The Narrows by Ronald Malfi

(Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A creepy and atmospheric slice of small-town horror from the Bram Stoker award finalist and bestselling author of Come With Me. Perfect for readers of  Christopher Golden and fans of Mike Flanagan. 

In the aftermath of a terrible storm, the town of Stillwater, Maryland tries to recover what it has  lost. From flooded roads and houses, to ruined businesses—the residents of the town begin to  clean up and return to normal. 

In the midst of the clear up, people begin to see things. Matthew Crawly spies his father in thewoodlands above the Narrows, but that cannot be possible; Maggie Quedentock nearly hits a child  with her car, only to find an empty road lying before her; and in the middle of it all, Sergeant Ben  Journell is thrust into an impossible investigation. Animals are being slaughtered, their brains  systematically removed from their bodies. Something is happening to the town of  Stillwater…something dark and ancient and evil has its grip on everyone. 

The saying goes, still waters run deep, but no one in Stillwater is prepared for just how deep they  run, and no one can possibly be ready for what they might find when they reach the bottom of the  gray waters of the Narrows.

my thoughts:

My first spooky read for Halloween month is Ronald Malfi's, The Narrows. A vampire book without a vampire? Hmm...sounds intriguing, eh? Well, according to Malfi, that is the type of story he wanted to create and The Narrows is it. Not going to lie - I love vampire stories, so I was definitely interested in reading this one. Especially, since I wanted to find out how Malfi would go about creating a monster that was not your typical bloodsucker. 

Stillwater has just endured a horrible flood and are still recovering from it when they are suddenly riddled with murder and missing children. Say what?! Yep, the town has suddenly sunk into something worse than despair, it is a horror show - a nightmare they can't seem to wake from. Yikes! And, that is all I will share about this terrific tale of gruesome deaths, haunting visions, and vampire-like monsters. 

Malfi has created a riveting story that will grab you and pull you right in. I loved how easy it was to get caught up in the all the drama and horror surrounding this small town. I found myself easily befriending the Crawly family, Ben, and everyone involved in this terrifying tale. I even teared up when Dwight purchased a vampire mask for his missing best friend. Kids really can be the sweetest. And, I loved how one of the police officers was obsessed with horror movies and magazines - his take on the villain was that it could be a chupacabra. Oh, and small-town life was captured perfectly, especially a small-town that was dying economically - I could picture it all perfectly. Plus, the mention of the flooding reminded me of what just happened with Helene. Also, I live in South Florida, so I'm no stranger to hurricanes and flooding. Also, I loved that all the vampire knowledge they had seemed to come from the movies - that is just so relatable. LOL!  Suffice it to say, there are so many wonderful parts to this story and they made for a fun read. I really enjoyed getting to know the town of Stillwater, but I was happy when the remaining residents decided it was time to pack up and leave - I know that I would. All in all, The Narrows is a must-read, especially this fall/winter season. Make sure to pick up a copy ASAP! 

Thank you to Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!