Be sure to read/listen to the author's notes at the end of the story.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

WOW I loved this.
I will say that it was a little different from what I was expecting, but that wasn’t a bad thing.
Following a man who is reeling after the sudden loss of his wife, he finds a project that she was working on before her death in secret, and realizes that he never knew her to begin with.
There were a lot of very emotional points to this book no I think they were masterfully done. In addition to the emotion, I think that the pacing was spot on, there were lulls as things were discovered and explained and I think that worked out well. I was also left guessing on exactly what was happening, and so often I can guess with stories like these so it was great in that aspect. There was a paranormal twist, but it wasn’t super prominent, I don’t think that took away from the story though. Overall, the story was great and the audiobook was well produced. The narrator was great and made the story engaging. I would highly recommend!

Come with me... three little words can irrevocably change your world.

A beautiful grief ridden slow burn thriller mystery. This is the first work I have read by Ronald Malfi & was drawn into Aarons grief & tenacity to discover what his wife was hiding. Ronald Malfi's writing pulls you in & kept me hanging on until every stone was unturned. Aaron spends the book talking to his deceased wife Allison. I loved this approach of Aaron still trying to connect to the woman he loved & keeping her updated even though she was not there.

I received an audiobook ARC through netgalley. Narrator Joe Hempel did an amazing job bringing this work to life.

Sometimes you find a book that leaves you speechless and you won't forget it any time soon. I've been a fan of Ronald Malfi for years and this is one hell of a great read, maybe the best he's written. I really got wrapped up with Aaron and his quest for answers. I loved tagging along while he tried to solve the mystery.
As much as the loved Come With Me, the grief Aaron is swimming in punched me in the chest. It felt as real as any emotion can. I was shocked many times during this book, and loved the ride.

How well do you know your spouse? Aaron would swear he knew everything about his beloved wife Alison, but after her death he’s shocked to discover a motel receipt for a motel they never stayed in. Already reeling from Alison’s death, Aaron finds himself obsessed with finding out what his life was up to before her death. What follows is an odyssey into a dark world Aaron could never have imagined, and a shocking discovery about the woman he thought he knew. Malfi is a master at literate horror and should be on the reading list of every fan of then genre. Hempel’s delivery adds a sense of urgency to this highly charged tale

Rating: 8.75/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Come With Me for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

Come With Me is a harrowing, pulsating tale that had me completely enveloped in its grasp. For fans of early Koontz or King, and for those that couldn’t set aside I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, this is one that shouldn’t be missed.

This is the first title of Malfi’s that I have read, though I do have most of his catalogue on my Kindle. The premise and early praise quickly sold me, and having the opportunity to listen to Joe Hempel’s narration (thanks to Tantor Audio) was the final push that I needed. I devoured this audiobook to put it plainly.

Malfi’s writing is very easy to get into and become familiar with. Not too wordy and gives scenes plenty of setup, breathing life into visuals and not overstepping detail. He really impresses with his ability to constantly twist the knife as the story progresses, giving our main character, Aaron, a run for his money on this journey of discovery. Each and every turn of the corner reveals more and more secrets that Aaron has to come to terms with, and face whether or not he is to believe these as truth.

This won’t be one of those “I’m going to be looking at my wife differently from now on” type thrillers, but Allison really took the cake and will at least make me second glance my wife from time to time (kidding, maybe).

Aaron quickly becomes a character in which you can become empathetic with. I mean, geez, the man just lost his wife. But really, he doesn’t sit around grieving. He is up and searching for answers, not allowing himself to wallow in pity, though his wife’s ghost does tend to show up in the most inopportune times.

This is a story of love and loss, vengeance and secrets. It is about uncovering a past you never knew was there, and attempting to paddle through the muck to find a clear answer. This novel tore at my heartstrings and feels like a gut-punch that will forever be tattooed on my soul.