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Along with All Malice
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26Travis's world has been turned upside down.
Dealing with a breakup and working a dead-end job, all he wants to do is lock himself in his room and wait to find some motivation to get his life back on track. But when his best friend asks him to help clean out his Grandparents' abandoned house in the middle of the forest, he agrees to go, hoping the trip might get him out of the funk he's found himself in. The house is a hoarder's nest, presenting far more work than he and his friends had prepared for, and all the while Travis is still reeling from a broken heart. The house needs cleaning, his spirits need lifting, but something sinister lurks in the basement, just waiting to be discovered.
Dealing with a breakup and working a dead-end job, all he wants to do is lock himself in his room and wait to find some motivation to get his life back on track. But when his best friend asks him to help clean out his Grandparents' abandoned house in the middle of the forest, he agrees to go, hoping the trip might get him out of the funk he's found himself in. The house is a hoarder's nest, presenting far more work than he and his friends had prepared for, and all the while Travis is still reeling from a broken heart. The house needs cleaning, his spirits need lifting, but something sinister lurks in the basement, just waiting to be discovered.
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Evan Leikam
4 books460 followersEvan Leikam is the author of the Rising Tide Trilogy. He is co-host of the Book Reviews Kill podcast, and a book influencer on TikTok and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 28, 2026
BLURB:
Travis joins Richard and Dan for a weekend clearing out a secluded house, but after disturbing something sinister, their getaway becomes a terrifying fight for survival.
REVIEW:
This was my first read from author Evan Leikam, who’s also a book influencer and co-host of the popular Book Reviews Kill podcast. This is a horror novella perfect for spooky season, especially if you enjoy a slow-burn (insect and supernatural) horror. The entire story takes place over the course of a weekend, when three friends head to one of their grandmothers’ secluded homes to clear it out, only to find dark surprises waiting for them.
The story is told from a third-person POV, following roommates and longtime friends Travis, Richard, and Dan. It opens with some backstory on Travis—the character the story mostly focuses on. His long-term girlfriend just dumped him, and he’s still reeling from the breakup and not over her. When they get inside the worn-down house, they’re horrified by the amount of stuff and garbage everywhere. Travis and Dan immediately realize they weren’t told the extent of what they were getting themselves into. And this is where the creeping dread starts to build. For a novella, there’s good character development and relationship dynamics between the friends, especially when long-held resentments surface.
There isn’t much real horror in the first half, and since I went in blind, I wondered if this was going to be a horror story at all. But there are hints of what’s to come, especially with regard to Travis’s extreme fear of insects (and I mean, look at the cover—it also has some serious spider-horror suggestions!! 😂). When they discover a door leading down to a basement, the story kicks into high gear. Without giving anything else away, poor choices disturb something sinister, and the creeping dread turns to outright horror! 😱
The chapters are very short, and there’s lots of realistic, immersive dialogue that kept me engaged. The writing is very straightforward, which made this a very easy audiobook to listen to while multitasking. I enjoyed the supernatural threads and the dark folklore woven in, which were quite unpredictable, and although there could have been more explanation of small details, it worked well for a novella.
There are multiple possibilities for where the story could go once the horror starts—so don’t expect to predict much. I did predict a big reveal at the end, but the scenes that followed were a bit shocking. The abrupt, open-to-interpretation ending matched the story and left me unsettled—and that’s why I think it’s a great option for your spooky-season TBR!
If you’re an audiobook listener, you’re in for a treat because bestselling author and narrator Travis Baldree does a great job. He creates an atmospheric, creeping sense of dread early on and brings the three very different roommates to life with distinct voices and lots of expression. I thought his voice was a great fit for this story, and I recommend listening to this on audio if you enjoy horror audiobooks!
Travis joins Richard and Dan for a weekend clearing out a secluded house, but after disturbing something sinister, their getaway becomes a terrifying fight for survival.
REVIEW:
This was my first read from author Evan Leikam, who’s also a book influencer and co-host of the popular Book Reviews Kill podcast. This is a horror novella perfect for spooky season, especially if you enjoy a slow-burn (insect and supernatural) horror. The entire story takes place over the course of a weekend, when three friends head to one of their grandmothers’ secluded homes to clear it out, only to find dark surprises waiting for them.
The story is told from a third-person POV, following roommates and longtime friends Travis, Richard, and Dan. It opens with some backstory on Travis—the character the story mostly focuses on. His long-term girlfriend just dumped him, and he’s still reeling from the breakup and not over her. When they get inside the worn-down house, they’re horrified by the amount of stuff and garbage everywhere. Travis and Dan immediately realize they weren’t told the extent of what they were getting themselves into. And this is where the creeping dread starts to build. For a novella, there’s good character development and relationship dynamics between the friends, especially when long-held resentments surface.
There isn’t much real horror in the first half, and since I went in blind, I wondered if this was going to be a horror story at all. But there are hints of what’s to come, especially with regard to Travis’s extreme fear of insects (and I mean, look at the cover—it also has some serious spider-horror suggestions!! 😂). When they discover a door leading down to a basement, the story kicks into high gear. Without giving anything else away, poor choices disturb something sinister, and the creeping dread turns to outright horror! 😱
The chapters are very short, and there’s lots of realistic, immersive dialogue that kept me engaged. The writing is very straightforward, which made this a very easy audiobook to listen to while multitasking. I enjoyed the supernatural threads and the dark folklore woven in, which were quite unpredictable, and although there could have been more explanation of small details, it worked well for a novella.
There are multiple possibilities for where the story could go once the horror starts—so don’t expect to predict much. I did predict a big reveal at the end, but the scenes that followed were a bit shocking. The abrupt, open-to-interpretation ending matched the story and left me unsettled—and that’s why I think it’s a great option for your spooky-season TBR!
If you’re an audiobook listener, you’re in for a treat because bestselling author and narrator Travis Baldree does a great job. He creates an atmospheric, creeping sense of dread early on and brings the three very different roommates to life with distinct voices and lots of expression. I thought his voice was a great fit for this story, and I recommend listening to this on audio if you enjoy horror audiobooks!
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review