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Skullbelly
When three teenagers disappear in the redwood forest of the Pacific northwest, private detective John Jeffers is hired by the families to find out why the local police seem to be covering things up. Jeffers travels to the shore town of Coastal Green to investigate...and learns of a terrible secret in the process...
135 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Malfi
74 books3,962 followersRonald Malfi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of many novels and novellas in the horror, mystery, and thriller genres. In 2011, his novel, Floating Staircase, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for best novel by the Horror Writers Association, and also won a gold IPPY award. In 2024, he was presented with the prestigious William G. Wilson Award for Adult Fiction by the Maryland Library Association. Perhaps his most well-received novel, Come with Me (2021), about a man who learns a dark secret about his wife after she's killed, has received stellar reviews, including a starred review from BookPage, and Publishers Weekly has said, "Malfi impresses in this taut, supernaturally tinged mystery... and sticks the landing with a powerful denouement. There’s plenty here to enjoy."
His most recent novels include Senseless (2025) and Small Town Horror (2024), both of which received favorable reviews and saw Malfi stretch his authorial voice.
Come with Me (2021) and Black Mouth (2022), tackle themes of grief and loss, and of the effects of childhood trauma and alcoholism, respectively. Both books have been critically praised, with Publishers Weekly calling Black Mouth a "standout" book of the year. These novels were followed by Ghostwritten (2022), a collection of four subtly-linked novellas about haunted books and the power of the written word. Ghostwritten received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "wonderfully meta collection...vibrantly imagined," and that "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight."
Among his most popular works is December Park, a coming-of-age thriller set in the '90s, wherein five teenage boys take up the hunt for a child murderer in their hometown of Harting Farms, Maryland. In interviews, Malfi has expressed that this is his most autobiographical book to date. In 2015, this novel was awarded the Beverly Hills International Book Award for best suspense novel. It has been optioned several times for film.
Bone White (2017), about a man searching for his lost twin brother in a haunted Alaskan mining town, was touted as "an elegant, twisted, gripping slow-burn of a novel that burrows under the skin and nestles deep," by RT Book Reviews, and has also been optioned for television by Fox21/Disney and Amazon Studios.
His novels Little Girls (2015) and The Night Parade (2016) explore broken families forced to endure horrific and extraordinary circumstances, which has become the hallmark for Malfi's brand of intimate, lyrical horror fiction.
His earlier works, such as Via Dolorosa (2007) and Passenger (2008) explored characters with lost or confused identities, wherein Malfi experimented with the ultimate unreliable narrators. He maintained this trend in his award-winning novel, Floating Staircase (2011), which the author has suggested contains "multiple endings for the astute reader."
His more "monstery" novels, such as Snow (2010) and The Narrows (2012) still resonate with his inimitable brand of literary cadence and focus on character and story over plot. Both books were highly regarded by fans and reviewers in the genre.
A bit of a departure, Malfi published the crime drama Shamrock Alley in 2009, based on the true exploits of his own father, a former Secret Service agent. The book was optioned several times for film.
Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he currently resides along the Chesapeake Bay.
When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock band VEER, who can be found at veerband.net and wherever you stream your music.
Visit
His most recent novels include Senseless (2025) and Small Town Horror (2024), both of which received favorable reviews and saw Malfi stretch his authorial voice.
Come with Me (2021) and Black Mouth (2022), tackle themes of grief and loss, and of the effects of childhood trauma and alcoholism, respectively. Both books have been critically praised, with Publishers Weekly calling Black Mouth a "standout" book of the year. These novels were followed by Ghostwritten (2022), a collection of four subtly-linked novellas about haunted books and the power of the written word. Ghostwritten received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "wonderfully meta collection...vibrantly imagined," and that "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight."
Among his most popular works is December Park, a coming-of-age thriller set in the '90s, wherein five teenage boys take up the hunt for a child murderer in their hometown of Harting Farms, Maryland. In interviews, Malfi has expressed that this is his most autobiographical book to date. In 2015, this novel was awarded the Beverly Hills International Book Award for best suspense novel. It has been optioned several times for film.
Bone White (2017), about a man searching for his lost twin brother in a haunted Alaskan mining town, was touted as "an elegant, twisted, gripping slow-burn of a novel that burrows under the skin and nestles deep," by RT Book Reviews, and has also been optioned for television by Fox21/Disney and Amazon Studios.
His novels Little Girls (2015) and The Night Parade (2016) explore broken families forced to endure horrific and extraordinary circumstances, which has become the hallmark for Malfi's brand of intimate, lyrical horror fiction.
His earlier works, such as Via Dolorosa (2007) and Passenger (2008) explored characters with lost or confused identities, wherein Malfi experimented with the ultimate unreliable narrators. He maintained this trend in his award-winning novel, Floating Staircase (2011), which the author has suggested contains "multiple endings for the astute reader."
His more "monstery" novels, such as Snow (2010) and The Narrows (2012) still resonate with his inimitable brand of literary cadence and focus on character and story over plot. Both books were highly regarded by fans and reviewers in the genre.
A bit of a departure, Malfi published the crime drama Shamrock Alley in 2009, based on the true exploits of his own father, a former Secret Service agent. The book was optioned several times for film.
Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he currently resides along the Chesapeake Bay.
When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock band VEER, who can be found at veerband.net and wherever you stream your music.
Visit
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 21, 2014
This was my first Ronald Malfi read and my only complaint - it was too short, I suppose that’s the case with every novella that you enjoy, you get into it very quickly and before you know it you’re almost finished. So do you crack on for the last twenty minutes or do you wait, building the tension up for the hopeful jaw dropping climax. Me, I always wait, very rare I finish a novella in one sitting, gives me something to look forward to and Skullbelly was one of those I was certainly looking forward to my last 20 minutes.
Our protagonist is private investigator John Jeffers from Seattle, hired by the families of three missing teenagers and their friend, found wounded, bloody and completely unresponsive. Tommy Downing’s medically confirmed non-communicative state is just too convenient for the investigating detectives therefore he is the only suspect.
The four teenagers were out camping in the forest around the isolated town of Coastal Green and three of them were never to return. Jeffers encounters obstacles, strange things happen, legends of a creature told to scare children and the daunting feeling of something not quite right is prevalent in this excellent novella.
Our protagonist is private investigator John Jeffers from Seattle, hired by the families of three missing teenagers and their friend, found wounded, bloody and completely unresponsive. Tommy Downing’s medically confirmed non-communicative state is just too convenient for the investigating detectives therefore he is the only suspect.
The four teenagers were out camping in the forest around the isolated town of Coastal Green and three of them were never to return. Jeffers encounters obstacles, strange things happen, legends of a creature told to scare children and the daunting feeling of something not quite right is prevalent in this excellent novella.
June 10, 2013
Ronald Malfi is simply fantastic with atmospheric tales. This one was notable, not for what was described, but rather for what was so craftily omitted. A stunning conclusion that brings the novella firmly to a close, and yet also leaves the reader begging more more.
September 9, 2013
I read this novella in a matter of an hour or two.
I found this to be an unique take on the horror story. There were no big scary monsters. There was no fog or atmospheric chill in the air. There were no ghosts or phantoms.
What there was was an interesting story about 3 missing kids and one surviving kid, covered in blood and now in a coma. What happened to the missing teens? Will the surviving teen wake up and tell what happened? You will have to read this story to find out.
This was a subtle read with no jump scares. The writing was excellent and the denouement was awesome, even without a big reveal at the end. If you like subtle writing skills that can deliver a punch, this novella may be the one for you. Recommended!
I found this to be an unique take on the horror story. There were no big scary monsters. There was no fog or atmospheric chill in the air. There were no ghosts or phantoms.
What there was was an interesting story about 3 missing kids and one surviving kid, covered in blood and now in a coma. What happened to the missing teens? Will the surviving teen wake up and tell what happened? You will have to read this story to find out.
This was a subtle read with no jump scares. The writing was excellent and the denouement was awesome, even without a big reveal at the end. If you like subtle writing skills that can deliver a punch, this novella may be the one for you. Recommended!
October 23, 2013
Malfi is an awesome writer. He's genre versatile too and this novella was sort of a mix, a private detective story with a hint of supernatural. Writing wise, Malfi is never less than solid, his characters, descriptions and dialogue always works well. He is immensely readable and worth tracking down and checking out. Thanks for the loan, Kim. Plot wise I think I would have liked this story to be one thing or the other or at least heavier on either investigation or the supernatural angle. As is it's a good interesting piece of dark fiction about what might or might not have happened with 4 teenagers on a camping/hiking trip. Good quick read. Recommended.
May 16, 2024
A private detective investigates the disappearance of several teens from a small, rural town. This is a tightly written mystery, with just enough ambiguity to keep things interesting through the very end. A great introduction to Malfi’s work - I’m sadly late to the party, but his writing is just as good as I’d heard. I will definitely be reading more from him.
September 23, 2011
This was a great novella, and in typical Malfi fashion, was able to effectively evoke horror and suspense through outstanding mood building and dreary setting of the North West (Washington State).
As I have also noticed in other Malfi stories, we encounter excellent character development, at least for the protagonist (Jeffers). Malfi does a nice job painting us a portrait of a highly competent yet down on his luck detective, trying to bring a little closure for four families who have experienced tragedy when their kids go missing up in the woods.
In addition to strong characterization, I will also credit Malfi with providing the reader with outstanding dialogue between characters. In fact, the funny dialogue (at times) further adds color and dimension to the Jeffers character and adds a little levity to a fairly morose story.
The suspense is effectively maintained to the very end because Malfi doesn't show us much or overly explain how the kids went missing and what happened to them. All we have are bits and pieces that have turned up via investigation... just hints, whispers, gossip, and more questions than answers. The ending, when one of the lone survivors comes out of his catatonic state, was really eerie, further enabling the reader to really feel the horror when he spies the drawing of the "Skullbelly". One can imagine that the survivor immediately relives his encounter with the "monster".
Really well done on most accounts!! I think my only minor gripe is that this novella felt a little short and a wee bit light on plot elements. Granted, this is a novella... but this may be a good example of when the novella form could be a little constricting. I think I would have wanted a bit more description and development at the point Jeffers enters the woods and revisits the "scene of the crime".
All in all, highly recommended.
As I have also noticed in other Malfi stories, we encounter excellent character development, at least for the protagonist (Jeffers). Malfi does a nice job painting us a portrait of a highly competent yet down on his luck detective, trying to bring a little closure for four families who have experienced tragedy when their kids go missing up in the woods.
In addition to strong characterization, I will also credit Malfi with providing the reader with outstanding dialogue between characters. In fact, the funny dialogue (at times) further adds color and dimension to the Jeffers character and adds a little levity to a fairly morose story.
The suspense is effectively maintained to the very end because Malfi doesn't show us much or overly explain how the kids went missing and what happened to them. All we have are bits and pieces that have turned up via investigation... just hints, whispers, gossip, and more questions than answers. The ending, when one of the lone survivors comes out of his catatonic state, was really eerie, further enabling the reader to really feel the horror when he spies the drawing of the "Skullbelly". One can imagine that the survivor immediately relives his encounter with the "monster".
Really well done on most accounts!! I think my only minor gripe is that this novella felt a little short and a wee bit light on plot elements. Granted, this is a novella... but this may be a good example of when the novella form could be a little constricting. I think I would have wanted a bit more description and development at the point Jeffers enters the woods and revisits the "scene of the crime".
All in all, highly recommended.
November 29, 2018
John Jeffers is a private detective sent to Coastal Green to investigate the disappearance of 3 teenagers. The town people and police are not very forthcoming with details regarding the disappearances, what are they hiding and what is the connection to a local myth.
There is a huge amount of atmosphere created in this little novella, especially towards the end. The author keeps the pace moving along nicely and instead of laying all his cards on the table at the end leaves it on a decidedly chilling note. This is one that definitely snuck up on me and I wasn't expecting to feel as creeped out as I was. Great read and recommended for those that like 'quiet horror'.
April 21, 2025
"They say it looks sort of like a man, if you don’t look too closely at it, only bigger than a man. It’s hair- less, too, and with skin like rubber. It’s got large claws on its hands and a dagger-like spike on each foot, which it uses to pierce the thick trunks of the redwoods so it can climb. Legend says it lives among the redwoods and eats bad children who don’t listen to their parents… it had this large, bulbous belly, and when it would eat a lot of children and get real fat, the skin of its belly would pull so taut that it would become transparent and you could see the partially-digested bodies of the children in there, sizzlin’ in its stomach acids.”-Skullbelly-Ronald Malfi
A group of friends from Seattle goes camping in Coastal Green, Oregon, but only one returns, bloodied and unable to explain what happened. Concerned parents hire private detective John Jeffers to investigate, feeling the local police are inadequate.
“Skullbelly” by Ronald Malfi is a gripping novella featuring a compelling main character, a secretive small town, and a captivating mystery tied to a local legend. Malfi's vivid descriptions create an unsettling atmosphere, allowing readers to feel the tension. The eerie landscapes and the town’s inhabitants are well constructed, giving a sense of apprehension. Malfi showcases all the elements of his writing talent in this novella, leaving readers intrigued about the secrets that lie in wait.
However, the novella’s conclusion is somewhat disappointing, as is the case in many novellas. I wonder if my dissatisfaction comes from wanting more depth, as this intriguing story could easily have been expanded. I would love to read a longer version of the story if it becomes available, but for now, Skullbelly is a quick and captivating read.
December 20, 2011
“Skullbelly,” by Ronald Malfi, is an excellent novella of crime fiction with hints of a possible supernatural element to Private Detective Jon Jeffers’ case involving three missing teenagers. A fourth teenage boy returned from the same trip into the woods covered in blood and has been in a coma since.
During the investigation, Jeffers is introduced to the local urban legend of the creature Skullbelly, devourer of children. Some unexplained events do lean towards the possibility this creature is real and responsible for this tragedy, but Malfi ultimately leaves the decision up to the reader.
Delirium continues their trend of publishing fine novellas with this well-written tale that reads easily in one sitting. The characters and setting are believable and--while the left open to interpretation--there is a nice pay-off at the end.
During the investigation, Jeffers is introduced to the local urban legend of the creature Skullbelly, devourer of children. Some unexplained events do lean towards the possibility this creature is real and responsible for this tragedy, but Malfi ultimately leaves the decision up to the reader.
Delirium continues their trend of publishing fine novellas with this well-written tale that reads easily in one sitting. The characters and setting are believable and--while the left open to interpretation--there is a nice pay-off at the end.
December 23, 2011
First time reading Ronald Malfi, but it definitely won't be the last.
You can read my full review at HorrorTalk.com.
You can read my full review at HorrorTalk.com.
October 8, 2020
A monster story that plays out like am urban legend told around the campfire. Less is more.
December 21, 2025
Me myself! What to say - 100% loved this novella by my favorite author Ronald Malfi. No doubt - it was an exceptional story = from my personal point of view...
Teenagers disappear in the redwood forest of the Pacific northwest & there's no clue but police and investigator did dig out the events. While they concluded by finding Tommy Downing, nineteen years old in a possessed position; not able to talk anything but blood all over his body. They think that Tommy Downing killed his other three friends Megan Harper, seventeen. She’d been Downing’s girlfriend. Michael Soussant, nineteen. Derrick Holmquist, eighteen years old but all false. It was then when the parents of Tommy Downing hired the private detective John Jeffers to find out more about what actually truth behind all those teenagers disappearing the events opens slowly. But Jeffers had some ups and down to collect information from people around him linking that case while eventually in the end he found the answer. Though it was short to read but I liked the ending; the way it had concluded all the action in one single moment with Tommy Downing. Loved it...
5 out of 5...
Teenagers disappear in the redwood forest of the Pacific northwest & there's no clue but police and investigator did dig out the events. While they concluded by finding Tommy Downing, nineteen years old in a possessed position; not able to talk anything but blood all over his body. They think that Tommy Downing killed his other three friends Megan Harper, seventeen. She’d been Downing’s girlfriend. Michael Soussant, nineteen. Derrick Holmquist, eighteen years old but all false. It was then when the parents of Tommy Downing hired the private detective John Jeffers to find out more about what actually truth behind all those teenagers disappearing the events opens slowly. But Jeffers had some ups and down to collect information from people around him linking that case while eventually in the end he found the answer. Though it was short to read but I liked the ending; the way it had concluded all the action in one single moment with Tommy Downing. Loved it...
5 out of 5...
November 25, 2019
Ronald Malfi is yet another author who's been on my radar for quite some time now and, until Skullbelly, I had not had the pleasure of reading any of his work. Shame on me. Skullbelly has an excruciatingly generic plot: A group friends from Seattle head to Coastal Green, Oregon, for some camping. While all four head into the woods, only one comes out and he's bloody, near catatonic, and unable—or unwilling—to tell what happened to the others. The parents of all four hire private detective John Jeffers to investigate what happened since they are seemingly getting the runaround from the Coastal Green police. So Jeffers heads to the small town to see what he can dig up.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
December 30, 2023
I read this in one sitting. It’s short and it’s great. What happened to the four kids up in the woods? A private investigator is hired to find out but he may be shocked at what he finds.
This is only my second experience reading Malfi. My first was The Narrows which was phenomenal. I’m rapidly becoming a huge fan. This was a quick read that can be knocked out in an hour or two and I highly recommend that you do.
This is only my second experience reading Malfi. My first was The Narrows which was phenomenal. I’m rapidly becoming a huge fan. This was a quick read that can be knocked out in an hour or two and I highly recommend that you do.
October 22, 2020
You can't really call this a novel as it was only 70 plus pages. A mythic story of some teenagers who camped in a forest and most likely met up with some sort of creature. The story follows the aftermath as a detective tries to piece together what happened. Well written, a quick read as you would guess.
January 21, 2026
Sometimes a short novella is the perfect length for a story. It seems that many publishers expect their authors to stretch a book to 300 pages so they can charge more. As Poe said, and I’m paraphrasing, every element of the horror story should contribute to the dread. It’s hard to maintain that feeling over that length. Malfi seems to know just how much rope he needs to hang the reader.
April 23, 2024
Cheesy and not original. Still trying to grasp the hype of this writer but I cannot do it. They are quick and easy short stories but overall the writing is very bland and you can figure out the story within the first 2 pages.
June 5, 2025
4.25✨ Read this quick little novella in one sitting. It is incredible! It has a PNW coastal setting, missing kids in the forest, the PI gives Dale Cooper vibes riding around with his jazz music, and to top it all off there’s an urban legend involved! I just wish it was longer.
November 23, 2020
Отличная повесть. Частный детектив расследует исчезновение группы подростков в дремучем лесу. Вроде все как обычно, но тот самый случай, когда симпли зе бест.
April 16, 2022
3.5 stars. Creepy & dark but too short...definitely left me wanting much more!
September 30, 2025
Ok vibes, didn't like the ending though.
December 3, 2025
Not very original and not a lot of substance. I liked the description of the monster and I guess the ending was ok.
December 30, 2020
Good, but much too short.
February 15, 2025
Malfi is definitely one of my favorite writers in horror. Nothing crazy new here, but just the way he writes gets me every time. Skullbelly had a pretty cool creature design concept too.
February 3, 2014
It's a good thing this story was short because I found it incredibly boring and worse, lead no where. While the resolution has some level of enjoyment, it's not worth the read, and there's very little to nothing in this story. Other reviewers found atmosphere but I didn't find any. Not only that but there was no build up. Ultimately it felt a complete waste of time.
The prose isn't poor, but I see very little of the Malfi lovely phrasing, and the pacing and what you get out of it is not worth it at all. I want to read stories where things happen and sadly nothing does at all - perhaps it would be forgivable if this were ten pages long, but at 50 I'm incredibly disappointed in Malfi. Maybe it works for others, but certainly not for me.
The prose isn't poor, but I see very little of the Malfi lovely phrasing, and the pacing and what you get out of it is not worth it at all. I want to read stories where things happen and sadly nothing does at all - perhaps it would be forgivable if this were ten pages long, but at 50 I'm incredibly disappointed in Malfi. Maybe it works for others, but certainly not for me.
September 27, 2012
I wish there would be so much more books like these from Ronald Malfi.
My top 3 is:
Snow
Floating Staircase
Skullbelly
I loved these books.
Thanks
My top 3 is:
Snow
Floating Staircase
Skullbelly
I loved these books.
Thanks
January 16, 2024
A classic story of a detective investigating the disappearance of several teens the went into the woods and only one came out. A wonderful exercise in building suspense until the final scene.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews