Ronald Malfi is an incredible author whose writing style never fails to entertain. He certainly has a way with words. These short stories would appeal to a wide horror audience. My only criticism would be that I wanted, no needed more. It felt like you just get engrossed in the incredible setting, creepy characters and intense stories and then they are over. Any one of these could be fleshed out into an exceptional novel and I'd buy it with no hesitation. I;m looking forward to reading the next full length novel.

A perfect creepy read. Malfi's books never disappoint, but this one especially is already one of my favorites. The novellas were masterfully written and left me wanting more (in a positive way). Highly recommended.

Solid collection of novellas from Malfi, four being reprints from several years ago and the last being a new story. Nothing to really blow you away, but they all have their own appeal. My favorite was The Stranger, an odd tale involving self-cannibalism with a wicked ending. After The Fade is a cool apocalyptic tale that makes relationship break-ups seem rather unimportant. The writing always carries the day with Malfi, and it's no different here. If you're a Malfi fan, you'll enjoy these tales. 3.5 stars bumped to 4 for the quality of writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm A huge fan of Malfi. Whenever he releases a new book I automatically get it. Haven't read a piece of his work that isn't horror gold yet.

This collection starts with the legend of Skullbelly, the little Oregon forest town it haunts, and four teenagers who went missing. Then a Victorian tale and then a more sci-fi story of self reflection. A breakup that turns into an apocalypse. Finally, A car accident quickly turns into a bloody, desperate fight for Connie's life.

Perfect for the Halloween season with a dose of horror for every reader.

Wow, this collection was absolutely stunning! 3/5 stories had me in a complete chokehold, leaving me audibly gasping when I turned the page to find out it was completed! I. Need. More. The top 3 stories for me were: Skullbelly, The Stranger, and Fierce! I wanted SO much more from those, and honestly also After The Fade! Each story just pulled you into this other worldly vortex of is it a monster? Or a human? The suspense was palpable, the scenes were perfectly descriptive, and the characters felt like someone you know. Loved this so much!

The title of this collection is appropriate because something does in deed lurk in each of the stories.
"Skullbelly" - A private detective investigates what happened to four teens who went into the woods where they shouldn't have gone, when only one returns, bloody and shell shocked. It leads him to a former logging town in Oregon where one of the locals tells him about the legend of Skullbelly, a dangerous creature that lives in the woods. Where the story ultimately goes was totally unexpected. This easily could have been an episode of The X-Files or The Twilight Zone. Effective in its build up and suggestions and minimalism.
"The Separation" - A psychotherapist is called to Germany to see about his friend, a former boxing champ, by the boxer's manager when the boxer is acting odd. The psychotherapist (the narrator, and someone who was to me was pretty full of himself) soon learns that the boxer has barley slept or eaten since his wife separated from him and mostly cleaned out the compound in which he's staying. On top of that, the wife has filed complaints with the police because the boxer has shown up at her house. He denies this as well as the nightly sojourns around the compound that the narrator has witnessed first hand. As the boxer's behavior becomes more erratic, no one is prepared for what happens next. This story was another that had a great Twilight Zone twist at the finale.
"The Stranger" - David and his young fiance Rhoda take a break from their travels, stopping at roadside motel. After David forgets to lock the car he discovers a strange man sitting behind the wheel who appears to be in a daze. When he tries to open the doors, the man locks the car. The sheriff is called, visitors at the motel congregate, all trying to figure the best to handle the situation, when the man inside brandishes a gun, keeping everyone at bay. No one is prepared for what the stranger does next. This is the first story I can recall of Malfi's that really ventures into extreme territory. I actually had to skip a few paragraphs. Overall the writing was good, but I missed the message that was conveyed about what it was all supposed to mean.
"After the Fade" - Blues musician Tommy tells his girlfriend to meet him at his favorite bar intending to break up with her. While waiting for her to arrive, the resident geezer tells him that he's sensed something in the air that he can't quite pinpoint. Soon after his girlfriend's arrival a woman staggers into the bar, blood dripping from her nose, and worse yet, something is clinging to the back of her head. And worse yet, there are dozens more outside. Those inside the tavern realize they may be facing the end of the world. This was a classic type of creature feature/apocalyptic horror as only Malfi can tell it. And once again it has a shocker of an ending you don't see coming.
"Fierce" - The new tale that was added to the reissue. After a teen girl and her mother crash into the snow following a near collision with a pickup truck, the girl finds herself on the run from truck's driver after her mother is beaten with a crowbar. All through her flight into the woods and in search of refuge she's guided by her spirit animal she didn't even know she had, a remnant from a camping trip she took as child. While not most original plot, this was nonetheless a harrowing tale that again enters surprising territory with shocking twists at the end.
Malfi has pretty much cemented himself as my favorite author, and these stories are about as good as anything he's been producing in recent years. 4.5/5*

This was an extremely fun, hard-to-put-down short story collection. I'm going to review each story individually, but overall I highly recommend this!

Skullbelly - A private detective is hired to determine what happened to teenagers who disappeared in a forest, and uncovers something horrifying being hidden by the locals.
This was a lot of fun - I love a good creature.

The Separation - Marcus, a therapist, arrives to help his friend Charlie who is deeply depressed after his divorce. It seems like something more insidious is happening though....
I thought this was the weakest of the bunch, though still very interesting.

The Stranger - David finds a stranger sitting in his car. (I don't want to spoil any more!)
This one was crazy - gory, fun, and terrifying. The descriptions of the gore were horrific and effective!

After the Fade - Something has taken over the town (or many somethings) and patrons are stuck in their local bar.
This was a horrifying rollercoaster of a story.

Fierce - This story was new - written for this collection. This got my heart racing SO fast. Without giving too much away - a young woman and her daughter are traveling in a snow storm when they get into an accident. That's only the beginning of the horrors they encounter.
This absolutely scared the crap out of me. I loved the parallels of the present day story with our main characters memories of another event.

What can I say, Ronald Malfi books always give me the creeps. Beautifully written with no lack of suspense, this one is highly recommended by me!

This collection of novellas was absolutely fantastic. Skullbelly was the first in the collection, followed by The Separation, The Stranger, After the Fade and Fierce. Each story was so different but together they were the perfect combination of pure horror. At one point, in The Stranger, I was so completely disturbed that I had to put the book down for a few minutes. To me, that is the sure sign of an outstanding horror story. I love all of Malfi’s novels. This collection was such a nice treat. A fast but satisfying ultra creepy and disturbing read.

Ronald Malfi is one of my favorite horror writers. His work is literary and offers consistent quality throughout, from one fine-crafted nightmare to the next. I’ve read most of his work and thus have read some of the novellas in this collection of mostly reprints, but long enough ago so that it didn’t matter. Which is to say I still enjoyed After the Fade¬—the tale of a break-up during an apocalypse and Skullbelly—something scary roams the woods and the rest of the novellas which I’ve not read before, including the brand-new closing one.
Atmospheric, well-written, engaging…there’s so much to like here. To be fair, I wasn’t as blown away by this collection as I was by Malfi’s recent Ghostwritten. This is an author who I find improves over time, aging like fine blood-colored wine or something. Some of his earlier works were nowhere near as strong as his current output. But he is an author well-worth reading, committed to quality, which is most admirable, especially in the genre that can so easily sellout for cheap thrills.
Overall, a solid collection of tales about things that lurk in the darkness. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This 2014 collection of four novellas has been updated and includes a more recent fifth novella set for release this July.

I’m a big fan of Malfis novels. I haven’t read a bad one yet. I was looking forward to this collection but, ultimately I don’t think the format really suits Malfis style.

The first four older novellas certainly feel written by a younger writer. They almost feel unfinished. The fifth is probably the most complete feeling but feels like the trope has been done many times before, albeit in a somewhat original version this time.

Why I don’t think this short format suits Malfis writing style is, anything I had read previously had been a slow burner, slowly paced and with a very atmospheric narrative. This takes time. It also takes character development, scene setting etc. it’s what I love about his novels. They are a reading experience as well as a story. Here there just isn’t the room to achieve this. Sure there is back story on the characters to try and add some flesh to their bones but it comes off as a distraction in this format rather than having the time to develop them.

It’s an interesting collection all the same. There is a huge difference between the first four and the last quality wise. It is interesting to see Malfi write this shorter format but, in my humble opinion, he has a unique gift for writing the atmospheric, foreboding, slightly otherworldly worlds that this format just doesn’t afford the room or time to achieve.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Ronald Malfi has a talent for setting up the most intriguing, page-turning scenarios. This short story collection shows that to the best effect with a smorgasbord of horror: killers, monsters, urban legends, to name a few. Skullbelly was the stand out for me but all the stories were fascinating in their own way. This is my favourite of the short story collections I've read this year.

I received this arc for free from netgalley in exchange for a review.

Ronald Malfi has always had a way of writing that elicits your darkest fears to penetrate your mind. He's just a great storyteller with an ability to know what scares people and then gives it to them through the written word.

This anthology of five novellas doesn't take the safe route, instead drives your nightmares into hyperdrive and has you checking your doors and windows.

I can honestly say I didn't find a weak story in here. There are mysterious events, supernatural creatures, and the very worst of humanity, each told unflinchingly in order to scare the pants off you.

The final novella, Fierce, is one that has never been published before and it is worth the price of admission by itself. It's a pulse pounding, terrifying thrill ride that will have you hanging on every word as the protagonist, Connie, is dropped in a worse than worse case situation that will give you goosebumps and have your jaw on the floor.

This is a must read for horror fans and I definitely recommend it.

Ronald Malfi has been one of my favorite authors, and he proves it once more with his new collection of stories, They Lurk. Consisting of four older tales that have been out of print, and one new story, They Lurk is consistently a really good read.

While I enjoyed all five novellas, the last two for me were also terrifying. After the Fade is a claustrophobic end of the world story with a completely out of left field ending that just blew my mind. Fierce is a slasher movie junkie’s dream, and a very intense read.

Another great entry by Mr. Malfi.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of They Lurk.

5 stars

I’m beginning to think that Malfi can do no wrong in this profession he’s chosen.
I loved every story in this book. He writes in such a way that I am just completely captivated the entire time. I become part of these stories. They are suspenseful, scary, and written with a ton of heart. I can’t wait to see what he puts out next.