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The Malice: A Horror Novel
A gothic horror novel set in a small southern town, perfect for fans of Welcome to Derry, Stranger Things, and The Fog.
Vanishing children. An ancient secret. A hunt for the truth.
Each year before school starts back, two boys vanish, and the small town of Harrow, Arkansas folds itself neatly around the silence. No one asks where they've gone. People have always made excuses. In 1988, they say "the forest got them."
But twelve-year-old Michael doesn't believe that. With his dog Gus and a secondhand camera, he sets out to photograph the creature that haunts Harrow. He finds not just the monster, but the truth it's built a secret older than the word summer itself.
In the wake of Michael's disappearance, his friends Doug and Floyd, joined by Floyd's crush, Toni, and the reluctant bully, Jay, dig into the history of Harrow and uncover something a creature the old man across the street calls The Malice—and the horrifying truth that this summer, it isn't just boys being hunted.
The Malice is a small-town, Southern, gothic horror novel about the illusion of safety and the fierce love that binds children together when the world looks away.
Contains mature themes.
Vanishing children. An ancient secret. A hunt for the truth.
Each year before school starts back, two boys vanish, and the small town of Harrow, Arkansas folds itself neatly around the silence. No one asks where they've gone. People have always made excuses. In 1988, they say "the forest got them."
But twelve-year-old Michael doesn't believe that. With his dog Gus and a secondhand camera, he sets out to photograph the creature that haunts Harrow. He finds not just the monster, but the truth it's built a secret older than the word summer itself.
In the wake of Michael's disappearance, his friends Doug and Floyd, joined by Floyd's crush, Toni, and the reluctant bully, Jay, dig into the history of Harrow and uncover something a creature the old man across the street calls The Malice—and the horrifying truth that this summer, it isn't just boys being hunted.
The Malice is a small-town, Southern, gothic horror novel about the illusion of safety and the fierce love that binds children together when the world looks away.
Contains mature themes.
- GenresHorror
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 4, 2026
4.5 stars, rounded up
Our story takes place in Harrow, Arkansas, where every summer, 2 boys disappear in the woods and everyone treats it like a normal thing. The story starts with 12 year old Michael and his dog Gus roaming the woods trying to discover what is taking the boys and put an end to it. The opening chapter ends with Michael seeing The Malice and not making it back to Harrow.
I appreciated that the author gave us a view of the big baddie right off the bat. Many stories will give us hints for the first 85% and then reveal the monster; it was a nice change to see the monster in the opening pages.
Back in Harrow, Michael's friends notice his disappearance and start trying to find him. The mother of one of the boys is murdered/killed - the official story is that it's a bear, but the kids don't believe that. They also notice a collective amnesia where the taken boys disappear from people's memories and from photographs/yearbooks. They're determined to find The Malice and kill it.
The story is very atmospheric and I loved the woods as its own character. The story flowed well and the author did a great job of escalating tension. I don't know if we really got answers, but I felt satisfied with the way the book ended.
There were a few parts that made me raise an eyebrow like how Michael, who's 12, had a motorcycle that he was fixing up. Then the other boys end up with a motorcycle and are totally fine to drive it, since they've had dirt bikes. But maybe that's normal for boys in the 1980s/1990s?
Overall, this was a really interesting book to read and I look forward to reading more from the author.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this advance review copy.
Our story takes place in Harrow, Arkansas, where every summer, 2 boys disappear in the woods and everyone treats it like a normal thing. The story starts with 12 year old Michael and his dog Gus roaming the woods trying to discover what is taking the boys and put an end to it. The opening chapter ends with Michael seeing The Malice and not making it back to Harrow.
I appreciated that the author gave us a view of the big baddie right off the bat. Many stories will give us hints for the first 85% and then reveal the monster; it was a nice change to see the monster in the opening pages.
Back in Harrow, Michael's friends notice his disappearance and start trying to find him. The mother of one of the boys is murdered/killed - the official story is that it's a bear, but the kids don't believe that. They also notice a collective amnesia where the taken boys disappear from people's memories and from photographs/yearbooks. They're determined to find The Malice and kill it.
The story is very atmospheric and I loved the woods as its own character. The story flowed well and the author did a great job of escalating tension. I don't know if we really got answers, but I felt satisfied with the way the book ended.
There were a few parts that made me raise an eyebrow like how Michael, who's 12, had a motorcycle that he was fixing up. Then the other boys end up with a motorcycle and are totally fine to drive it, since they've had dirt bikes. But maybe that's normal for boys in the 1980s/1990s?
Overall, this was a really interesting book to read and I look forward to reading more from the author.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this advance review copy.
April 7, 2026
Thank you to AETHON: Wicked House for providing a review copy.
The Malice brings to mind the very best old school coming of age horror. There is a large cast of characters here, and that can sometimes be a problem for me. But I never had any trouble remembering who anyone was. The lore is revealed slowly over time, and the book kept me absolutely riveted. I had to make myself stop reading and go to sleep. There is also good and bad news here. The bad news is that the book ends with a series of cliffhangers. The good news is that there will be a second book and I'll get to spend more time with characters I came to care about. 5 stars
The Malice brings to mind the very best old school coming of age horror. There is a large cast of characters here, and that can sometimes be a problem for me. But I never had any trouble remembering who anyone was. The lore is revealed slowly over time, and the book kept me absolutely riveted. I had to make myself stop reading and go to sleep. There is also good and bad news here. The bad news is that the book ends with a series of cliffhangers. The good news is that there will be a second book and I'll get to spend more time with characters I came to care about. 5 stars
April 10, 2026
where’s the ending?
This book just ended. It’s like he didn’t know how to end it so he just didn’t. I thought there may be a second book but no there isn’t. How can you write a book then not write an ending.
This book just ended. It’s like he didn’t know how to end it so he just didn’t. I thought there may be a second book but no there isn’t. How can you write a book then not write an ending.
April 30, 2026
As a native Ozarkian on the Arkansas side, I was thrilled to see a horror novel based in that magical land.
I love reading horror novels, ever since I read The Red Phone and I Am Legend as a 12-year-old. Then Stephen King took me even deeper and turned me into a horror aficionado.
I mentioned Stephen King because it is obvious that he is one of major influences on Tyler Hauth’s writing. The Malice is the first novel I have read from this author. While the novel didn’t end when I turned the final page, it is apparent that the story will continue in a second book (I hope so!!!)
Ozarks is one of the main characters in the novel and that is deliciously, darkly, wonderfully the best thing about the book. Anyone who grew up in the shadows of the Ozarks know exactly what I am talking about. Ozarks deserve homage in horror books! And about time!
Like Stephen King’s characters, Tyler Hauth’s boys and girl came face to face with a malicious creature known as The Malice and they prepare to battle with this monster who held their hometown called Harrow (isn’t that a perfect name for a town smack in the middle of Ozarks National Forest!?!) and the adults don’t even realize they are in deep shit beyond annual 2-boy disappearance to the woods.
The few typos and that strange repetition of one sentence appeared, but it just meant that whoever proofread and edit didn’t do their job and thankfully didn’t derail the book.
One thing for sure, whenever I come home to the Ozarks to see my kith and kin, I will think about the Malice and Harrow townspeople with a grin.
Tyler, more Ozarks horror novels please! Be the Stephen King of the Arkansas Ozarks! We know there are monsters lurking within the marrows of the Ozark Mountains feasting on lost children’s bones!
I love reading horror novels, ever since I read The Red Phone and I Am Legend as a 12-year-old. Then Stephen King took me even deeper and turned me into a horror aficionado.
I mentioned Stephen King because it is obvious that he is one of major influences on Tyler Hauth’s writing. The Malice is the first novel I have read from this author. While the novel didn’t end when I turned the final page, it is apparent that the story will continue in a second book (I hope so!!!)
Ozarks is one of the main characters in the novel and that is deliciously, darkly, wonderfully the best thing about the book. Anyone who grew up in the shadows of the Ozarks know exactly what I am talking about. Ozarks deserve homage in horror books! And about time!
Like Stephen King’s characters, Tyler Hauth’s boys and girl came face to face with a malicious creature known as The Malice and they prepare to battle with this monster who held their hometown called Harrow (isn’t that a perfect name for a town smack in the middle of Ozarks National Forest!?!) and the adults don’t even realize they are in deep shit beyond annual 2-boy disappearance to the woods.
The few typos and that strange repetition of one sentence appeared, but it just meant that whoever proofread and edit didn’t do their job and thankfully didn’t derail the book.
One thing for sure, whenever I come home to the Ozarks to see my kith and kin, I will think about the Malice and Harrow townspeople with a grin.
Tyler, more Ozarks horror novels please! Be the Stephen King of the Arkansas Ozarks! We know there are monsters lurking within the marrows of the Ozark Mountains feasting on lost children’s bones!
April 20, 2026
welllll
This book kept my attention and I was eager to get to the end. That being said, it was a blah kind of ending. Is there a book 2?
This book kept my attention and I was eager to get to the end. That being said, it was a blah kind of ending. Is there a book 2?
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow, this was epic! I feel like I've binged through entire seasons of Stranger Things or Lost ("Malice" has strong similarities to both) after finishing this book. Or like I saw both IT movies together (and the spin-off TV series on top), or... well, you get the idea! This is a brilliant "kids on bikes" tale of Ozark Horror, though there's nothing nostalgic or simple about it: it's quite complex, hitting all the right notes of coming-of-age stories, but a vivid sense of mystery and suspense is dominant throughout the narrative, rather than any sense of place or innocent adventure. This is a horror book through and through: kids disappear, their parents are also up for grabs, moms get eviscerated, and dads pay an unreasonably high cost for their extramarital affairs. A whole town's collective memory is vulnerable to acts of material and mental erasure: people no longer appear in old photos, names vanish from yearbooks, and boys keep going missing in pairs for decades while life in the small town of Harrow goes on. What gives?
It's up to a bunch of 12-year-olds and their sixty-year-old veteran friend to discover what's been happening right before their eyes. The woods - it's always the woods! Something's been living in the Ozark National Forest, affecting minds, chewing young flesh, demanding sacrifices. It has many legs (does it though?), it's bigger than a house, and needs regular sustenance - until it decides it's time to expand and feed on the whole town. But there are many complications underlying this familiar premise. I'm not going to spoil anything, just wait till the shocking twist in the start of the second part of the book to discover them yourself!
Having recently finished an Ozark horror anthology, I can attest that the book really delivers on that front: great scenes of kids exploring unfamiliar places deep in the woods; small town claustrophobia coupled with lingering feelings of being surrounded by unknown and menacing natural forces; and a powerful and creepy take on the horror trope of the sinister and, in fact, malicious supernatural entity haunting places amd people.
Perhaps I should mention before closing that the book ends on a massive cliffhanger. Although I was not at all prepared for that eventuality, I confess that it didn't bother me the least: after so many story turns, dialogue-heavy scenes (perhaps not all of them equally necessary), numerous characters, and intriguing plot twists, I felt I needed a breather. It'd be nice, however, to have some idea how long I gotta wait for volume two!
It's up to a bunch of 12-year-olds and their sixty-year-old veteran friend to discover what's been happening right before their eyes. The woods - it's always the woods! Something's been living in the Ozark National Forest, affecting minds, chewing young flesh, demanding sacrifices. It has many legs (does it though?), it's bigger than a house, and needs regular sustenance - until it decides it's time to expand and feed on the whole town. But there are many complications underlying this familiar premise. I'm not going to spoil anything, just wait till the shocking twist in the start of the second part of the book to discover them yourself!
Having recently finished an Ozark horror anthology, I can attest that the book really delivers on that front: great scenes of kids exploring unfamiliar places deep in the woods; small town claustrophobia coupled with lingering feelings of being surrounded by unknown and menacing natural forces; and a powerful and creepy take on the horror trope of the sinister and, in fact, malicious supernatural entity haunting places amd people.
Perhaps I should mention before closing that the book ends on a massive cliffhanger. Although I was not at all prepared for that eventuality, I confess that it didn't bother me the least: after so many story turns, dialogue-heavy scenes (perhaps not all of them equally necessary), numerous characters, and intriguing plot twists, I felt I needed a breather. It'd be nice, however, to have some idea how long I gotta wait for volume two!
April 18, 2026
Every year in Harrow, the wilderness of the Ozarks takes two boys. Something is out there - unknowable and deadly - yet the citizens of Harrow seem only vaguely aware, and the victims are quickly forgotten. Maybe the summer of 1988 will finally be different...
Hauth's debut novel is a classic "kids-band-together-to-battle-big-bad-evil" with some neat additions to the concept. I particularly appreciated the design of the creature itself and (without spoiling anything) the way it attacks its victims. The pace is steady and the main characters well drawn and, even though they are children, Hauth doesn't treat them with kid gloves, which makes the narrative all the better.
Giving the benefit of the doubt and rounding up, as the end will leave some readers cold. Possibly 4 Stars, depending on if there is a second book. With a sequel, this is definitely a 5 star novel that leaves me wanting more. If not, 4 stars as too much is left unfinished. I hope there is a follow up! I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Hauth's debut novel is a classic "kids-band-together-to-battle-big-bad-evil" with some neat additions to the concept. I particularly appreciated the design of the creature itself and (without spoiling anything) the way it attacks its victims. The pace is steady and the main characters well drawn and, even though they are children, Hauth doesn't treat them with kid gloves, which makes the narrative all the better.
Giving the benefit of the doubt and rounding up, as the end will leave some readers cold. Possibly 4 Stars, depending on if there is a second book. With a sequel, this is definitely a 5 star novel that leaves me wanting more. If not, 4 stars as too much is left unfinished. I hope there is a follow up! I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
April 15, 2026
I loved this book. A horror story set in the 80s where the adults are clueless and it's up to a group of misfit kids to solve the mystery of The Malice. Sounds familiar and it felt good.
It's a Stephen King like story, no doubt about it, but it's a great book in it's own right. Well done to Tyler Hauth, a new author to me but I'll be waiting for more of his work if this is anything to go by.
Be warned though, this book leaves a lot of unresolved issues hanging unanswered so there must be a part 2 on the horizon. Can't wait to dive back in to the cursed town of Harrow and the creepy Ozark woods.
It's a Stephen King like story, no doubt about it, but it's a great book in it's own right. Well done to Tyler Hauth, a new author to me but I'll be waiting for more of his work if this is anything to go by.
Be warned though, this book leaves a lot of unresolved issues hanging unanswered so there must be a part 2 on the horizon. Can't wait to dive back in to the cursed town of Harrow and the creepy Ozark woods.
May 13, 2026
worth the read
I liked everything about this book but the first chapter. It just felt very wordy- trying to describe one thing with 3 different similes each time and I didn’t care for it. I’m glad I pressed on and read past that bc after that first chapter the wording changed and became much more realistic to me. I loved the characters - it gave some Stephen king IT vibes to it. Overall a good read- I hope there’s a second book to this as I feel like it ended mid story of what’s going on n I’d love to finish the story line that was drawn up. Please write a conclusion!! I’ll check more out by this author after this read.
I liked everything about this book but the first chapter. It just felt very wordy- trying to describe one thing with 3 different similes each time and I didn’t care for it. I’m glad I pressed on and read past that bc after that first chapter the wording changed and became much more realistic to me. I loved the characters - it gave some Stephen king IT vibes to it. Overall a good read- I hope there’s a second book to this as I feel like it ended mid story of what’s going on n I’d love to finish the story line that was drawn up. Please write a conclusion!! I’ll check more out by this author after this read.
April 11, 2026
This was such a fun read. Coming of age horror at its finest. The story grips you from the beginning as you start to wonder what on earth could be causing two boys every summer to disappear. What kind of terror did they have to endure? Then we follow the friends of this summer’s missing boy as they try to figure out what exactly is going on and face the monstrosity itself. I love and hate the ending at the same time. Thank god Gus is fine but what happens next? I really hope there is another book in the works
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2026
where’s the ending?
I was totally and completely involved in this book, then it just quit! Left me high and dry! Hate that!
I was totally and completely involved in this book, then it just quit! Left me high and dry! Hate that!
May 13, 2026
Would’ve been 5 ⭐️ but the ending pissed me right off. Hoping for book 2?!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews