Tense and thrilling and a twist you never see coming. This was one of malfi’s best! Absolutely loved the interwoven stories and writing style! The surprise at the end was amazing!

Senseless was one thrill ride that I couldn’t put down. I have to say that my first introduction to Malfi I was unsure if I liked their writing but now, several books in, they are easily one of my go to authors. If I want something that I know will not only be written brilliantly but have a touch or lot of horror. Senseless is no different.

I could not put this book down and I loved the mixture of horror, thriller and crime fiction all in one. With a tightly woven plot and fantastic pacing you cannot help but get invested and keep reading till the end. It’s got all the elements I love. It is equally psychological, emotional and with a touch of the supernatural to make it stand out even more.

If you enjoy horror then you will adore this but if you aren’t always a fan of the genre I think this is a perfect stepping stone into it. A definite must read.

As always thank you to Titan Books for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC of this novel.

I love Ronald Malfi’s books and I was so excited to get an advanced copy of his newest one.

First, this book was weird. In a horror, strange but not necessarily bad way. There are three characters this book followed and I have to say the detective’s story and Maureen’s story really had me hooked from the beginning. Every time we went back to Toby I started to lose a little interest but I think that’s mostly because his was definitely the most out there part of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I love how the stories all connected in the end but I will say that I feel like the ending seemed to come out of nowhere.

I also liked how everything wasn’t wrapped up in a nice little bow and how we didn’t get resolutions for each character. That felt very in tune with the rest of the book.

If you are a fan of horror and love a book that is a little strange and creepy I recommend.

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

I think that I am understanding that this author is not for me. I have such a hard time getting into the writing style, for me it feels flat and it takes so much of my enjoyment out of the book. Overall, this was not for me.

This is my second Malfi book and after reading this I can most certainly say that I am a fan!
There are three threads to this book. Detective Renney is investigating the brutal murder of a woman discovered in the desert. This murder is very similar to one that took place the year before but Renney thought they had the right guy.
Maureen is running from her past and is now about to marry a man that she has only known for a few months. Then his son turns up out of the blue, delighting in making her feel uncomfortable and puts the relationship into question. Finally, Tony Kampen who refers to himself as a human fly. He lives a solitary life but one night in a bar he meets a woman who he thinks is not quite human and he becomes obsessed.
This book was a slow burner for me but the seemingly separate threads to the story kept me interested as I wondered how they all connected. Malfi wove them all together beautifully because even though I had my suspicions for Toby, I also had my doubts. Although a slow burner, I found the last 20% was non stop page turning as twist after twist kept flying at me. A few jaw dropping points in the book but the most memorable was definitely the monkey (IYKYK) 🙊
The characters are memorable, most unlikeable but some you can empathise with.
There was some gore and a hint to the supernatural but it also had the underlying theme of mental illness. All leading to a disturbing, yet wonderfully written book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book and prompting me to go read more of his books.

A mutilated woman’s body is discovered in the desert outside Los Angeles, drawing Detective Bill Renney back to a hauntingly similar murder from a year ago. Both victims suffered the same gruesome fate, leaving Renney to unravel the chilling connection between these heinous crimes. (Warning: graphic details ahead!)
Meanwhile, Maureen, newly engaged to movie producer Greg Dawson, begins to question her future when Greg’s estranged son, Landon, arrives from Europe. Landon’s sinister demeanor and unsettling intentions leave Maureen terrified, as she uncovers the dark secrets lurking within the Dawson family.
Toby Campen, a socially isolated young man in his twenties, struggles with the trauma of being raised by his mentally unstable mother, whom he calls “the spider.” Toby believes he is a human fly locked in a battle with the spider in a mother-suit. One night at a nightclub, he meets a woman with rattlesnake teeth, sparking an obsession that spirals into devastating consequences.
These seemingly separate narratives converge in a masterfully crafted tale that is both eerie and enthralling. Malfi’s latest work redeems any past missteps, delivering a spine-chilling story that grips readers from start to finish. This is my new favorite book of Ronald Malfi!

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

Ronald Malfi's Senseless is a chilling, atmospheric descent into the hidden rot beneath Los Angeles' glossy exterior—a city of masks, where beauty hides brutality and nothing is ever quite what it seems. In this intricately woven thriller, Malfi blends psychological horror, noir detective fiction, and the uncanny to deliver a narrative that is as disturbing as it is compulsively readable.

Told through three interconnected storylines, Senseless moves like a creeping fog across the desert and into the city’s darkest corners. There’s Detective Bill Renney, haunted not just by a string of eerily similar murders but by a personal connection that threatens to compromise everything. Maureen Park, a woman on the edge of a new life, finds her perfect engagement unraveling when her fiancé’s son, Landon, inserts himself into her world—dripping menace and mystery. And then there’s Toby Kampen, a grotesque and lonely figure known as the “Human Fly,” whose obsessive infatuation with a woman who might not even be human takes the story to its most surreal, terrifying heights.

Malfi masterfully builds tension in layers—psychological, emotional, and supernatural—making every chapter feel like a slow turn of a screw. As the characters’ paths converge, the novel reveals itself to be a meditation on perception: what we see, hear, and feel can’t always be trusted. And in true Malfi fashion, horror lurks not just in monsters or murderers, but in obsession, guilt, and the lies we tell ourselves to survive.

Dark, elegant, and unrelenting, Senseless is a standout addition to Malfi’s already impressive catalog. It’s a novel that doesn't just creep under your skin—it gets into your head and lingers there long after the final page.

Rating: 5/5 – A haunting, hallucinatory thriller that only Ronald Malfi could deliver. Fans of Silence of the Lambs, David Lynch, and The Fisherman will be absolutely enthralled.

“There are places in the desert where things can be hidden and never found…”

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Ronald Malfi’s writing in this book. It was hard to put down and some images will stay with me. We are following three different people here: a cop named Renney, Toby (The Fly), and Maureen the writer. I loved how all three stories intertwined. The story begins with a dead woman found in the desert with her eyes, nose, tongue removed. Yes this is a horror book folks..Renney the copy is investigating this case. We meet Maureen next who is a writer who got engaged quickly to a Hollywood producer. Then we meet Toby aka The Fly and he is all kinds of crazy. He’s convinced this woman he meets is a vampire and he wants to be turned. I think his story was my favorite to follow because it was so out there and interesting.

I recommend this book for the horror lovers. If you like multiple perspectives you will like this too. I think all three stories were woven together nicely and this had a satisfying ending. Although it left me a little bit confused. I’d love to talk to others about it.

This is my second book I’ve read by Ronald Malfi and I will continue reading his books. If you like Stephen Graham Jones or Paul Trembley I think you will like the writing in this book.

Thank you Titan Books for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know Ronald Malfi had it like that!

This is my first by the author and I wasn't to sure about a crime thriler/horror, but I ate this up. The desert setting, watching the different POVs on their way to convergence, and being able to trust absolutely no one ratcheted up the tension for me. Surprisingly, I was emotionally invested in the characters as well and their tragic backstories definitely tugged at my heart strings.

If you love shows like criminal minds I'd 100% recommend this one.

3.5 stars

I found this unsatisfying. There are three POVs and three stories in this novel. They weave and intersect with each other: Detective Renney, recently bereaved, investigating the death of a woman whose body was dumped in the desert, horribly mutilated; Maureen Park, a writer from small town Wyoming, wrapped up in a whirlwind romance to a budding Hollywood producer; Toby Kampen, a Human Fly, unmoored from time and reality, desperately seeking acceptance and willing to suffer any transformation to gain it. Although each story reached A conclusion, I was left wanting more. I kept waiting for it all to come together in a more bombastic way but it never did.

Don't get me wrong, there were scenes that held my attention like nobody's business but they were interspersed with long sections where if I wasn't a time crunch to write a review, I could easily have put the book down and never have the urge to pick it up again. This isn't a story where I was desperate to know what happens next.

I think if you loved Paul Tremblay's The Pallbearer's Club, you'll enjoy this a lot. Sadly, neither were really for me.

Senseless by Ronald Malfi
If you’re already a Malfi fan (and let’s be real, who isn’t), Senseless delivers in all the deliciously eerie ways he does best. His storytelling feels like you're following a thread in the dark — you think you know where it’s going, until it yanks in a whole new direction.
The multiple POVs? Perfection. Every single time a new character popped up or the perspective shifted, I found myself side-eyeing everyone. “Is it you?? What are you hiding?? Who can I trust??” I was in full-blown detective mode with no evidence.
The pacing builds that creeping dread so well, with layers of mystery slowly unfolding, never giving you the full picture until you’re in way too deep. Malfi doesn’t just tell a story, he traps you inside it — and Senseless does exactly that.

If you like…
• Psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators
• Gritty crime meets supernatural dread
• Books that make you question every single character's intentions
…you’ll be obsessed with this one.

Would I recommend this book?
Absolutely. This is peak Malfi. If you love books that make you feel like you're being watched while you read, Senseless is calling your name. I’d recommend it to fans of Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, and anyone who wants their thriller with a side of existential dread.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this banger.

"Senseless" by Ronald Malfi is a very solid entry into the noir genre. The novel tells the story of a widowed detective's search for a serial killer amongst the streetlights of LA, but the author takes that generic noir concept and twists it into a dark tale that very effectively keeps the reader guessing up until the last pages.

Full disclosure: crime noir stories are not my particular genre, but I'd had enough exposure to Malfi's work after reading Black Mouth and Snow that I knew I was interested. The first half of the book played things conventional to the genre, which is where I struggled the most with it. However, once a certain character is introduced and his plotline plays out, it took a left turn that I became engrossed in.

Malfi excels at portraying both grief and the dark underworld of LA (which is a character in itself). He paints scenes effectively with his words, and while I would never describe the book as scary, it has moments that made me feel unsettled.

Overall, I'd check it out if you're a fan of crime noir, horror, or Malfi. It did enough subversion of the noir genre to keep me interested, and the book has some legitimate twists and surprises in it. Horror fans will appreciate the imagery and tone that Malfi conjures up, but they'll largely have to wait until the second half to get there, so patience is advised.

3.5/5

📓🕵‍♂️🪰Senseless 🪰🕵‍♂️📓

Two crimes.

A mystery.

A vampire (?)

And way too many secrets.

A masterfully written horror thriller/mystery of three individuals going through three seemingly separate events that slowly merge like three separate rivers all flowing to the same ocean without knowing the presence of one another.

🩸Detective Renney- actively investigating a gruesome murder with a side of dejavu.

🩸Maureen - A novelist engaged to a famous producer, currently dealing with "family" issues.

🩸Toby, aka The human fly, has met a "vampire" and currently believes he's a fly.

This is an awesome thriller mystery with horror elements! Has a psychological side and deals with mental illness, secrets, and grief.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me stay up way past my bedtime to solve mysterious murders.

I read and listened to this ARC for an immersive and atmospheric read, and it felt like I was walking next to the detective, trying to piece this huge puzzle together.

The cast for this audibook did an outstanding job conveying the emotions of each character, I was so absorbed I had a full Netflix series playing in my head while listening and reading this one.

If you enjoy a good thriller mystery with horror elements, I fully recommend this one! I already made sure to preorder my physical copy!

I would love to thank Ronald Malfi, Titan Book, RB Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and listen to this outstanding thrill of a book!

Now, to make my way through Malfi's entire bibliography!

Another great thriller from Malfi. He does an amazing job at weaving a creepy and suspenseful story, even with three views. This book has it all and will keep you reading late into the night.

A body found in the dessert, mutilated in a gruesome manner. A widowed detective tasked with solving the case. A writer who is engaged to a movie executive with a troublesome son. An outcast with an active imagination and questionable hygiene. This story grabbed me immediately. It is my first Malfi, who I was under the impression was a horror author. This certainly had horrific aspects but definitely reads as a thriller. Which isn't a bad thing at all. I was way more invested in Renney's and Maureen's storylines. Toby's storyline felt like it meandering a bit much, which I think was intentional, and a testament to his scattered state of mind. I felt the end was a little too rushed for my taste but it didn't take away from the overall story. I just wish there had been a little more with the final interaction.

Overall, I thought this was OK. I felt the book was a bit too long and had one too many storylines within it that muddied up the story for me. I would have liked more focus on the Renfield character and the police investigation, rather than one of the other side stories.

In Senseless by Ronald Malfi, three stories: a detective investigating a murder, a woman meeting her soon-to-be son-in-law for the first time, and a man who thinks he’s a fly unravel and eventually come together to present a horrifying tapestry.

Senseless is the second book I’ve read and reviewed by Ronald Malfi, the first was Small Town Horror and I got to read both of them early from Net Galley. Malfi is a really good writer who creates complex characters with stellar dialogue and horrifying events. Senseless is a mystery but also a horror tale. The two genres work well here and there are things in this book that you are never sure if they are real or just in certain character’s minds.

The book is pretty graphic too. There’s something much later in the book that was so graphic that I had to scan through it. It was a bit too much. Also a bit too much was some of the later thoughts of the human fly. whew. Man.

Senseless is a really good book though and not all of the mysteries are solved in this one. You’ll be left wondering a bit about a least one major thing. I’m trying to be careful about revealing any spoilers here. A lot is revealed later in the book though and its stunning. Not everything in this book is as it seems.

The only thing I know for sure is that I want to read more books by Malfi. He’s just a great writer and I’m glad I discovered him through my reviewing. I know he’s written a lot of other books so I look forward to eventually checking out some of them.

If you like mystery, horror, complex characters and stunning reveals, then you should have Senseless on your radar. It is a very graphic horror mystery but its also a very good one too.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early copy of this book for review. Senseless will release on April 15, 2025.

Excuse me. WHAT.

I'm a Malfi fan; I've read about 5 of his books. Generally, they've been 3-4 stars (Come with Me was a 5 star read). But Senseless...

Senseless is all the best aspects of his other books twisted together in a fever dream vortex of police procedural drama and hallucinogenic action. The cast of characters and plot outline seem to both defy the rules of writing and follow them so well we're reminded why they exist. It's masterful.

There's a rather large cast of characters for such a novel as this. We follow 3 different storylines, each with 3-4 characters that are followed closely, and each one is so bizarre and/or well placed they aren't hard to keep track of.

One POV is from a (likely schizophrenic or some other similar disorder) hallucinating man, so he can be tricky. What is real in his chapters? What isn't?

The story deals with grief after a spouse dies (which, after reading and loving Come with Me, does Ronald need a hug? Is he okay?) as well as speculations on what is real, the strange patterns that occur throughout time and place, the way reality sometimes mimics the plot structure of art, how we use art to process pain, the ravages of both drugs and mental illness, and so on.

The setting of LA and the desert--as well as rich vs poor--are so lush. The juxtaposition is incredible. The writing is beautiful! It's the perfect length, the chapters vary in length (which I love).

This book is a love letter to Malfi fans. It's brutal and creepy and full of looking dread.

CONTENT WARNINGS for gnarly, brutal violence including murd3r, s3xua! a33ault, drugs, gross depictions of bodily things and spiders. It doesn't cross the line to splatterpunk or extreme horror, perhaps because the plot and characters are so strong and at the front of all action.

#GIFTED from Netgalley and Titan books to read and review honestly and voluntarily.

Thank you Titan Books for my gifted finished copy (she is BEAUTIFUL), and Tantor Audio for my gifted ALC!

Senseless is how you write a detective novel! Hell. Yes. I was deeply unsettled the entire time. Invested. Tugging at red strings and plugging them here and there.

Ronald Malfi has mastered this gentle guidance to a shattering twist that blows you away. I am only a handful and a half into Malfi’s works, but it seems like he gets better with each new novel.

This book is a longer read, but it doesn’t feel that way. Malfi crafts this gothic-tinged world that is too desirable to not want to sink deep into. I didn’t want to leave. I almost want to start this book over just to experience it all again.

*Senseless* by Ronald Malfi is a gripping psychological/true-crime-esque thriller that keeps readers second-guessing themselves—I know I did.
We follow a couple of different POVs-one of a troubled, widowed investigator, and the other of a schizophrenic on his quests.
Without spoiling…do not sleep on the ending. My jaw was on the floor and my hand over my mouth as I audibly gasped as the horror (body) that ensued in the final act.
The pacing can be slow at times, but the emotional depth and psychological complexity of the story make it a compelling read.
*Senseless* is a chilling and atmospheric thriller, perfect for fans of mind-bending suspense. My first but certainly not last Malfi. 4 stars.