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.

Early this year I have pleasure of reading an ARC of Ronald Malfi’s Senseless. And this is what I have to say about it: Part police procedural, part domestic thriller, and part potential supernatural horror, with Senseless Malfi once again proves that he is a master weaver working a literary loom, tying these three seemingly unconnected stories together. If I hadn’t already been hooked from the start, the initial crime scene description would have done the trick. As gruesome as it was, after ‘witnessing’ the condition of the victim I just had to know what kind of sick twisted monster could do that to a person. As always, I love the complex characters Malfi creates. They always feel real, flawed to be sure but real nonetheless, and no matter how wild the circumstances the situations always feel plausible as well. This one will keep you reading late into the night, and then unsettled by any sounds you might hear while drifting off to sleep. I’m probably a bit biased, but I feel Malfi is truly under appreciated.

Now I’ve had opportunity to listen to the audio version as well, and I came away equally impressed. The audio version has multiple narrators, namely Jenn Lee, Ray Greenley, and Joe Hempel, and they all deliver top notch performances. And I have to say the story was just as enjoyable my second time through. Senseless is an excellent story no matter how you choose to consume it. I’d like to thank Tantor audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review and advanced copy of the audio version of Ronald Malfi’s Senseless.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2TIP4W7V3USE1/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This is a creepy, atmospheric novel of horror with three different storylines. The body of a young woman is found murdered and dumped in the desert out side of LA. Detective Bill Renney is investigating the case and notices similarities to another murder a year ago…Maureen Parker is a writer who is recently engaged to a Hollywood producer named Greg Dawson. The night of their engagement party, Greg’s son Landon makes a surprise appearance and Maureen senses that something is not quite right with the son. As days go by, she feels more and more threatened by Landon and his strange behavior, and she cannot help but feel that he may be somehow involved in the recent murders.. Meanwhile, Toby Kampen is a loner and a stalker who has become obsessed with a woman he meets at a bar, convinced she may be otherworldly. The three story lines slowly weave together into a tale of suspense, deception and an ultimately horrific end.

The body of a young woman has been found horribly mutilated outside of L.A. and Detective Bill Renney, who recently lost his wife, can't help but see the similarities between the murder and horrific mutilation of a woman the year prior.
Maureen Park has recently become engaged to Hollywood producer, Greg Dawson and finds herself increasingly uneasy around his son, Landon. Landon seems disturbed and enjoys making people uncomfortable.
Toby Kampen, is a young man who refers to himself as a Human Fly. He lives a solitary existence but when he meets a unique woman a bar who piques his interest and has him wondering if she human or something else altogether.
These 3 storylines converge beautifully, pulling you into a conclusion you won't see coming.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

“A hallucination is a false perception of objects or events involving your senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.” Senseless by Ronald Malfi is a sick and twisted slow-burn horror crime noir story that didn’t resonate with me. There are three separate stories that merge into one in the final act. Grief, schizophrenia and the wearing of masks are at the root of the stories. The slowest of burns made me bump up the audiobook player to 1.75. I’m a 1.4 usual player. It wasn’t until near the end of the audiobook that the story started to make sense as a whole. This story might appeal more to true crime fans. ALC was provided by Tantor Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

READ IT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN OR LIKED- Los Angeles setting- Supernatural crime - Let the Right One In- LA Confidential- Vampires- True crime- Zodiac- Riley Sager

BRIEF REVIEWDark thriller not horror. Very much a detective story. Similar to Zodiac in that it did have some horrific parts but overall it's a slow burn detective crime thriller. I've enjoyed quite a few of Malfi's books and this one didn't make the top 3 but that's because I enjoy his horror stories more.

3.5☆
As a huge Malfi fan, this one didn’t land like the others. However, there were still redeemable qualities that made for a gripping story. What makes for an incredibly layered multiple pov that eventually coalesces at the end, I found this enormity of ideas too overwhelming to enjoy in stages. Malfi still writes with atmospheric eerie factor, binding you to the characters psychological avenues. I think it was odd that the detective character takes a passive role for most of the story, allowing the other characters to fill in the gaps and come to him with information. This just wasn’t convincing or sensible. I feel this book needed editing, letting the overflow of ideas and characters to form into their own separate books. I listened to the audiobook and found the narration enjoyable.

Thank you Tantor Audio & Ronald Malfi for this audiobook!

Malfi never ceases to deliver something that's absolutely chilling. This book is no different. A blend of horror and thriller I didn't know where all our characters connected and how everything would tie together - but the ending is just perfect.

It is quite a bit of a slow burn and while there is a suspenseful hunt and a gory look into some twisted evil, this book is all about the long game and the pay off is worth it!

The narration was excellent and the narrators really brought the story to life for me. The audiobook is sure one that'll satisfy our horror and thriller lovers!

First, I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review. 

I listened to this as an audiobook and I highly recommend doing the same! All three Povs had their own narrator and they did such a good job.

This was a really interesting mix of horror and thriller. Unlike your usual thriller, this one wasn't a fast-paced murder investigation with lots of corpses showing up left and right. Instead, it was a slow, layered exploration of the different people we followed. For most of the book, those three Povs seemed totally unrelated to another. It almost felt like three entirely different books. But in the very last chapter, everything wove neatly together to one big picture.

I loved the creepy tension that crept through the entire book. I even got scared a couple of times. The horror elements are really nicely embedded into the storyline and really keep the tension high. Therefore, the character study scenes didn't get boring at all.

My only complaint is that I personally wasn't a big fan of the ending. The killer and his motives felt really anticlimactic and too basic for the rest of the story. I wish the horror elements would have also been part of the plot twist and not just an element of suspense.

I recommend if you're looking for a slow, character based thriller with a unique approach!

The book is unsettling, suspenseful, and terrifying. This is a supernatural crime thriller. Three stories are interconnected and narrated from three different perspectives. This book is different from author’s previous books. It gave me a vibe like Stephen king books. There is a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, crime, and horror.

🩸A mutilated body of a woman is found in desert. The details are gruesome and cruel. Whoever has k!lled her has shown no mercy. Detective Bill Renney is investigating the case. Somehow this case is connected with the murder that has happened a year ago. How can two women suffer the same fate?

💍 Maureen is a novelist and recently got engaged to a film producer Greg. She felt good with him until his son Landon arrived from Europe. There are secrets both Greg and Landon are harbouring. The more Maureen is digging in their secrets, the more dangerous it’s becoming for her.

🪰Toby always felt that he doesn’t fit in with people and he is different. He thinks he is a human fly. Being raised by a mother with mental issues changed his whole life. He does strange things and he thinks he is in war with his mother. So this is a story of obsession, unthinkable happenings, secrets, and horror.

The book will leave you with more questions than answers. It will make you questions everything and keep you on the edge till the end. The narrators did a good job.


Thanks to the Publisher, Author, and Narrators.

Anything Ronald Malfi writes is an automatic buy for me. I absolutely loved Senseless. It was a treat for us readers that the author took us to the West coast for this dark, dark tale instead of his usual Eastern home ground. The keyword for this story is "night people". Ever wonder what's happening out there in the night while you lie in your bed all tucked in and dreaming the sweet dreams of the innocent ? This book reads like true-crime, paranormal and horror fiction. The events that take place "could" technically happen. There's a healthy dose of mystery, mental illness and gore. The town is Los Angeles and you better watch your back if you go out into the night. I gave this 4 stars instead of five because of the ending. The book just stops. Little to nothing is explained - it left me frustrated as hell. I can only hope that the author is going to write a sequel or is planning to make this into a book series (sort of Twin Peaks-ish). Maybe the author left the ending so undone to drive home the fact that sometimes in life, there are no answers.

Fantastic book it was so exciting trying to guess how the three story lines would connect, I was left with questions though Narration was excellent!

Senseless is hard for me to rate because one one hand the first oh 3/4 of this book either way is incredibly compelling.

It’s an interlocking who dunnit that feels timeless in a way that harkens back to red dragon. Perfect for fans of all sinners bleed.

The problem is there are two interpretations and one of them (the more likely one imo) leans very heavy into “AND HE WAS CRAZY” and like sure. I get that a lot of crimes are like perpetrated by mentally ill people but the other and infinitely more interesting option is supernatural.

If you live in delusion and like ooky spooky I think it’s a lot more fun and 4 star read

If you like a more grounded crime thriller then there is a lot to like but maybe a little lower on the rating scale. The reveal makes sense but it’s not particularly cathartic imo

Either way the horror imagery that malfi weaves through the narrative is deliciously gory and hot all the right spot for a horror hound.

Jenn Lee is crisp and clear but nothing particularly noticeable about her narration style.
Joe Hempel is a good narrator but he’s also a pretty slow one. I had to bump the speed personally
Ray Greenly was superb however and a real delight.