About six months before this book was published, I was at a Horror convention chatting with Clay McLeod Chapman (Ghost Eaters, What Kind of Mother) when Ronald Malfi approached us to say hi to Clay. Immediately Clay began gushing enthusiastically about Small Town Horror, which he had just finished reading. As I watched, amused, Clay talked about the immersive nature of the book, the horrors within, the expertise of Malfi, the way he’s mastered the art of writing Chesapeake Bay Horror, and several more delicious compliments that I can no longer recall. It was delightful to watch, and in the back of my mind, I bumped Small Town Horror to the top of my To Be Read list. 

Now, having read it, I can confirm that everything Clay McLeod Chapman said about this book was true. 

In Small Town Horror, long-buried secrets push their way to the surface and crawl out to haunt the people who buried them. This novel is steeped in the briny waters of fear and regret. Small Town Horror pulls you into the sweltering terror of a curse come to collect. 

If you’re looking for a Southern Gothic with shades of Stephen King and Peter Straub, with characters you can’t help but love, with horrors that creep off the page and settle beneath your skin, look no further, you’ve found it.