Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm always very happy about an ARC and being able to give it a review! <3

A fly, a vampire, and a monkey – do I need to say more? :D

I thought the idea of the story was really interesting, but for me, it kind of fell short in the execution. Personally, I’m not a fan of detective/police investigations in books, and that’s mainly what this one focuses on. So if you like that kind of thing, you’ll probably enjoy it.

The dynamic between the stepmother, the stepson, and the father was super interesting, and I really wished more focus had been put on that. They definitely missed the potential here. They could’ve gotten so much more out of it if the POVs had just switched between the parents and the son.

As for the fly, the monkey, and the vampire – I honestly have no idea what was going on there.
I probably just didn’t get it. At first, I thought it was kind of intriguing, and it reminded me of another book, but the more I got into the story, the more it just started to annoy me.

Unfortunately, for me, this is one of the weaker stories from Ronald Malfi.

This was a deeply unsettling book! Weaving what seems like separate storylines, each with their own creep factor, from Renny and the husband of one of the murdered women with another corpse found and mutilated in the same way, to Toby who thinks he is a human fly with a spider mother and in love with a possible vampire and last but not least Maureen, engaged quickly to Greg who has a disturbing son from another marriage. All the characters feel real and definitely flawed in such ways that it is impossible to tell if there is anything supernatural occurring out there in the desert or if it is all the darkness of human nature. It was hard to stop listening, especially when you finally get to see how it all relates and yes, the ending does leave things open but I think it was done more for the unsettling and thinking long after the story is over.

So I will rate this an eerie and well done audiobook withe the narrators doing a good job of bringing their respective characters to life. The cover is nicely disturbing too, especially when you look closely at it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this book!

Another 5 star read by my all time favorite author, of course. The storytelling in this one is no different than his other books the way that he was able to captivate my interest from the very first page. I was NOT able to put this one down and wanted to listen to it as much as possible. I love how there were three different story lines going on in the beginning and how he was able to intricately connect them by the end. One of the stores being told by an “unreliable narrator” really kept my mind thinking “okay wtf is really going on?!”. That was an aspect to the story that kept me hungry for more. The narrators really did a great job with this audio book. All the sound effects they made along with the emotion they were able to convey really made the book come to life. And as always in a Malfi book, he was able to add the perfect amount of “paranormal activity” while still keeping the story believable and entertaining. Malfi’s cleverness never ceases to amaze me, and this book was just written so well and I love how it really tied in with the title of the book. I don’t think there’s a book that this man will write that I won’t fall in love with. If you’re a fan of serial killers, murder mysteries, and don’t mind a little paranormal touch, this is the book for you. I might even go as far to say that Malfi is the author for you as well. I can’t wait to see what this brilliant man does next!

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.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Senseless by Ronald Malfi is a masterclass in suspenseful horror. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The audiobook is fantastic, perfectly capturing the eerie atmosphere and keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. Malfi weaves a chilling narrative, expertly blending elements of psychological thriller and supernatural horror. The characters are complex and compelling, and the mystery unfolds at a satisfying pace, leading to a truly unsettling climax. While it's not a perfect 5 stars (a few minor plot points felt slightly underdeveloped), this is a must-listen for fans of the genre. A big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m normally a huge fan of Malfi, and this book about a serial killer and the detective on the hunt for him sounded like it was right up my alley. Unfortunately, for me anyway, the female narrator‘s voice was just too grating for me, so I did not listen to the entire audiobook. I will look for the book in print and hold out hope that the book will be just as good as Malfi’s others

Arc review ✨

So I will start this by saying I think this is a me problem and may not be the book/authors problem as many will love this and have loved their previous works. I’ve read a couple of books written by this author so far and this is my third and last try..

It always starts out strong... But after 20% or so, it just falls and loses me. I did not like our characters and I knew that they would tie to each-other someway which intrigued me somewhat and that the unlikeability was probably the point but I just lost interest in finding out how it all ties together. That last chunk does reel the reader back in like “aha, that’s why!” although this one wasn’t as strong as the previous for that either… but I unfortunately cannot forget about the struggle I have with 2/3 of the book and that’s why I have come to the conclusion that the stories may just not work for me. It didn’t feel like the juice was worth the squeeze.

I think this one may be better off audio as well. I struggled with the audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for an honest review!

2.75 rounded up.

Senseless started off strong for me and then unfortunately I found myself losing interest and struggling to keep focused. I loved the writing as I usually do with Ronald Malfi's books but I found that I wasn't captivated by the story. It felt a bit messy for me and almost seemed to me like I was experiencing different books throughout listening.

I found the characters to be strange and with little to be desired. I think I'm just a bit incompatible with Malfi as much as I wish that wasn't the case.

I at least seem to be an unpopular opinion. I still think this book was incredibly well crafted and I'm sure many will love it. I can appreciate Malfi's artistry even though the story wasn't for me. If you're thinking of reading this, I would still say to give it a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

TW: body horror, death, gore, violence, stalking, murder, injury detail, child death, emotional abuse, sexual content, physical abuse

I absolutely love Ronald Malfi. This book was no exception. At first, I was a bit confused with seemingly random story lines, but knowing Malfi's writing, I knew they would interconnect somehow. And they did. There is a young man, Toby, who has some seriously different ways of thinking who wants to be a vampire and tries to get a young woman to help him. A cop, Detective Bill Renney, who is in charge of figuring out two murders within a year that are gruesome and have much in common. And a woman, Maureen, who is engaged to a very wealthy man, however the man's son has disturbing behaviors. This book was a trip and a half! Events continue to make this unhinged and horrifically amazing as it unfolds. The imagery and atmospheric senselessness (see what I did there?) were absolute perfection!

Crime/Mystery thriller with a touch of horror. Malfi magically blends three separate narratives into an eerie cohesive story. The main narrative follows a veteran detective investigating a recent gruesome murder of a psychiatrists wife that resembles a similar murder from years ago. Both women are left “senseless”. The second narrative follows a movie producer, his fiancee, and creepy son who shows potential signs of being a murderer. The third and best narrative, follows a mentally ill man who believes himself to be transforming into a fly, has a spider mother, and becomes infatuated with a woman he believes is a vampire! This third narrative is what adds the horror aspect to the book.

Pacing is a bit slow but I remained interested in the story, wondering how in the hell it was all going to connect. Characters were all interesting, and the ending left some big unknowns for the reader. Overall it was a great story and very unique plot. An entire book could have been on the fly man, my favorite story line. Senseless come out April 15, 2025.

I just love Ronald Malfi. Sometimes his books are supernatural and sometimes the monsters are human, but you don't always know for sure until the end. Malfi is so good at building atmosphere-- one of my creepiest experiences ever was listening to Snow while driving alone in a dark fog.
This book has a troubled detective, Bill Renney, who is trying to catch someone killing women. His part of the story feels very noir. There is also Maureen, newly engaged to a movie producer and nervous around his son. Toby is the oddest character and it's hard to tell if his experiences are real.
It was interesting how the stories were intertwined but had different moods, and there were so many secrets, including secrets people were keeping from themselves. There were different narrators, all excellent for presenting the different moods. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook