Come With Me

Some say that "grief hates a moving target" and "unspools its hectic, pitiless platitudes into your ear".

Some of us marvel at how Ronald Malfi turns regular storytelling into so much more by the end, by relating his personal experiences into emotions that most of us feel but have no idea how to express.

The talent of a nuanced storyteller with the ability to shock and extract when least expecting it, to surmise ideas and take you unawares when everything seems nailed down.

He knows a bit about the magic of love too, what it's like to experience the flip side of all-encompassing grief - that horrible yearning that swamps the soul but also goads the fire of renewed determination inside.

Classified as horror, this isn't the scariest Malfi book I've read, in comparison to Bone White, let's say, which chilled the living hell out of me, but more like a mystery thriller with essential relationships, rewarding exploration and accessible pacing.

It's like a less gruesome version of The Killing Lessons by Saul Black with a better ending.

I recommend this if you're a fan of slowburn storytelling, careful planning and intricate character development, with a twist of horror and scoops of mystery.

Ronald Malfi takes you to the brink of hopelessness, right at the edge of the cliff, before yanking you back to safety at the last minute.

What's even more wonderful is only having read three of his books and the prospect of gazillions more to come that might be as good.