I really wanted to enjoy Senseless by Ronald Malfi, but I found it incredibly confusing. The writing style was fine, but the way the storylines unfolded left me more lost than intrigued. I kept waiting for everything to come together in a meaningful way, but even by the end, I still didn’t fully understand how the different plot threads were supposed to intersect. It felt disjointed, like pieces of a puzzle that never quite fit. Maybe others will appreciate the ambiguity, but it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia!

3.5 stars! ⭐️ Huge thanks to Tantor Audio & NetGalley for the ALC! 💌

Okay sooo... this isn't my usual type of read, and I'm guessing that’s why it didn’t totally land for me. First time reading Ronald Malfi and... I honestly don’t know if I’ll continue. BUT there were some things that got under my skin in a good way!

The premise? Senseless follows three separate POVs:

✧ Detective Bill Renney, grappling with grief and a murder eerily similar to a past case
✧ Maureen Park, a small-town writer now engaged to a hotshot Hollywood producer (red flag alert)
✧ Toby Kampen, aka “The Human Fly,” obsessed with a strange woman who may or may not be… human?

Their stories slowly start to intersect in weird, eerie, uncomfortable ways.
There's trauma, mental illness, secrets, creepy vibes, and that classic slow-building dread Malfi’s known for.

Let me just say: the atmosphere? GRIPPING.
Whether it's a sun-scorched desert or a shady Hollywood party, every setting drips with dread. And the writing?? So sharp and immersive it hurts. You don’t just read Malfi, you get sucked in, like some weird fever dream you can’t wake up from.

And major shoutout to the narrators—Jenn Lee, Ray Greenley, and Joe Hempel absolutely nailed the tone and pacing. Each POV felt distinct and layered, and the performances added a whole extra level of tension and emotion. There were moments that legit gave me chills, especially during the more unhinged or emotionally raw scenes—they brought those characters to life in such a vivid, unsettling way.

BUT…

Plot-wise? Kinda messy.
I felt like the story wanted to be a gritty mystery, but then dipped its toes into horror, then character study, then... something else entirely. Detective Renney was set up to be the heart of the story, but he honestly didn’t do much? He’s the emotional throughline, sure, but the actual detective work? Minimal at best. He mostly exists to get handed info by other people, which made me feel like the plot was dragging its feet.

Toby's storyline was the most compelling—unhinged, raw, full-on spiraling energy. Maureen’s arc felt more like a psychological detour than a main course, and while it was interesting, I kept waiting for it to snap together with everything else in a more satisfying way.

There were definitely scenes that hit (Toby in the desert?? HELLO?!), but a lot of it felt like a slow crawl to a finale that didn’t quite deliver the “AHA!” moment I was hoping for.

Final thoughts?
If you like your thrillers dark, gritty, and soaked in psychological weirdness, this might be your jam. Just go in knowing it’s more unsettling mood piece than twisty whodunit. For me, it was a mixed bag—some beautiful writing, strong themes, a haunting vibe… but an execution that didn’t fully hit.

Not my favourite but it was an interesting read.
I really liked the cop story line however the “Fly “ storyline I found bit creepy and uncomfortable… but I think that was the point !
The Monkey scene was written well and it was actually quite creepy to lisen to.

I quite enjoyed it even though it was bit chunky and slow in some places.

This was my first book by Ronald Malfi, and while I went in expecting full-blown horror—given his reputation—I was surprised (in the best way) to find something leaning more toward gritty crime fiction. That said, it still carried that eerie undertone and psychological tension you’d hope for. The vibe reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s Bill Hodges trilogy: grounded, grimy, unsettling, and full of morally complicated characters.

I listened to the audiobook version, and it featured three narrators—Jenn Lee, Ray Greenley, and Joe Hempel—who were all absolutely excellent. This is exactly the way to do multiple POV books. Each narrator brought depth and nuance to their character, which made the transitions seamless and the listening experience incredibly immersive. Their performances really elevated the tone and emotion of the story.
The novel is split between three main POVs, which was perfect for me. It gave the story a nice momentum—enough variation to stay engaging without ever feeling disjointed or rushed. One of those POVs dove deeper into the horror space, and I loved it. I found myself questioning that character’s perception, his actions, even his sanity—and that thread gave the book a truly unsettling edge. The balance between his chapters and the others worked well, keeping things grounded.

What also stood out was the world Malfi builds here—the grimy neighborhoods, the shadowy scenes, the morally grey side characters. It all felt lived-in and rich, almost as if this story could easily be tied into a larger world. There were moments when I wondered if it did crossover with his other books, because there’s so much depth it wouldn’t surprise me.

About halfway through, the book began to feel a bit like a thematic anthology, with its storylines drifting in different directions, but I didn’t mind that at all. I was completely along for the ride. There’s a twist about the title—Senseless—that hit just right. It’s always satisfying when that reveal lands well, and this one did. My only minor critique is that the ending wrapped up a bit too neatly, but considering this is a shorter read than I usually go for, that might be part of it. Still, I liked the conclusion overall.

And honestly? One of the POV characters has enough going on that I could see this turning into a trilogy. I’d read more in a heartbeat.

Malfi has got range, and if Senseless is anything to go by, I need to explore his horror work next—I have a feeling I’m going to love it.

4.75 stars

<i>Senseless</i> follows three POVs that appear to be unrelated after a mutilated body is discovered in the desert. Detective Renney suspects her husband and quickly learns some secrets about their life together. Maureen finds her fiancé's son to be troubled and quickly begins to suspect he played a role in the recent copy-cat murder. Toby finds his thoughts all-consumed with a women he's met. Those eyes and teeth... almost as if she's not a human.

The stories begin to piece together and intertwine as new information is gained. The story is dark, unsettling, and eerie. I've finally found a horror novel with aspects that have left me unnerved. I recoiled at each reference to <i>The Wonderful Thing.</i>

While I was confused as some parts (I easily miss things while listening to audiobooks), I overall enjoyed this book and though Malfi did a great job. The book was dark and disturbing and I was yearning to finish it. This was my first read of his and I have several on my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the advanced audio copy of Senseless. Available now and worth the read (or listen)!

This audiobook had some solid narration. Using multiple narrators worked well and helped distinguish between the different characters. It made the listening experience smoother and gave each storyline its own tone.

The detective storyline was easily the most engaging part for me. That plot had real depth, focusing on guilt, grief, and the consequences of trying to bury the past. I found myself really invested in that part and wishing the book had stuck with it more.

The other two storylines didn’t hit the same. The family plot with Maureen, her fiancé, and his odd son started out promising but ended up feeling like a distraction. And the subplot with the guy obsessed with flies and vampires just felt out of place. Instead of adding layers, it made the story feel a bit disjointed and pulled me out of the main mystery.

The pacing dragged at times. There were sections that felt like filler and could have been cut without losing anything important. By the end, I didn’t feel like everything came together in a way that made it worth sitting through the extra plots.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad listen. I liked the narration and the main detective angle, but there was just too much going on. It could have been a much tighter and more satisfying story with some of the side stuff trimmed down.

Senseless follows three storylines with three flawed main characters, in a gritty LA-based crime noir novel with disturbing supernatural elements. Malfi keeps the reader on their toes, guessing and off-center, consistently surprised at the story’s twists. We follow the mentally wounded and awkward Toby as he scours nightclubs looking for a vampire to turn him. The grief-stricken and haunted detective trying to solve brutal murders. And the newly engaged novelist, Maureen, fighting her OCD and her memories, trying to start a new life with a man she barely knows and his just-arrived son with an ax to grind.

The audiobook has three narrators which propels the three-POV story forward.. Malfi inserts off-putting scenes around Toby’s mom, Detective Renney’s ghost, Maureen’s new novel. It is almost a dream-like rendering of each character’s battles and slow unraveling.

Purposely unsatisfying and mysterious, Malfi encourages the reader to suspend their expectations of a modern police procedural thriller, as he shows us glimpses of each of his characters’ inner darkness and demons..

Thank you Titan and Tantor Audio for my free ARC of Senseless by Ronald Malfi — available now!

» READ IF YOU «
🔍 love intricate crime thrillers with a touch of the supernatural
😈 appreciate flawed characters with personal demons
🦍 want to go "....what?!" in the middle of the book

» SYNOPSIS «
Three flawed characters—a detective, a new fiancée, and a delusional fly-man—circle their own personal issues in the dark underbelly of Los Angeles. Their stories will converge, unlikely as that seems, as we dive deep into questions of identity, obsession, and the supernatural, ultimately bringing us to a breathless conclusion.

» REVIEW «
I loooooooved this blend of crime thriller and supernatural horror! Its plot is completely engrossing, but there are also these complex, flawed character arcs that are wildly enjoyable. The POV alternates between three perspectives, one of them kind of outrageous, and I think it's superb how well Malfi weaves them together as the story progresses. Noir Los Angeles is a perfect setting—a dark and unsettling combo of reality and nightmare—and it fits all three characters and their stories so beautifully. Definitely check this one out if you're a fan of crime procedurals and psychological horror!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧The book started off strong and grabbed my attention. Then it went into two other storylines and kept flipping back and forth between them. Toby, the self proclaimed human fly was just odd and I had a hard time getting into it. I really enjoyed the Greg, Maureen & Landon story and wish it focused more on that. Eventually all three stories came together but it wasn’t a strong finish for me.

The narrator was good and I’m glad I did the audiobook opposed to reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an advanced copy.

This is an Audiobook review: From a narration standpoint, there were multiple narrators to break down the detectives to the characters within this story. While the narration or flow of the story was great to differentiate between characters there were parts of this audiobook that felt it dragged on.

We have 3 major story lines:
1 Detectives: With a secret past
2 The Family Dispute: Did the son or father commit the crime?
3 The fly/Vampire subplot.

The storyline with the detectives was my favorite throughout the entire novel, going into a cop turned guilty over grief for his friend and his friends murdered wife, however how far can one go to hide the past when a new murder washes up.

The other storylines feel almost unnecessary and add a confusing breakaway, only confusing the reader into thinking did the strange Renfield/Fly person kill the woman or did the son/father kill them from an old movie. I would probably give this a 3.5 out of 5 I enjoyed the narration and plot of the story but it seemed to drag on with too many side plots and distractions. The ending to me did not feel satisfying enough to make me feel we needed the 2 separate subplots. I think a chunk of the story could’ve been removed or edited out.

This is my first Ronald Malfi book, and now I know I need his backlist. There were times in Senseless that I was baffled how Malfi would bring the three different threads of the book together, but, when he did, it was perfect. I admit to being more invested in one of the storylines than others, but they were all necessary to advance the narrative. I loved the creepy vibes with a touch of the paranormal.

I've read a lot about Malfi recently, so I was very excited to get approved for this ARC. This was fun! I'm definitely a fan now. It's definitely not horror or supernatural and I didn't love the end with its ridiculous number of loose ends that never get tied up, but it was great otherwise. It's worth checking out if you're into crime/mystery stories for sure. I would probably put this more at 3.5 stars because there were things that never really went anywhere (what was with the monkey mask scene?), and the ending was pretty disappointing, but I was pretty hooked the whole time otherwise, so I'll bump it to 4. I could see it being a good miniseries.

3.5⭐️

Honestly I’m not sure what I just read. I guess you could say it was senseless. This was probably one of the weirdest horror, mystery/thrillers I’ve ever read. I do have to say the weirdness made me want to know more. The ending wasn’t what I expected, but I also wasn’t surprised. I think maybe I was expecting something bigger or more at the end just from the feeling the book was giving. Not a bad read just weird.

Overall I really enjoyed trying to put together all the moving pieces to this story while reading it . I think the author always does a good job keeping you guessing and curious to the endings of their books.

Book Rating: ⭐️ 4.25/5
Narration Rating: 🎧 4.5/5

This was my first book by Malfi, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. It delivers all the eerie vibes…creepiness, dread, suspense, and some truly shocking twists. I usually pride myself on catching foreshadowing and figuring out plotlines early, but this one kept me guessing the entire time. You follow three characters as they each navigate their own unsettling experiences, which eventually intertwine in a brilliantly executed central conflict. At first, I struggled to see how their stories connected, but Malfi ties it all together in such a smart, satisfying way. As a horror fan, this hit all the right notes, it gave me that tense, stomach-knotting feeling I live for. Highly recommend!

I’ve read a few Ronald Malfi novels at this point and he never disappoints. This book had great characters and description that felt realistic. There were also some awesome creepy parts, though I wish there were niee elements of horror throughout. Overall, this is a solid thriller/horror book and fans of either genre are likely to enjoy it.

I loved having both male and female narrators read the audiobook; they really helped bring all of the characters to life and added to the feel of the story overall.

This had me going through a loop for a while. I couldn’t decide if we were going to end up with horror novel or a psychological thriller - Malfi is great at both so this definitely kept me toeing the line between the two, guessing until the end. I loved how talented Malfi is, and that he can switch from character to character and make you truly feel like you’re reading something from several different points of view without it being too much to process.

We had three storylines to go on, but they all tied up nicely at the end. I thought the plot, characters and atmosphere were all well-done. I listened to this on audio, and really enjoyed the narration. I also loved how the title came in to play. Thanks to Tantor Audio for my advanced audiobook. Senseless published yesterday and is well worth the read!

Senseless sinks its teeth into you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Malfi threads three eerie, off-kilter lives through a sun-bleached, bloodstained LA, where nothing is quite what it seems. It’s gritty, hypnotic, and quietly unhinged—in the best way.

I felt like it was three stories going at one that didn't fit together at all until the end of the book. I did finish it but I wished that I would have DNF. I am hoping that his other books are better then this one.

I enjoyed the suspenseful and mysterious storyline behind a pair of gruesome murders. The three POVs were intriguing, especially Toby and Bill Renney's perspectives. I liked the red herrings established along the way that kept me guessing as well as the subtle clues to what might be happening. Fans of crime thrillers and police procedurals will enjoy this book.