We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone

by Ronald Malfi

Overview

A new mother is pursued by mysterious men in black. A misguided youth learns the dark secrets of the world from an elderly neighbor on Halloween night. A housewarming party where the guests never leave. A caretaker tends to his rusted relic of a god deep in the desert...

In his debut short story collection, Bram Stoker Award finalist Ronald Malfi mines the depths and depravities of the human condition, exploring the dark underside of religion, marriage, love, fear, regret, and hunger in a world that spins just slightly askew on its axis. Rich in atmosphere and character, Malfi's debut collection is not to be missed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945373978
Publisher:	JournalStone
Publication date:	11/03/2017
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.68(d)

Editorial Reviews

10/02/2017
In this uneven collection of 20 horror stories, Malfi (Little Girls) explores a wide range of human failings, foibles, and flaws. A psychotic man mentors a disturbed and bullied child in “Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart.” Another child is preyed upon in “The House on Cottage Lane,” which will haunt readers. In “Pembroke,” a secretive bookstore proprietor comes across a book with fearsome power. An unusual quartet convenes in “Couples Seeking Couples.” A few of the stories are throwaways: “In a Pet Shop,” “Chupacabra,” and “The Housewarming” have no real point. Others are powerfully scary: “All the Pretty Girls,” about a serial killer, is downright chilling, and “Closing In,” about a criminal suddenly confronted with his sins, is deeply disturbing. “Painstation” and “Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects” resonate like horrible nightmares. Malfi concludes with “Then There Is Boston,” which meanders but eventually proves to be a fitting end to the collection. Many of the stories have decidedly ambiguous endings, which may frustrate some readers. This is a potluck-like mix from which readers can pick and choose. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly