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OctoberTown
Every Halloween, one street becomes the beating heart of the town—a blazing corridor of jack-o’-lanterns, towering skeletons, and lavish Victorian houses dressed to look haunted. For a writer and his wife, it’s been a beloved tradition—a night full of candy-sweet air, warm orange glow, and the kind of magic October saves for those who still believe in it.
Tonight, it becomes the last perfect memory of his life. Now shattered and unraveling, he obsessively rewrites the events of that fateful night as reality and fiction begin bleeding into one another.
But in OctoberTown, you don’t always get to choose your story.
Sometimes, the story chooses you.
“Mia Dalia has insight and poise and a relentless focus that I haven’t seen in any other writer since Shirley Jackson. She will possess you. She’s that good.”
—Michael Marshall Smith, from his introduction to OctoberTown
Tonight, it becomes the last perfect memory of his life. Now shattered and unraveling, he obsessively rewrites the events of that fateful night as reality and fiction begin bleeding into one another.
But in OctoberTown, you don’t always get to choose your story.
Sometimes, the story chooses you.
“Mia Dalia has insight and poise and a relentless focus that I haven’t seen in any other writer since Shirley Jackson. She will possess you. She’s that good.”
—Michael Marshall Smith, from his introduction to OctoberTown
200 pages, Hardcover
Published October 31, 2026
About the author
Mia Dalia
59 books71 followersMia Dalia is an internationally published author of all things fantastic, thrilling, scary, and strange
Featured publications:
Estate Sale (Lethe Press)
Tell Me a Story (The Uncanny Press)
Smile So Red and Other Tales of Madness (Brigids Gate Press)
Arrakoth (Spaceboy Books)
Haven (CamCat Books)
Do You Know The Muffin Man? (Spaceboy Books)
Alakazam (PS Publishing)
Beautiful, Once (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Lullabies for the Lost (Black Shuck Books)
Mia's short fiction of horror, noir, science fiction, mystery, crime, humor, and more have been featured in a variety of anthologies, magazines, literary journals, online, and adapted for narrative podcasts.
Her work has been selected as Top Ten of Tales to Terrify in 2023, shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association's Dagger Award in 2024, named finalist for the 2026 Imadjinn Awards, and acclaimed by Library Journal, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews. She's received two Outwrite Scary Awards and a ThrillerFest scholarship.
Mia Dalia is represented by the John Jarrold Literary Agency. https://www.johnjarrold.co.uk/
Find her at
Twitter: @ Dalia_Verse
FB: Mia DaliaVerse
Instagram: daliaverse
https://linktr.ee/daliaverse
Featured publications:
Estate Sale (Lethe Press)
Tell Me a Story (The Uncanny Press)
Smile So Red and Other Tales of Madness (Brigids Gate Press)
Arrakoth (Spaceboy Books)
Haven (CamCat Books)
Do You Know The Muffin Man? (Spaceboy Books)
Alakazam (PS Publishing)
Beautiful, Once (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Lullabies for the Lost (Black Shuck Books)
Mia's short fiction of horror, noir, science fiction, mystery, crime, humor, and more have been featured in a variety of anthologies, magazines, literary journals, online, and adapted for narrative podcasts.
Her work has been selected as Top Ten of Tales to Terrify in 2023, shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association's Dagger Award in 2024, named finalist for the 2026 Imadjinn Awards, and acclaimed by Library Journal, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews. She's received two Outwrite Scary Awards and a ThrillerFest scholarship.
Mia Dalia is represented by the John Jarrold Literary Agency. https://www.johnjarrold.co.uk/
Find her at
Twitter: @ Dalia_Verse
FB: Mia DaliaVerse
Instagram: daliaverse
https://linktr.ee/daliaverse
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
OCTOBERTOWN, by Mia Dalia, has the perfect "Halloween-vibe" for this time of the year.
We begin with a couple, dressed as Wednesday and Pugsly Addams, as they go to see the elaborate decorations on a wealthy Avenue, one town over from theirs. There is so much put into describing this "perfect day", the "perfect (mansions) homes", and from the POV of the residents, their "perfect lives". All of this, of course, fabulous atmosphere for the creeping horror you know is to come!
I want to mention the author's writing, as it is so refreshing to read her prose. I feel as if I'm an inside observer in her carefully crafted town. I love seeing the different internal thoughts of residents and visitors alike, as it truly showcases the differences in appearance and reality.
". . . the truth is malleable, and cheating only matters if you get caught."
I can't say much without giving away the plot, but I really appreciated that the one main character is a writer. The talk of writing, bringing fictional worlds to life to escape the one we live in--if only for a moment--truly hit the right note.
". . . They dream up worlds that make sense to them to cope with the one that doesn't. And sometimes they get lost in them."
Overall, highly recommended book for any time, but especially around Halloween!
We begin with a couple, dressed as Wednesday and Pugsly Addams, as they go to see the elaborate decorations on a wealthy Avenue, one town over from theirs. There is so much put into describing this "perfect day", the "perfect (mansions) homes", and from the POV of the residents, their "perfect lives". All of this, of course, fabulous atmosphere for the creeping horror you know is to come!
I want to mention the author's writing, as it is so refreshing to read her prose. I feel as if I'm an inside observer in her carefully crafted town. I love seeing the different internal thoughts of residents and visitors alike, as it truly showcases the differences in appearance and reality.
". . . the truth is malleable, and cheating only matters if you get caught."
I can't say much without giving away the plot, but I really appreciated that the one main character is a writer. The talk of writing, bringing fictional worlds to life to escape the one we live in--if only for a moment--truly hit the right note.
". . . They dream up worlds that make sense to them to cope with the one that doesn't. And sometimes they get lost in them."
Overall, highly recommended book for any time, but especially around Halloween!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book begins with a Foreword by the author Michael Marshall Smith, entitled ‘What is horror for ?’. I enjoyed reading his thoughts. Mr Smith, a successful, well-respected author, provides some insightful words on a sometime under-appreciated genre as well as some kind, warm words for the author of ‘Octobertown’.
Mr Smith nails his thesis to the wall, concluding:
“So horror doesn’t need to provide a tangible Return on Investment. But it does.”
Hear, hear ! Regarding the author of this book, one that more people are coming to appreciate, he shares why he finds her work so special:
“Whatever she conjures…it feels not as if it was made up, but found. …
And it’ll feel real. Mia evokes people with astonishing acuity and brevity.”
A nice description. I couldn’t agree more. It’s gratifying to see someone expressing how I feel about this author and her writing style.
The setting for ‘Octobertown’ is Halloween. An ancient European Christian celebration that has over time been appropriated, amplified and commercialised by our American cousins on their side of the pond. Recent years has seen countries outside of the US if not reclaiming Halloween, then at least engaging with the celebration to some extent.
This book is very much an American book in settings, attitudes and characters. That said, I think it will be enjoyed, even embraced in other countries, where people enjoy candy (lollies or sweets), silly or scary costumes and being frightened…hopefully in relative safety !
The publishers description provides the context. A young couple thoroughly enjoying Halloween celebrations in an affluent, perhaps ostentatious neighbourhood, nearby to their own more modest street, until something untoward happens. One of the couple, a writer, attempt to make sense of what has happened.
Readers of Mia Dalia’s previous books, novellas and short-stories will enjoy this book of some 200 pages, including a few graphic images ! There are some recognisable aspects of her writing to enjoy. The historical reference, some dry humour and wonderfully atmospheric descriptions of colour, sound, smell, taste and all those elements of a fun activity in a pleasant location.
The story is set out in numerous short chapters, describing a long afternoon of Halloween in an over-decorated suburban American street, with extravagant costumes, activity, entertainment and full-sized candy bars ! Having lived in the US for a number of years I can identify with the fun Halloween brings, for the young as well as the young at heart. As for the full-sized candy bars, I’m not sure I consider that to be progress !
The book starts peacefully, as the reader gets to know this young couple with very different personalities, but clearly a couple very much suited to each other. Deeply in love.
Reflecting on their quirky, private conversations:
“That’s the best part about sharing your life with someone—you never need to be alone in your thoughts, no matter how weird or random they may be.”
It’s just a few words but reveal so much about this couple and their relationship. The suburban scene and neighbourhood vibe is nicely captured as well:
“The town has been recently voted one of the country’s thirty safest and richest. It never quite stops feeling like you’ve walked onto a movie set.”
Short chapters are described from the perspective of several characters in addition to one of the young couple, a writer. Most characters are home owners or their children, many who have been preparing to celebrate Halloween for months. But there are also some observations from someone else, an unidentified presence. A sombre voice, dispassionately observing the festive scene.
On the surface, all the residents of this street are successful, happy and contented. In the ‘pursuit of happiness’, they have had little trouble catching it, and moving beyond. The reader gradually gets to know these people from their neighbours and spouses, and most revealing, their own innermost thoughts. Ambitions, fears, anxieties, desires. These early chapters all conclude in a similar way, noting how perfect everything is, the street, the weather, the neighbours, the fun and excitement. If Lou Reed was a resident, he might just recall an old song of his from the 1970s. It really was A Perfect Day.
But the reader will sense that amongst these superficially ‘perfect’ people, something darker may emerge, and what better day than one in late October. Halloween !
One character ponders his life:
“He has everything he’s ever wanted, all the things he’s set out to achieve, and he finds the nagging sensation of something missing unacceptable.”
and chillingly, perhaps even sadly he has:
“…a kid-like excitement that has lamentably little to do with delighting his children”
So much emotional meaning expressed in only a few words. Other residents of the street have similar qualms about their lives, their neighbours, and sometimes their spouses:
“It took her years to realise that she had mistaken uncaring for easygoingness”.
The book largely take part on a single afternoon. Slowly, chapter by chapter the households and characters are developed, accompanied by a sense of something darker that threatens this perfect day.
“Their street is never as alive as it is on October thirty-first. Nor does it ever feature so many strangers.”
Once the scene and characters are established, the second part of the book begins. Without giving too much away, there is death and darkness amidst the affluence and gaiety. Different perspective of events are presented. Things are not as they seem, or as these people wish them to be. Halloween celebrations in this street, more extravagant every year, may have reached a zenith on this day. What comes next ? The author does not disappoint.
I loved the familiar elements of the authors previous work that she has included in this book. Mixing real characters and events with her own fictional narratives. Perhaps there is less of this in ‘Octobertown’, but I still found myself pursuing some rabbit hole via google. ‘Glamour’ ? I must read more Stephen King. ‘America's Greatest Ghost Story’, I did not know that.
And then there are the ‘ten-dollar words’ I had to look up. ‘Parvenu’ ? Then I remembered coming across it recently in a book about Napoleon. He used it frequently. I can’t wait to drop it into conversation ! Verisimilitude ? Vicissitudes ? It does the reader good to reach for a dictionary occasionally. And it provides a vocabulary with which to impress (or annoy ?) family and friends.
And of course there is the author’s humour, as one character dryly observes her husband and his:
“…Prince Harry-esque thinning hair…”
Refreshingly and thankfully the author does not participate in the culture wars in her writing. As tempting as it may be, and the ease in which applause may be acquired, it is something of a relief to leave all that stuff to one side for a while. I’ll forgive the Harry reference as it is true. And so funny !
This is in some ways the author’s most ‘American’ book, with fewer foreign or historical references and more frequent US cultural touchstones. TV shows, movies, cars, finance, (IRA ? No, not that one !), candy-bars, slang, colloquialisms (I smiled at ‘dust bunnies ‘). I think it is a good approach to developing the atmosphere as well as the whole spectacle of Halloween. It works; a vivid picture is portrayed of successful, suburban, American life.
And then just beneath the surface, the darkness is exposed and explored. There are numerous fractures in relationships, as well as a few deadly sins exposed. But also milder concerns that must be pervasive in most households today:
“It’s unsettling, this idea that his kids might be keeping secrets
from him, when he believes secrets to be strictly adult territory.”
‘Octobertown’ is possibly the authors deepest work to date, exploring a new class of people, uncovering the darkness and emptiness of superficially perfect lives. I enjoyed it. One cannot wonder, as one of the happy couple is a writer, if auto-biographical details are included ? One suspect some may be present. The warm, joyous, happy elements. Those that make the day ‘Pefect’ until it is not…
I wish the author and publishers great success with this book. A fine addition to her body of work. A deeper, different narrative, but still with many of the elements that have made her one of my favourite authors in recent years. Readers of her previous works will enjoy ‘Octobertown’. Especially this time of year. This month.
Mr Smith nails his thesis to the wall, concluding:
“So horror doesn’t need to provide a tangible Return on Investment. But it does.”
Hear, hear ! Regarding the author of this book, one that more people are coming to appreciate, he shares why he finds her work so special:
“Whatever she conjures…it feels not as if it was made up, but found. …
And it’ll feel real. Mia evokes people with astonishing acuity and brevity.”
A nice description. I couldn’t agree more. It’s gratifying to see someone expressing how I feel about this author and her writing style.
The setting for ‘Octobertown’ is Halloween. An ancient European Christian celebration that has over time been appropriated, amplified and commercialised by our American cousins on their side of the pond. Recent years has seen countries outside of the US if not reclaiming Halloween, then at least engaging with the celebration to some extent.
This book is very much an American book in settings, attitudes and characters. That said, I think it will be enjoyed, even embraced in other countries, where people enjoy candy (lollies or sweets), silly or scary costumes and being frightened…hopefully in relative safety !
The publishers description provides the context. A young couple thoroughly enjoying Halloween celebrations in an affluent, perhaps ostentatious neighbourhood, nearby to their own more modest street, until something untoward happens. One of the couple, a writer, attempt to make sense of what has happened.
Readers of Mia Dalia’s previous books, novellas and short-stories will enjoy this book of some 200 pages, including a few graphic images ! There are some recognisable aspects of her writing to enjoy. The historical reference, some dry humour and wonderfully atmospheric descriptions of colour, sound, smell, taste and all those elements of a fun activity in a pleasant location.
The story is set out in numerous short chapters, describing a long afternoon of Halloween in an over-decorated suburban American street, with extravagant costumes, activity, entertainment and full-sized candy bars ! Having lived in the US for a number of years I can identify with the fun Halloween brings, for the young as well as the young at heart. As for the full-sized candy bars, I’m not sure I consider that to be progress !
The book starts peacefully, as the reader gets to know this young couple with very different personalities, but clearly a couple very much suited to each other. Deeply in love.
Reflecting on their quirky, private conversations:
“That’s the best part about sharing your life with someone—you never need to be alone in your thoughts, no matter how weird or random they may be.”
It’s just a few words but reveal so much about this couple and their relationship. The suburban scene and neighbourhood vibe is nicely captured as well:
“The town has been recently voted one of the country’s thirty safest and richest. It never quite stops feeling like you’ve walked onto a movie set.”
Short chapters are described from the perspective of several characters in addition to one of the young couple, a writer. Most characters are home owners or their children, many who have been preparing to celebrate Halloween for months. But there are also some observations from someone else, an unidentified presence. A sombre voice, dispassionately observing the festive scene.
On the surface, all the residents of this street are successful, happy and contented. In the ‘pursuit of happiness’, they have had little trouble catching it, and moving beyond. The reader gradually gets to know these people from their neighbours and spouses, and most revealing, their own innermost thoughts. Ambitions, fears, anxieties, desires. These early chapters all conclude in a similar way, noting how perfect everything is, the street, the weather, the neighbours, the fun and excitement. If Lou Reed was a resident, he might just recall an old song of his from the 1970s. It really was A Perfect Day.
But the reader will sense that amongst these superficially ‘perfect’ people, something darker may emerge, and what better day than one in late October. Halloween !
One character ponders his life:
“He has everything he’s ever wanted, all the things he’s set out to achieve, and he finds the nagging sensation of something missing unacceptable.”
and chillingly, perhaps even sadly he has:
“…a kid-like excitement that has lamentably little to do with delighting his children”
So much emotional meaning expressed in only a few words. Other residents of the street have similar qualms about their lives, their neighbours, and sometimes their spouses:
“It took her years to realise that she had mistaken uncaring for easygoingness”.
The book largely take part on a single afternoon. Slowly, chapter by chapter the households and characters are developed, accompanied by a sense of something darker that threatens this perfect day.
“Their street is never as alive as it is on October thirty-first. Nor does it ever feature so many strangers.”
Once the scene and characters are established, the second part of the book begins. Without giving too much away, there is death and darkness amidst the affluence and gaiety. Different perspective of events are presented. Things are not as they seem, or as these people wish them to be. Halloween celebrations in this street, more extravagant every year, may have reached a zenith on this day. What comes next ? The author does not disappoint.
I loved the familiar elements of the authors previous work that she has included in this book. Mixing real characters and events with her own fictional narratives. Perhaps there is less of this in ‘Octobertown’, but I still found myself pursuing some rabbit hole via google. ‘Glamour’ ? I must read more Stephen King. ‘America's Greatest Ghost Story’, I did not know that.
And then there are the ‘ten-dollar words’ I had to look up. ‘Parvenu’ ? Then I remembered coming across it recently in a book about Napoleon. He used it frequently. I can’t wait to drop it into conversation ! Verisimilitude ? Vicissitudes ? It does the reader good to reach for a dictionary occasionally. And it provides a vocabulary with which to impress (or annoy ?) family and friends.
And of course there is the author’s humour, as one character dryly observes her husband and his:
“…Prince Harry-esque thinning hair…”
Refreshingly and thankfully the author does not participate in the culture wars in her writing. As tempting as it may be, and the ease in which applause may be acquired, it is something of a relief to leave all that stuff to one side for a while. I’ll forgive the Harry reference as it is true. And so funny !
This is in some ways the author’s most ‘American’ book, with fewer foreign or historical references and more frequent US cultural touchstones. TV shows, movies, cars, finance, (IRA ? No, not that one !), candy-bars, slang, colloquialisms (I smiled at ‘dust bunnies ‘). I think it is a good approach to developing the atmosphere as well as the whole spectacle of Halloween. It works; a vivid picture is portrayed of successful, suburban, American life.
And then just beneath the surface, the darkness is exposed and explored. There are numerous fractures in relationships, as well as a few deadly sins exposed. But also milder concerns that must be pervasive in most households today:
“It’s unsettling, this idea that his kids might be keeping secrets
from him, when he believes secrets to be strictly adult territory.”
‘Octobertown’ is possibly the authors deepest work to date, exploring a new class of people, uncovering the darkness and emptiness of superficially perfect lives. I enjoyed it. One cannot wonder, as one of the happy couple is a writer, if auto-biographical details are included ? One suspect some may be present. The warm, joyous, happy elements. Those that make the day ‘Pefect’ until it is not…
I wish the author and publishers great success with this book. A fine addition to her body of work. A deeper, different narrative, but still with many of the elements that have made her one of my favourite authors in recent years. Readers of her previous works will enjoy ‘Octobertown’. Especially this time of year. This month.
November 6, 2026
The best month of the year is now here. With that turn of the calendar, readers awaiting Earthling Publications’ Halloween Series are in for a treat.
Octobertown takes place on Halloween, which is the best thing ever, but if one is familiar with Earthling, one thing is certain: no entry is cliché, no story is a boring retread of tired tropes.
Enter Mia Dalia, one of the best talents in the business, a writer who can immerse herself in many styles and genres with ease. She set the novel in a real town in New Jersey, where neighbors on an idyllic street compete to design the best Halloween decorations in the most suburban way possible.
At the heart of it, though, is a couple who want to celebrate, yet when tragedy strikes, a macabre cycle begins. To say more about these two, a writer and his wife, would spoil everything, but Dalia weaves their tale with a deft touch and strikes an emphatic yet sympathetic chord with the readers. Why do they have trouble just trying to enjoy their favorite day of the year?
Dalia focuses more on the interplay between the neighbors, who, on the surface, are your typical southern New Jersey folks, happy, family-friendly, hard-working, but always striving for the one thing that helps their status in the community. Peel back the shine of the street and something devious peers back at the reader. Families who design amazing decorations, displays, and events for the incoming horde of trick-or-treaters seethe with simmering undercurrents. The typical stressors and distractions of real life boil over and spill onto their street. It might remind the reader of the best of King’s small towns, focusing on how the little things families face can open the gateway to horrors, human and otherwise. It’s the simple conflicts in homes that simmer, boil, and bleed into the other households that elevate the novel. Dalia’s descriptions of both the mundane and horrific are also reminiscent of classic Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson.
But what about the couple? How does their simple walk home transform this novel from a standard Halloween story into something that transcends its peers? Delve into it and enjoy the holiday in Dalia’s universe.
Yes, the plot description is intentionally vague, but the payoff is worth it.
Anyone who’s been following Earthling’s Halloween series for the past two decades understands that these entries are anything but typical horror fare. Each year, they offer up something intriguing that entices fans of the genre, but also add a bit extra.
Mia Dalia’s Octobertown easily rises to the top five in Earthling’s catalog and comes highly recommended. This is a story that truly fits the spirit of Halloween.
With beautiful art by Ben Baldwin and an introduction by the amazing Michael Marshall Smith, it’s a slam-dunk winner. Horror fans will likely see this one during awards season, and with good reason.
Don’t miss this.
Octobertown takes place on Halloween, which is the best thing ever, but if one is familiar with Earthling, one thing is certain: no entry is cliché, no story is a boring retread of tired tropes.
Enter Mia Dalia, one of the best talents in the business, a writer who can immerse herself in many styles and genres with ease. She set the novel in a real town in New Jersey, where neighbors on an idyllic street compete to design the best Halloween decorations in the most suburban way possible.
At the heart of it, though, is a couple who want to celebrate, yet when tragedy strikes, a macabre cycle begins. To say more about these two, a writer and his wife, would spoil everything, but Dalia weaves their tale with a deft touch and strikes an emphatic yet sympathetic chord with the readers. Why do they have trouble just trying to enjoy their favorite day of the year?
Dalia focuses more on the interplay between the neighbors, who, on the surface, are your typical southern New Jersey folks, happy, family-friendly, hard-working, but always striving for the one thing that helps their status in the community. Peel back the shine of the street and something devious peers back at the reader. Families who design amazing decorations, displays, and events for the incoming horde of trick-or-treaters seethe with simmering undercurrents. The typical stressors and distractions of real life boil over and spill onto their street. It might remind the reader of the best of King’s small towns, focusing on how the little things families face can open the gateway to horrors, human and otherwise. It’s the simple conflicts in homes that simmer, boil, and bleed into the other households that elevate the novel. Dalia’s descriptions of both the mundane and horrific are also reminiscent of classic Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson.
But what about the couple? How does their simple walk home transform this novel from a standard Halloween story into something that transcends its peers? Delve into it and enjoy the holiday in Dalia’s universe.
Yes, the plot description is intentionally vague, but the payoff is worth it.
Anyone who’s been following Earthling’s Halloween series for the past two decades understands that these entries are anything but typical horror fare. Each year, they offer up something intriguing that entices fans of the genre, but also add a bit extra.
Mia Dalia’s Octobertown easily rises to the top five in Earthling’s catalog and comes highly recommended. This is a story that truly fits the spirit of Halloween.
With beautiful art by Ben Baldwin and an introduction by the amazing Michael Marshall Smith, it’s a slam-dunk winner. Horror fans will likely see this one during awards season, and with good reason.
Don’t miss this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
There are few books that really feel like “Halloween Books” to me. I love horror, but Halloween for me is a little different. I need a little fun, mystery, wonder and even a little innocence mixed in. When I think of “Halloween Books”, I usually go straight to Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Mi Dalia has written one. OctoberTown scratches every bit of that itch.
Earthling Publications is publishing the 21st book in their Halloween Series, and OctoberTown is one of the best.
This is based on a real town, a teal street and real people. This is based on real events and even real photographs used to inspire the illustrations. The thing that drives it though, is Mia Dalia’s penchant for horror. She turn beauty and wonder and turns it into a nightmare.
No one is safe. Not the love birds. Not the witches. Not Pennywise or even Vecna. Not the street. Not the town. Not the reader.
Paul Miller was nice enough to send me an ARC after I preordered the limited edition and I loved this book! I’m going to read it again in October. I can hardly wait.
Mi Dalia has written one. OctoberTown scratches every bit of that itch.
Earthling Publications is publishing the 21st book in their Halloween Series, and OctoberTown is one of the best.
This is based on a real town, a teal street and real people. This is based on real events and even real photographs used to inspire the illustrations. The thing that drives it though, is Mia Dalia’s penchant for horror. She turn beauty and wonder and turns it into a nightmare.
No one is safe. Not the love birds. Not the witches. Not Pennywise or even Vecna. Not the street. Not the town. Not the reader.
Paul Miller was nice enough to send me an ARC after I preordered the limited edition and I loved this book! I’m going to read it again in October. I can hardly wait.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Oh, I cannot tell you how excited I have been for this one, a Mia Dalia AND Earthlings Halloween edition book, perfection and I got to read it early, even better.
This is a real town and real events, I got chills thinking about that, the photos that little the pages are a perfect little touch to go along with this incredibly creepy story..
Every year on Halloween there is one street that is just a little different than the others, a little more spooky and into the theme.
Halloween for some is a happy chaotic time of candy and laughter and good times. But sometimes Halloween is a little darker and for this book is full of characters getting ready and letting you get a peek into this little towns lives, before they get turned upside down, sucking you and and making you invested for them, worried for what mihbt happen next, because this is horror..
But what horror could happen when everyone seems to be having " just the perfect day"
No one is safe on street on this very broken day..
Oh my Mia, this one amazing.
This is a real town and real events, I got chills thinking about that, the photos that little the pages are a perfect little touch to go along with this incredibly creepy story..
Every year on Halloween there is one street that is just a little different than the others, a little more spooky and into the theme.
Halloween for some is a happy chaotic time of candy and laughter and good times. But sometimes Halloween is a little darker and for this book is full of characters getting ready and letting you get a peek into this little towns lives, before they get turned upside down, sucking you and and making you invested for them, worried for what mihbt happen next, because this is horror..
But what horror could happen when everyone seems to be having " just the perfect day"
No one is safe on street on this very broken day..
Oh my Mia, this one amazing.
November 1, 2026
This book is truly a love letter to Halloween. It’s a “perfect” picture of Halloween until it isn’t, but then gives us the darker side of Halloween we crave with horror stories. Mia Dalia did a wonderful job of setting the stage and brings it all to a fitting end. Job well done and I appreciate the story, the journey throughout, and the final destination.
October 16, 2026
This book is told in a strange (to me) way. It’s a series of perspectives on the day of Halloween. Individually the stories are compelling, but I feel I was missing something to really bring them together. All in all a nice little Halloween read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews