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We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone
A new mother is pursued by mysterious men in black. A misguided youth learns the dark secrets of the world from an elderly neighbor on Halloween night. A housewarming party where the guests never leave. A caretaker tends to his rusted relic of a god deep in the desert...
In his debut short story collection, Bram Stoker Award finalist Ronald Malfi mines the depths and depravities of the human condition, exploring the dark underside of religion, marriage, love, fear, regret, and hunger in a world that spins just slightly askew on its axis. Rich in atmosphere and character, Malfi's debut collection is not to be missed.
In his debut short story collection, Bram Stoker Award finalist Ronald Malfi mines the depths and depravities of the human condition, exploring the dark underside of religion, marriage, love, fear, regret, and hunger in a world that spins just slightly askew on its axis. Rich in atmosphere and character, Malfi's debut collection is not to be missed.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2017
46 people are currently reading
2508 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Malfi
78 books3,740 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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November 27, 2025
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone by Ronald Malfi
4.25 orbs rounded down to 4 glowing 🔮🔮🔮🔮 orbs
Pub. Date: Jan 27, 2026
Titan Books
The combatant’s ring, Emor…
💡 Orbs Prologue: The sweat glistened off my sunburned forehead as I turned to the Imperial box. King Malfi attentively shifted his eyes, awaiting the outcome of the final battle. I, the Chewabalous Orbinus, legionnaire and consumer of literary prose, gazed toward the shady eastern tunnel. Nineteen challengers, all of whom felt the wrath of mind and body, all extinguished into oblivion by the deftness of my weathered hands. The crowds' anticipatory roars washed over me, and a sense of claustrophobic messiness roiled deep within. The creaking of the ancient steel doors opening shuddered my senses as my foe flittered its wings. Slowly gauging the situation, it floated towards the center of the dusty ring. Five eyes carefully stalked my every move, the fly calculating its next move…. Coolly, I sat upon the curule seat and gathered my weapon. A leather-bound tome flashed in my right hand; the contents would determine the outcome of this match…
🔩 Nuts & Bolts: Ronald Malfi’s short story anthology is masterfully executed with horror and variation sure to please readers. From story to story, the themes change, yet Malfi’s expertise garnered my attention throughout. Where could these stories lead? Like following Malfi into the dark recesses underneath the earth, a simple torch in hand. The smell of mildew and decomposed flesh awakened my amygdala, fear arising at every step. Within this labyrinth, a world of fabulous tales began to unfold, and here, dear readers, are my findings…
The Dinner Party, 4.5/5: Wickedly delicious! A paranoid mother has difficulty concentrating.
Learned Children, 4.5/5: Creepy story about a teacher’s strange students. I enjoyed this!
Knocking, 4/5: Good! Secrets await new house owners.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island, 4.5/5: A guide with a passion for dancing takes a couple to see the sharks fly.
The Glad Street Angel, 3/5: Not my favorite story! A man gets out of rehab. The ending is a stunning revelation of premeditated ideas.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart, 4/: An older gentleman aids a boy being bullied. Unfortunately, their survival plans have grim outcomes.
The House on Cottage Lane, 5/5: Super story! The strange boy next door is awkwardly invited to go trick-or-treating, but he seems to get lost on his way back home.
Pembroke, 5/5: Another great story! A bookstore owner receives a mysterious package that holds some unsettling secrets.
In a Pet Shop, 3/5: I sat in confusion on this one! An ugly woman visits a pet shop to birdwatch. When one bird dies, she isn’t seen again.
Couples Seeking Couples, 1/5: This was the most random story of the bunch! Two couples have too much to drink, and trouble ensues.
The Good Father, 3.5/5: Eerie! A wife leaves her husband, driving him to drink. One day, she shows up again, and things get strange.
The Housewarming, 5/5: Brilliant! Sums up how an introvert feels.
Chupacabra, 3/5: A brother makes amends for his brother’s mistake.
All the Pretty Girls, 5/5: Fantastic! A displaced car has its own agenda.
Closing In, 5/5: A hotel room proves to be a little too close for comfort.
Underneath, 4/5: An author tries to come to terms with a lifetime of questions.
All is Calm, 3/5: A grieving wife has a mental breakdown after her husband dies.
Painstation, 5/5: Fabulous! A stalker fulfills his fantasy, only for it to end in a nightmare.
Discussion Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects, 5/5: My favorite of the bunch! An injured soldier outlives his comrades and the flies inhabiting his space.
Then There is Boston, 3.5/5: A romantic getaway is meant to elicit memories; however, when one person tries too hard to document them, will the moments be lost?
👍 Orbs Pros: Diversity! As you can see, there is plenty to choose from. This was my first crack at reading Malfi, and I came away impressed by his writing style. I breezed through the stories without any issues.
👎 Orbs Cons: A variation can also be a negative. With twenty stories, there are bound to be some that are forgettable.
Recommended! For those who have read Malfi before, they understand what type of skills the man possesses. However, new readers such as myself may only think of Malfi as strictly a horror writer, and this would be doing the author a disservice. This novel is an exceptional starting point for those who want to delve into Malfi’s work, offering an outstanding command of his craft and proving he is not limited to just standard horror tropes.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: I flipped through the pages, carefully examining each passage, with unwavering concentration. The bug incessantly flaps its translucent, veiny wings, simultaneously landing on top of a fresh cut upon my shoulder. Deliciously sucking the crimson lifeblood, a soft hum of delight emanates from its body. What do I do? Slowly, I feel myself waning, light-headed, yet I press on. I finish paragraph after paragraph, and soon these words on the page lash out at the bug, striking with a torrent of destruction. The rattled insect continues absorbing my crimson treat, albeit slowly. Slow motion enters the fray as I read the final portion of the story. I know what I must do! With dust in my eyes, I look to King Malfi for confirmation. With a wry smile, Malfi looks back, his thumb adorned with a ruby ring, pointing downward. As I slam the book shut, the flies' multiple eyes are shocked in horror. My leathery hand reaches out to grab its grotesque appendages and snatch it away from my wound. In one single motion, I engulf the fly, piece by crunchy piece, to the delight of the onlookers. I am deemed victorious; I have conquered all that has been put before me, and as such will live on through the tales of future generations. For I am no longer just Chewabalous Orbinus; I am simply known as the Fly Slayer!
Many thanks to Titan Books for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
4.25 orbs rounded down to 4 glowing 🔮🔮🔮🔮 orbs
Pub. Date: Jan 27, 2026
Titan Books
The combatant’s ring, Emor…
💡 Orbs Prologue: The sweat glistened off my sunburned forehead as I turned to the Imperial box. King Malfi attentively shifted his eyes, awaiting the outcome of the final battle. I, the Chewabalous Orbinus, legionnaire and consumer of literary prose, gazed toward the shady eastern tunnel. Nineteen challengers, all of whom felt the wrath of mind and body, all extinguished into oblivion by the deftness of my weathered hands. The crowds' anticipatory roars washed over me, and a sense of claustrophobic messiness roiled deep within. The creaking of the ancient steel doors opening shuddered my senses as my foe flittered its wings. Slowly gauging the situation, it floated towards the center of the dusty ring. Five eyes carefully stalked my every move, the fly calculating its next move…. Coolly, I sat upon the curule seat and gathered my weapon. A leather-bound tome flashed in my right hand; the contents would determine the outcome of this match…
🔩 Nuts & Bolts: Ronald Malfi’s short story anthology is masterfully executed with horror and variation sure to please readers. From story to story, the themes change, yet Malfi’s expertise garnered my attention throughout. Where could these stories lead? Like following Malfi into the dark recesses underneath the earth, a simple torch in hand. The smell of mildew and decomposed flesh awakened my amygdala, fear arising at every step. Within this labyrinth, a world of fabulous tales began to unfold, and here, dear readers, are my findings…
The Dinner Party, 4.5/5: Wickedly delicious! A paranoid mother has difficulty concentrating.
Learned Children, 4.5/5: Creepy story about a teacher’s strange students. I enjoyed this!
Knocking, 4/5: Good! Secrets await new house owners.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island, 4.5/5: A guide with a passion for dancing takes a couple to see the sharks fly.
The Glad Street Angel, 3/5: Not my favorite story! A man gets out of rehab. The ending is a stunning revelation of premeditated ideas.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart, 4/: An older gentleman aids a boy being bullied. Unfortunately, their survival plans have grim outcomes.
The House on Cottage Lane, 5/5: Super story! The strange boy next door is awkwardly invited to go trick-or-treating, but he seems to get lost on his way back home.
Pembroke, 5/5: Another great story! A bookstore owner receives a mysterious package that holds some unsettling secrets.
In a Pet Shop, 3/5: I sat in confusion on this one! An ugly woman visits a pet shop to birdwatch. When one bird dies, she isn’t seen again.
Couples Seeking Couples, 1/5: This was the most random story of the bunch! Two couples have too much to drink, and trouble ensues.
The Good Father, 3.5/5: Eerie! A wife leaves her husband, driving him to drink. One day, she shows up again, and things get strange.
The Housewarming, 5/5: Brilliant! Sums up how an introvert feels.
Chupacabra, 3/5: A brother makes amends for his brother’s mistake.
All the Pretty Girls, 5/5: Fantastic! A displaced car has its own agenda.
Closing In, 5/5: A hotel room proves to be a little too close for comfort.
Underneath, 4/5: An author tries to come to terms with a lifetime of questions.
All is Calm, 3/5: A grieving wife has a mental breakdown after her husband dies.
Painstation, 5/5: Fabulous! A stalker fulfills his fantasy, only for it to end in a nightmare.
Discussion Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects, 5/5: My favorite of the bunch! An injured soldier outlives his comrades and the flies inhabiting his space.
Then There is Boston, 3.5/5: A romantic getaway is meant to elicit memories; however, when one person tries too hard to document them, will the moments be lost?
👍 Orbs Pros: Diversity! As you can see, there is plenty to choose from. This was my first crack at reading Malfi, and I came away impressed by his writing style. I breezed through the stories without any issues.
👎 Orbs Cons: A variation can also be a negative. With twenty stories, there are bound to be some that are forgettable.
Recommended! For those who have read Malfi before, they understand what type of skills the man possesses. However, new readers such as myself may only think of Malfi as strictly a horror writer, and this would be doing the author a disservice. This novel is an exceptional starting point for those who want to delve into Malfi’s work, offering an outstanding command of his craft and proving he is not limited to just standard horror tropes.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: I flipped through the pages, carefully examining each passage, with unwavering concentration. The bug incessantly flaps its translucent, veiny wings, simultaneously landing on top of a fresh cut upon my shoulder. Deliciously sucking the crimson lifeblood, a soft hum of delight emanates from its body. What do I do? Slowly, I feel myself waning, light-headed, yet I press on. I finish paragraph after paragraph, and soon these words on the page lash out at the bug, striking with a torrent of destruction. The rattled insect continues absorbing my crimson treat, albeit slowly. Slow motion enters the fray as I read the final portion of the story. I know what I must do! With dust in my eyes, I look to King Malfi for confirmation. With a wry smile, Malfi looks back, his thumb adorned with a ruby ring, pointing downward. As I slam the book shut, the flies' multiple eyes are shocked in horror. My leathery hand reaches out to grab its grotesque appendages and snatch it away from my wound. In one single motion, I engulf the fly, piece by crunchy piece, to the delight of the onlookers. I am deemed victorious; I have conquered all that has been put before me, and as such will live on through the tales of future generations. For I am no longer just Chewabalous Orbinus; I am simply known as the Fly Slayer!
Many thanks to Titan Books for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
August 6, 2018
"I made a mistake."
20 short stories exploring the dark underside of religion, marriage, love, fear, regret, and hunger in a world that spins just slightly askew on its axis.
Holy cow. First of all - Ronald Malfi can WRITE. Make no mistake about that. The stories themselves may have ranged in quality throughout this collection, but the standard of writing remained HIGH. He's definitely an author I will be reading more of - potentially starting with his novel December Park, which I ordered within reading about 50 pages of this collection.
Malfi grabs your attention from the get-go with an absolute scorcher of a story in The Dinner Party. One you won't forget in a hurry, The Dinner Party is one of the craziest and most shocking stories I've ever read. Malfi is not afraid to go DARK, and that's something I look for in my favourite horror books. As Clive Barker says, "Good horror fiction deals with taboos. It must always go to the limits of what is acceptable."
After this crazy opener, the next number of stories continue to be quite strong , it's just towards the end of the collection that I feel they become a bit weaker. The majority were still enjoyable in some regard, but there are a few forgettable ones that just didn't do much for me. I had been keeping a note of the rating for each individual story, and there were a LOT of 4 and 5 star stories, which lends to how good Malfi can really be when he's at the top of his game.
Particular highlights for me were as follows:
- Learned Children - this one was quite unsettling!! There's a scarecrow...what more can I say. We all know scarecrows are fucking terrifying!
- Knocking - creepy occurrences in a slightly unusual house
- Under the Tutelage of Mr Trueheart - a young kind teams up with an old man who thinks people are being replaced
- Painstation - this one was FUCKED. UP. And awesome. Right up my street
- The Housewarming - this one reminded me of the movie MOTHER! Made me feel so anxious and claustrophobic
This collection also reminded me a lot of Barker's Books of Blood in terms of the diverse rage of stories we got in here. It's mostly horror, but there's no real theme or connection between each story. We even get a little bit of romance thrown in at the end! It's really a mishmash of everything and I love that - each story is so uniquely different from the next.
Recommended if you enjoy horror short stories and collections like King's Night Shift and Barker's Books of Blood!
My average worked out at about 3.75 out of 5 for the stories in here! So I've rounded up to 4 stars!
20 short stories exploring the dark underside of religion, marriage, love, fear, regret, and hunger in a world that spins just slightly askew on its axis.
Holy cow. First of all - Ronald Malfi can WRITE. Make no mistake about that. The stories themselves may have ranged in quality throughout this collection, but the standard of writing remained HIGH. He's definitely an author I will be reading more of - potentially starting with his novel December Park, which I ordered within reading about 50 pages of this collection.
Malfi grabs your attention from the get-go with an absolute scorcher of a story in The Dinner Party. One you won't forget in a hurry, The Dinner Party is one of the craziest and most shocking stories I've ever read. Malfi is not afraid to go DARK, and that's something I look for in my favourite horror books. As Clive Barker says, "Good horror fiction deals with taboos. It must always go to the limits of what is acceptable."
After this crazy opener, the next number of stories continue to be quite strong , it's just towards the end of the collection that I feel they become a bit weaker. The majority were still enjoyable in some regard, but there are a few forgettable ones that just didn't do much for me. I had been keeping a note of the rating for each individual story, and there were a LOT of 4 and 5 star stories, which lends to how good Malfi can really be when he's at the top of his game.
Particular highlights for me were as follows:
- Learned Children - this one was quite unsettling!! There's a scarecrow...what more can I say. We all know scarecrows are fucking terrifying!
- Knocking - creepy occurrences in a slightly unusual house
- Under the Tutelage of Mr Trueheart - a young kind teams up with an old man who thinks people are being replaced
- Painstation - this one was FUCKED. UP. And awesome. Right up my street
- The Housewarming - this one reminded me of the movie MOTHER! Made me feel so anxious and claustrophobic
This collection also reminded me a lot of Barker's Books of Blood in terms of the diverse rage of stories we got in here. It's mostly horror, but there's no real theme or connection between each story. We even get a little bit of romance thrown in at the end! It's really a mishmash of everything and I love that - each story is so uniquely different from the next.
Recommended if you enjoy horror short stories and collections like King's Night Shift and Barker's Books of Blood!
My average worked out at about 3.75 out of 5 for the stories in here! So I've rounded up to 4 stars!
January 22, 2018
This collection of short stories came in one of my Nocturnal Reader's Box subscriptions and is my first read by this author. I love, love short story collections. I think it's an entertaining and comprehensive way of experiencing the skills and diversity in narration that one author possesses.
In this case, Ronald Malfi is capable of telling a variety of tales with different narrative styles. I'm really impressed. Most the stories were five star, home runs for me. Some stand outs are:
The Dinner Party-the perfect starter and sets the mood for the rest of your reading experience, such a great story!
Learned Children- Creepy kids at their best!
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island--a shocking conclusion
The House on Cottage Lane- Fun coming of age story with a creepy little kid
The Good Father- One of those twisty turning stories where you think you know-but you don't know
The Housewarming- Literally my worst nightmare-really freaked out my introverted spirit
All The Pretty Girls- Reminded me of a Stephen King/Lansdale mash-up
Closing In-HORRIFYING
Painstation- has a Clive Barker flavor-ick, gave me the creeps
Awesome, awesome collection. I had so much fun and I'm excited to read a whole novel by Malfi. I've heard great things about Bone White and December Park (which I own)
I highly recommend this one for fans of the dark, twisted, scary and macabre.
In this case, Ronald Malfi is capable of telling a variety of tales with different narrative styles. I'm really impressed. Most the stories were five star, home runs for me. Some stand outs are:
The Dinner Party-the perfect starter and sets the mood for the rest of your reading experience, such a great story!
Learned Children- Creepy kids at their best!
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island--a shocking conclusion
The House on Cottage Lane- Fun coming of age story with a creepy little kid
The Good Father- One of those twisty turning stories where you think you know-but you don't know
The Housewarming- Literally my worst nightmare-really freaked out my introverted spirit
All The Pretty Girls- Reminded me of a Stephen King/Lansdale mash-up
Closing In-HORRIFYING
Painstation- has a Clive Barker flavor-ick, gave me the creeps
Awesome, awesome collection. I had so much fun and I'm excited to read a whole novel by Malfi. I've heard great things about Bone White and December Park (which I own)
I highly recommend this one for fans of the dark, twisted, scary and macabre.
December 15, 2017
4.5 stars!
WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE is a collection of 20 short stories by Ronald Malfi. These stories range from psychological horror, atmospheric horror, outright horror, thriller, supernatural, and to the inexplicably "weird", in terms of content. As in all story collections, different topics will "connect" with different readers. Going by the huge variety of theme in this volume, I feel confident that aficionados of horror, mystery, and strange tales will ALL find something here that will appeal to them.
Previously, I've know Malfi through some of his amazing novels and novellas. It was quite the treat to get a taste of some of his shorter works in this collection. Many of the stories contained a great deal of "mental" power--meaning, they got into my head and had me virtually "seeing things" through the eyes of the main character.
Additionally, the variation in point-of-view used was ideally suited to each individual story. I felt that this was a particular strength of Malfi's--knowing just whose voice should be telling each tale, in order for us to get the most from it.
Personal favorites included:
--"Closing In": You know what they say about Karma . . .
--"Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects": "The only way to beat God is to never die . . . " Part mental, part nauseating, this story of an injured soldier's thoughts and deeds will linger in your own for some time! "Evil people . . . are afraid to die."
--"Pembroke": An odd book mistakenly delivered to a small bookstore becomes Mr. Pemroke's obsession. ". . . You should have left well enough alone."
--"The House on Cottage Lane": A boy and his two friends regret teasing another. ". . . I'm responsible for the stones I throw and for the windows I break."
--"Learned Children": This tale has creepy children AND a scarecrow! How could you possibly go wrong?
--"The Good Father": A "good father" should know what's best for his children . . .
--"The Dinner Party": This is the first story in the collection, and the one I simply can't get out of my mind! I want to call this one psychological horror, but the truth is that it fits well into several sub-genres. All I can say is that you really need to read this one!
Overall, I found this "themeless" collection to have a lot of genuinely unique ideas. While not all of them worked for me, I believe that the different subject material will have something that appeals to most everyone. Malfi's versatility as a writer is what impresses me the most in this book. As the majority of the tales DID leave a lasting--five-star--impression on me, I have to say it's one of the best collections I've read this year.
Highly recommended!
WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE is a collection of 20 short stories by Ronald Malfi. These stories range from psychological horror, atmospheric horror, outright horror, thriller, supernatural, and to the inexplicably "weird", in terms of content. As in all story collections, different topics will "connect" with different readers. Going by the huge variety of theme in this volume, I feel confident that aficionados of horror, mystery, and strange tales will ALL find something here that will appeal to them.
Previously, I've know Malfi through some of his amazing novels and novellas. It was quite the treat to get a taste of some of his shorter works in this collection. Many of the stories contained a great deal of "mental" power--meaning, they got into my head and had me virtually "seeing things" through the eyes of the main character.
Additionally, the variation in point-of-view used was ideally suited to each individual story. I felt that this was a particular strength of Malfi's--knowing just whose voice should be telling each tale, in order for us to get the most from it.
Personal favorites included:
--"Closing In": You know what they say about Karma . . .
--"Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects": "The only way to beat God is to never die . . . " Part mental, part nauseating, this story of an injured soldier's thoughts and deeds will linger in your own for some time! "Evil people . . . are afraid to die."
--"Pembroke": An odd book mistakenly delivered to a small bookstore becomes Mr. Pemroke's obsession. ". . . You should have left well enough alone."
--"The House on Cottage Lane": A boy and his two friends regret teasing another. ". . . I'm responsible for the stones I throw and for the windows I break."
--"Learned Children": This tale has creepy children AND a scarecrow! How could you possibly go wrong?
--"The Good Father": A "good father" should know what's best for his children . . .
--"The Dinner Party": This is the first story in the collection, and the one I simply can't get out of my mind! I want to call this one psychological horror, but the truth is that it fits well into several sub-genres. All I can say is that you really need to read this one!
Overall, I found this "themeless" collection to have a lot of genuinely unique ideas. While not all of them worked for me, I believe that the different subject material will have something that appeals to most everyone. Malfi's versatility as a writer is what impresses me the most in this book. As the majority of the tales DID leave a lasting--five-star--impression on me, I have to say it's one of the best collections I've read this year.
Highly recommended!
November 14, 2017
5 of 5 Stars Review copy
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone, the debut short story collection from Ronald Mafi, is a bit of a mixed bag. Although the twenty shorts included do make for an enjoyable read, I have to say I much prefer Malfi's recent novels to the tales included here. Little Girls made my top ten list in 2015, The Night Parade did the same in 2016, and Bone White is my favorite read so far in 2017.
The Dinner Party - The story of a paranoid housewife with an OMG ending. One of the best in the collection. Originally published at the Horror Drive-In.
Learned Children - Scarecrows creep me out and so do high school students. Both are featured prominently in this tale. Originally published at The Crow's Caw.
Knocking - There's an Edgar Allan Poe vibe to this story of strange tapping noise and the disappearance of a young wife. "I heard it again: a labored breathy sound, very much like respiration. My own breath seized in my throat. Then another sound: a dull thud. A knock. This was it—this was the sound Tara had heard coming from behind the closet door." Originally published at Horrorworld.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island - Jealousy will make a man do some strange and potentially deadly things. Originally published in Splatterpunk 2.
The Glad Street Angel - Mafi's descriptive skills are highlighted in this gritty, hardcore story of a young addict just out of prison/rehab. "Carter Johnson is my father's construction worker buddy, and he looks like someone stretched a pair of filthy coveralls over a city bus. His face resembles a burlap sack with eye-holes and his breath is an aromatic amalgamation of unfiltered cigarettes, peppered beef jerky, and steamed cabbage." Originally published in Bare Bone #7.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart - A lonely, middle school student befriends an elderly man who believes people are being "replaced." Originally published in Dark Hallows.
The House on Cottage Lane - Living next door to a foster family can be challenging. Troubled kids coming and going. This is the story of one such kid, Oliver, and a Halloween never to be forgotten. A standout tale in this collection. Originally published by Cemetery Dance.
Pembroke - A wonderfully creepy story which takes place in a used bookstore. "'...the other night, when I was straightening up, I went to put the book on the rolling cart when it cut me.' Tom held up his right index finger, which was capped in an adhesive bandage. 'A paper cut,' Pembroke marveled, recalling that odd splotch of blood on the book’s page. 'Yes, of course,' said Tom, 'only that’s not what I thought at the time. Because when it happened, Mr. Pembroke—and this is going to sound ridiculous, I know it—but when it happened, my first thought was that the book had bit me'". Originally published in Dark Discoveries.
In a Pet Shop - A strange woman with a preoccupation with the birds in a pet shop.
Couples Seeking Couples - A story of the dangers of wife swapping. Originally published in 24:7 Magazines.
The Good Father - A wife's infidelity. A father struggling alone with his two young children. Will she ever return and what would happen if she did. Originally published in Lamplight.
The Housewarming - A young, upwardly mobile couple moves into a new neighborhood and throws a housewarming party. As more and more neighbors show up time all but stands still in the twilight zone like story. Originally published in Shadow Masters.
Chupacabra - "I am thinking of the horror stories Martin used to tell me when I was younger and he’d return from weeks and sometimes months on the road. He would tell me of the chupacabra and of the way they drained the fluids from livestock and how, sometimes, they drained the fluids from people, too." Published in Bare Bones #11.
All the Pretty Girls - The tale of a very disturbed mind and a rotting 1962 Mercury Comet. Originally published in Bare Bones #8.
Closing In - Ever get the feeling the walls were closing in on you? Originally published in Dark Discoveries.
Underneath - A strange look at the writing process for a successful writer working under a pen name. Originally published in Lost Cause Quarterly.
All Is Calm - Dealing with the death of a spouse. A glimpse inside the mind of the survivor. Originally published in Bare Bones #10.
Painstation - A co-worker's obsession leads to a strange club where the rules are simple and breaking them can be painful in so many ways. "He pushed against the door and it opened with little protest. Before him, a wooden staircase dipped into blackness. The stink of sulfur now accosted him, potent and unapologetic. Something else, too… Lilacs, he thought. Her perfume." Originally published in Peep Show #3.
Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects - A wonderfully disturbing tale of survival. Originally published in Sick: An Anthology of Illness.
Then There is Boston - Malfi closes out his collection with an original story of love and poetry in Boston.
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone is a fine collection of speculative fiction and one I can readily recommend.
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone is currently available in both paperback and e-book formats from JournalStone.
From the author's bio - Ronald Malfi is an award-winning author of several horror novels, mysteries, and thrillers. He's also a Bram Stoker Award nominee. Most recognized for his haunting, literary style, and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, Debra, and their two daughters.
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone, the debut short story collection from Ronald Mafi, is a bit of a mixed bag. Although the twenty shorts included do make for an enjoyable read, I have to say I much prefer Malfi's recent novels to the tales included here. Little Girls made my top ten list in 2015, The Night Parade did the same in 2016, and Bone White is my favorite read so far in 2017.
The Dinner Party - The story of a paranoid housewife with an OMG ending. One of the best in the collection. Originally published at the Horror Drive-In.
Learned Children - Scarecrows creep me out and so do high school students. Both are featured prominently in this tale. Originally published at The Crow's Caw.
Knocking - There's an Edgar Allan Poe vibe to this story of strange tapping noise and the disappearance of a young wife. "I heard it again: a labored breathy sound, very much like respiration. My own breath seized in my throat. Then another sound: a dull thud. A knock. This was it—this was the sound Tara had heard coming from behind the closet door." Originally published at Horrorworld.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island - Jealousy will make a man do some strange and potentially deadly things. Originally published in Splatterpunk 2.
The Glad Street Angel - Mafi's descriptive skills are highlighted in this gritty, hardcore story of a young addict just out of prison/rehab. "Carter Johnson is my father's construction worker buddy, and he looks like someone stretched a pair of filthy coveralls over a city bus. His face resembles a burlap sack with eye-holes and his breath is an aromatic amalgamation of unfiltered cigarettes, peppered beef jerky, and steamed cabbage." Originally published in Bare Bone #7.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart - A lonely, middle school student befriends an elderly man who believes people are being "replaced." Originally published in Dark Hallows.
The House on Cottage Lane - Living next door to a foster family can be challenging. Troubled kids coming and going. This is the story of one such kid, Oliver, and a Halloween never to be forgotten. A standout tale in this collection. Originally published by Cemetery Dance.
Pembroke - A wonderfully creepy story which takes place in a used bookstore. "'...the other night, when I was straightening up, I went to put the book on the rolling cart when it cut me.' Tom held up his right index finger, which was capped in an adhesive bandage. 'A paper cut,' Pembroke marveled, recalling that odd splotch of blood on the book’s page. 'Yes, of course,' said Tom, 'only that’s not what I thought at the time. Because when it happened, Mr. Pembroke—and this is going to sound ridiculous, I know it—but when it happened, my first thought was that the book had bit me'". Originally published in Dark Discoveries.
In a Pet Shop - A strange woman with a preoccupation with the birds in a pet shop.
Couples Seeking Couples - A story of the dangers of wife swapping. Originally published in 24:7 Magazines.
The Good Father - A wife's infidelity. A father struggling alone with his two young children. Will she ever return and what would happen if she did. Originally published in Lamplight.
The Housewarming - A young, upwardly mobile couple moves into a new neighborhood and throws a housewarming party. As more and more neighbors show up time all but stands still in the twilight zone like story. Originally published in Shadow Masters.
Chupacabra - "I am thinking of the horror stories Martin used to tell me when I was younger and he’d return from weeks and sometimes months on the road. He would tell me of the chupacabra and of the way they drained the fluids from livestock and how, sometimes, they drained the fluids from people, too." Published in Bare Bones #11.
All the Pretty Girls - The tale of a very disturbed mind and a rotting 1962 Mercury Comet. Originally published in Bare Bones #8.
Closing In - Ever get the feeling the walls were closing in on you? Originally published in Dark Discoveries.
Underneath - A strange look at the writing process for a successful writer working under a pen name. Originally published in Lost Cause Quarterly.
All Is Calm - Dealing with the death of a spouse. A glimpse inside the mind of the survivor. Originally published in Bare Bones #10.
Painstation - A co-worker's obsession leads to a strange club where the rules are simple and breaking them can be painful in so many ways. "He pushed against the door and it opened with little protest. Before him, a wooden staircase dipped into blackness. The stink of sulfur now accosted him, potent and unapologetic. Something else, too… Lilacs, he thought. Her perfume." Originally published in Peep Show #3.
Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects - A wonderfully disturbing tale of survival. Originally published in Sick: An Anthology of Illness.
Then There is Boston - Malfi closes out his collection with an original story of love and poetry in Boston.
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone is a fine collection of speculative fiction and one I can readily recommend.
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone is currently available in both paperback and e-book formats from JournalStone.
From the author's bio - Ronald Malfi is an award-winning author of several horror novels, mysteries, and thrillers. He's also a Bram Stoker Award nominee. Most recognized for his haunting, literary style, and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, Debra, and their two daughters.
December 26, 2017
The best story is the first one and by the half it’s a case of diminishing returns. The stories lose that end punch and rely on the vague and mysterious.
The Dinner Party ★★★★★
"I made a mistake."
Oh damn what a strong starter! This is an absolute nightmare of postpartum anxiety. Something in my gut dropped at the end. I felt physically sick... and then wildly impressed (by the story), lol.
Learned Children ★★☆☆☆
That was a dash of Children of the Corn but too vague.
Knocking ★★★★☆
An adult version of a child’s fear of the monster-in-the-closet. Love the punch ending!
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island ★★★★☆
A businessman takes his young wife on a beach vacation; murderous jealously ensues. But not like you’d think...
The Glad Street Angel ★★★☆☆
A painful story of a death haunting and draining a family to the bitter end.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart ★★★★☆
Harsh story of a man passing on madness to a needy child. It reminded me of King’s Apt Pupil.
The House on Cottage Lane ★★★★☆
"My father is a good man, and it’s funny how it took all these years to understand what that means."
A story about mean kids that was hard to read because it made you remember when you didn’t understand...
Pembroke ★★★☆☆
Seems to be the namesake story about a bookstore owner who accidentally receives a old blank book he can’t bear to part with. It’s overly mysterious and vague.
In a Pet Shop ★☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A one sided conversation with a paranoid bird keeper. Boring.
Couples Seeking Couples ★★☆☆☆
A story about ugly middle age swingers that possibly had a grizzly end. But only possibly, again, it’s a vague story.
The Good Father ★★★☆☆
Being a good father doesn’t mean you are good man.
The Housewarming ★★★☆☆
Cocktail party from hell. To be fair, that’s what they all feel like to me.
Chupacabra ★★★★☆
There’s little point in fearing monsters when you realize you’ve become one. It’s a lonely road.
All the Pretty Girls ★★☆☆☆
A car that inspires rape and murder.
Closing In ★★★☆☆
A hitman receives a fitting end without anymore explanation than that.
Underneath ★★★☆☆
I’m not sure if this is an allegory of a pen name or a dark doppelgänger - vague.
All is Calm ★★★★☆
A story about a widow not coping well with the death of her husband.
Painstation ★★★★☆
A story of obsession, S&M, and utter stupidity.
Discussion Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects ★★★★☆
Gross story about doing anything to stay alive and avoid hell.
Then There Is Boston ★★★☆☆
Random romantic story at the end of a medley of horror. Why?
This short story collection was part of the November 2017 Nocturnal Readers Book Box "Beware the Autumn People."
The Dinner Party ★★★★★
"I made a mistake."
Oh damn what a strong starter! This is an absolute nightmare of postpartum anxiety. Something in my gut dropped at the end. I felt physically sick... and then wildly impressed (by the story), lol.
Learned Children ★★☆☆☆
That was a dash of Children of the Corn but too vague.
Knocking ★★★★☆
An adult version of a child’s fear of the monster-in-the-closet. Love the punch ending!
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island ★★★★☆
A businessman takes his young wife on a beach vacation; murderous jealously ensues. But not like you’d think...
The Glad Street Angel ★★★☆☆
A painful story of a death haunting and draining a family to the bitter end.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart ★★★★☆
Harsh story of a man passing on madness to a needy child. It reminded me of King’s Apt Pupil.
The House on Cottage Lane ★★★★☆
"My father is a good man, and it’s funny how it took all these years to understand what that means."
A story about mean kids that was hard to read because it made you remember when you didn’t understand...
Pembroke ★★★☆☆
Seems to be the namesake story about a bookstore owner who accidentally receives a old blank book he can’t bear to part with. It’s overly mysterious and vague.
In a Pet Shop ★☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A one sided conversation with a paranoid bird keeper. Boring.
Couples Seeking Couples ★★☆☆☆
A story about ugly middle age swingers that possibly had a grizzly end. But only possibly, again, it’s a vague story.
The Good Father ★★★☆☆
Being a good father doesn’t mean you are good man.
The Housewarming ★★★☆☆
Cocktail party from hell. To be fair, that’s what they all feel like to me.
Chupacabra ★★★★☆
There’s little point in fearing monsters when you realize you’ve become one. It’s a lonely road.
All the Pretty Girls ★★☆☆☆
A car that inspires rape and murder.
Closing In ★★★☆☆
A hitman receives a fitting end without anymore explanation than that.
Underneath ★★★☆☆
I’m not sure if this is an allegory of a pen name or a dark doppelgänger - vague.
All is Calm ★★★★☆
A story about a widow not coping well with the death of her husband.
Painstation ★★★★☆
A story of obsession, S&M, and utter stupidity.
Discussion Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects ★★★★☆
Gross story about doing anything to stay alive and avoid hell.
Then There Is Boston ★★★☆☆
Random romantic story at the end of a medley of horror. Why?
This short story collection was part of the November 2017 Nocturnal Readers Book Box "Beware the Autumn People."
May 23, 2018
I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by this short story collection if I’m being honest. Now I didn’t hate it by any means, but I definitely didn’t love it either. The stories weren’t bad but they didn’t make me FEEL anything. I felt no uneasiness or shivers, just nothing. As each story ended, the only thing I could think was that was an okay story. That basically sums it up for me, a collection of okay stories.
February 18, 2018
I like to peruse reviews after I finish a book, and after quickly looking through a number of them for We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone I came to a couple of conclusions. 1) Most people like novels more than short story collections, and 2) this is particularly true with Ronald Malfi. Actually, I started to slowly realize that a lot of people are not huge fans of short stories when I started reading collections more and reading their reviews. Personally, I love them, and in particular this collection is fantastic. So many of these stories are so dark and twisted. A number of reviewers said they prefer Malfi's novels to his shorter works, so I'm seriously interested in picking more from him.
There are 20 stories in this collection, and while I always appreciate some more than others, I don't think any of them are duds. Malfi starts the book off with a bang with a short and gruesome story called "The Dinner Party". The moment I finished that one I knew I was in for some dark and disturbing tales.
Some other standouts for me are:
"Knocking" a tale about an American couple who move to a strange house in London where sinister things begin to occur.
"The House on Cottage Lane" is probably my favorite of the collection. This story is about a young boy and his friends who are forced to include the weird kid next door in their trick-or-treating plans, and end up making a dare that goes horribly wrong.
"Couples Seeking Couples" stands out because the entire story is just incredibly uncomfortable. Malfi really knows how to make you squirm.
"The Housewarming" is a story that masterfully plays on my own fears. A couple moves into a new home and decides to throw a housewarming party and invite their neighbors. I'm not going to spoil this one, but I was intensely anxious by the end of the story.
"Closing In" is another story that builds in tension and plays with phobias. So many of these stories build to an ending that make you realize you were practically holding your breath by the time it's finished.
"Painstation" was a dark surprise toward the end of the collection. I should have been expecting anything by this point, but this one was just bonkers. Beware the pretty girl in the office. She may have interests that go beyond what you can handle.
And finally "Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects" is a story that I am NEVER going to be able to get out of my head. Soon-Lee has gone through a lot, and loneliness is probably the least of his worries, but at least he's found a way to continue living.
That one is burned in my brain forever.
This is an incredibly dark and solid collection that I highly recommend, especially to fellow fans of short stories. I can't wait to read more from Ronald Malfi.
There are 20 stories in this collection, and while I always appreciate some more than others, I don't think any of them are duds. Malfi starts the book off with a bang with a short and gruesome story called "The Dinner Party". The moment I finished that one I knew I was in for some dark and disturbing tales.
Some other standouts for me are:
"Knocking" a tale about an American couple who move to a strange house in London where sinister things begin to occur.
"The House on Cottage Lane" is probably my favorite of the collection. This story is about a young boy and his friends who are forced to include the weird kid next door in their trick-or-treating plans, and end up making a dare that goes horribly wrong.
"Couples Seeking Couples" stands out because the entire story is just incredibly uncomfortable. Malfi really knows how to make you squirm.
"The Housewarming" is a story that masterfully plays on my own fears. A couple moves into a new home and decides to throw a housewarming party and invite their neighbors. I'm not going to spoil this one, but I was intensely anxious by the end of the story.
"Closing In" is another story that builds in tension and plays with phobias. So many of these stories build to an ending that make you realize you were practically holding your breath by the time it's finished.
"Painstation" was a dark surprise toward the end of the collection. I should have been expecting anything by this point, but this one was just bonkers. Beware the pretty girl in the office. She may have interests that go beyond what you can handle.
And finally "Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects" is a story that I am NEVER going to be able to get out of my head. Soon-Lee has gone through a lot, and loneliness is probably the least of his worries, but at least he's found a way to continue living.
That one is burned in my brain forever.
This is an incredibly dark and solid collection that I highly recommend, especially to fellow fans of short stories. I can't wait to read more from Ronald Malfi.
February 20, 2021
I did not complete this book. I found many of the stories to be tedious. Moving on.
June 14, 2018
Can a book of goosebumps and dark surprise twists be a fun beach read too? This book does all of that. ‘We Should have Left Well Enough Alone’ is a collection of short stories of horror which made me grin.
Gentle reader, if the writer O’Henry (The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories) had been a horror writer, he might have written similar stories as Ronald Malfi. Many of the stories in this collection seem to be about a man or woman under the stress or duress of a work or relationship difficulty, or about someone who wants to make a good impression, or simply about a young group of boys on Halloween trying to dump a boy their parents have forced on them for the night - all of which suddenly looks like a very different problem by the end of the story. Other stories begin more traditionally with a bad guy who plans to torment or kill someone, and maybe he does, only to discover what goes around comes around. A few of them, not funny, near the end of the book are the kind of horror which could be hallucinations or madness, or real. There is even a book-nerd story about a bookshop owner (‘Pembrook’) who finds himself under a compulsion to own a book no matter what it costs him (fcuk me, but this one hit close to home).
One story, ‘The Dinner Party’, which happens to be the first one, made me laugh out loud. Omg, but I must be a sick puppy...
Gentle reader, if the writer O’Henry (The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories) had been a horror writer, he might have written similar stories as Ronald Malfi. Many of the stories in this collection seem to be about a man or woman under the stress or duress of a work or relationship difficulty, or about someone who wants to make a good impression, or simply about a young group of boys on Halloween trying to dump a boy their parents have forced on them for the night - all of which suddenly looks like a very different problem by the end of the story. Other stories begin more traditionally with a bad guy who plans to torment or kill someone, and maybe he does, only to discover what goes around comes around. A few of them, not funny, near the end of the book are the kind of horror which could be hallucinations or madness, or real. There is even a book-nerd story about a bookshop owner (‘Pembrook’) who finds himself under a compulsion to own a book no matter what it costs him (fcuk me, but this one hit close to home).
One story, ‘The Dinner Party’, which happens to be the first one, made me laugh out loud. Omg, but I must be a sick puppy...
April 13, 2018
I received this collection in my Nocturnal Readers Box forever ago.. I just picked it up this month and man, I can not believe I waited so long. The collection is well written with almost* every story being a 5/5. There was 1 or 2 I was kinda like okay okay but not good enough for a 5 so that’s why my rating is a 4/5. I would give it 4.5 if I could!
This is my first read by this author and I will definitely be reading more. The first story in the collection really set the tone for the rest of the collection and I am STILL thinking about it. The main theme of the stories surrounds human behaviour which I found very unsettling from the beginning as monsters and ghouls can be brushed aside as “not real” but human behaviour can not. Malfi is an excellent writer and really captures the readers attention by allowing them to climb inside the minds of his characters and experience first hand what they’re experiencing. Each story had a sense of impending doom in some way shape or form and that’s what really got my attention. It was terrifying. From rooms closing in on you to the point of suffocation to shark infested waters... Malfi nailed the whole lurking suspense thing in each of the stories. 5/5 would recommend! Don’t wait like me, if you have this in your possession, read it now!
This is my first read by this author and I will definitely be reading more. The first story in the collection really set the tone for the rest of the collection and I am STILL thinking about it. The main theme of the stories surrounds human behaviour which I found very unsettling from the beginning as monsters and ghouls can be brushed aside as “not real” but human behaviour can not. Malfi is an excellent writer and really captures the readers attention by allowing them to climb inside the minds of his characters and experience first hand what they’re experiencing. Each story had a sense of impending doom in some way shape or form and that’s what really got my attention. It was terrifying. From rooms closing in on you to the point of suffocation to shark infested waters... Malfi nailed the whole lurking suspense thing in each of the stories. 5/5 would recommend! Don’t wait like me, if you have this in your possession, read it now!
December 18, 2017
This book contained 20 short stories that covered multiple genres (horror, suspense, thriller, mystery, supernatural, ghosts, crazy and bizarre). There was something for everyone in there and I thought almost every single one was worth 5 stars (only 1 I didn't "get").
Some of my favorites included The Dinner Party (now that's the way to start a book), Knocking, The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island (not what I expected), The Housewarming (loved the play with time), The Pet Shop (so everyday and curious), Couples Seeking Couples (very uncomfortable), Closing In (mind f*ck) and Painstation (just crazy).
I think what made them so good was how they lingered in my mind after I finished one. I was left feeling uncomfortable, shocked and disturbed. This helped slow down my reading and savor the book from not going from one story to the next instantly.
I thought he picked the perfect story to start the book. The Dinner Party was shocking and hooked me immediately. I also thought he ended the book with the perfect story, Then there is Boston. Loved the last line.
I have read a novel by this author before and loved that one too. He is definitely a new favorite for me and I will continue to read his work.
An excellent book I highly recommend!
Some of my favorites included The Dinner Party (now that's the way to start a book), Knocking, The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island (not what I expected), The Housewarming (loved the play with time), The Pet Shop (so everyday and curious), Couples Seeking Couples (very uncomfortable), Closing In (mind f*ck) and Painstation (just crazy).
I think what made them so good was how they lingered in my mind after I finished one. I was left feeling uncomfortable, shocked and disturbed. This helped slow down my reading and savor the book from not going from one story to the next instantly.
I thought he picked the perfect story to start the book. The Dinner Party was shocking and hooked me immediately. I also thought he ended the book with the perfect story, Then there is Boston. Loved the last line.
I have read a novel by this author before and loved that one too. He is definitely a new favorite for me and I will continue to read his work.
An excellent book I highly recommend!
April 1, 2019
This was easily one of my favorite books this year, and among the top three short story collections I've ever read! Malfi's stories will stick with you long after you've read them, and for this reason it took me a few months to get through this book. After I'd read a story or two I had to put it down just to revel in the terror. Highly, highly recommend this one!
December 19, 2017
I did not finish this book. At first I loved the vagueness of the stories but near the end, I just felt stupid and like I was missing something. I love Ronald’s novels but I guess I’m not a fan of his short stories.
November 8, 2025
Being a huge fan of Malfis novels, this is the second collection of short stories I’ve read from him and I’ve been underwhelmed with both.
The first story in this collection is probably the best and most complete. After that it’s a mixture of interesting ideas that aren’t really fleshed out or finished to the ones that left me cold.
There’s too many short stories here that kind of go nowhere and feel unfinished.
Malfis biggest strengths are his slow story telling and building of an atmospheric world but there aren’t enough words in the short story format for him to shine imo.
Many thanks to the publish for the ARC through Netgalley.
The first story in this collection is probably the best and most complete. After that it’s a mixture of interesting ideas that aren’t really fleshed out or finished to the ones that left me cold.
There’s too many short stories here that kind of go nowhere and feel unfinished.
Malfis biggest strengths are his slow story telling and building of an atmospheric world but there aren’t enough words in the short story format for him to shine imo.
Many thanks to the publish for the ARC through Netgalley.
November 24, 2018
This is my first Malfi experience and I know it won't be my last.
These are the types of stories that worm their way into your brain, leave little trails of gasoline, and then light everything on fire when you least expect it. And they aren't just interesting and inventive stories, they are immaculately written too.
One thing that I found interesting was the wide variety of narrators that are used throughout the stories. And it didn't seem to just be a writing exercise for Malfi—each story was using first, third, or even the dreaded second person very purposefully to tell the story from the perspective that would tell it most effectively.
And he really got into the minds of the characters, sometimes in only a few pages! Not only is the dialogue very natural (not the easiest or most natural thing for many writers to get across) but the way the reader hears the private thoughts of each unique characters just impressed the hell out of me. Each story is its own devil. And these beasts have teeth.
The atmosphere created in these stories is something really unique. There is this creeping sense of dread Malfi cultivates early on in the stories, even when all seems normal and fine. You just know that something isn't quite right and you want to look away, but you have to keep reading. You have to know.
A few favorites were: "The Dinner Party," "Pembroke," and "The Good Father" though some of the short conceptual ones like "Knocking," "Closing In," and "In a Pet Shop" were chillingly perfect too. It is really hard to choose. Out of the twenty stories, there were only two or three that didn't hit it out of the park for me.
Highly recommended reading. I'm off to start one of his novels—I've heard great things about December Park!
These are the types of stories that worm their way into your brain, leave little trails of gasoline, and then light everything on fire when you least expect it. And they aren't just interesting and inventive stories, they are immaculately written too.
One thing that I found interesting was the wide variety of narrators that are used throughout the stories. And it didn't seem to just be a writing exercise for Malfi—each story was using first, third, or even the dreaded second person very purposefully to tell the story from the perspective that would tell it most effectively.
And he really got into the minds of the characters, sometimes in only a few pages! Not only is the dialogue very natural (not the easiest or most natural thing for many writers to get across) but the way the reader hears the private thoughts of each unique characters just impressed the hell out of me. Each story is its own devil. And these beasts have teeth.
The atmosphere created in these stories is something really unique. There is this creeping sense of dread Malfi cultivates early on in the stories, even when all seems normal and fine. You just know that something isn't quite right and you want to look away, but you have to keep reading. You have to know.
A few favorites were: "The Dinner Party," "Pembroke," and "The Good Father" though some of the short conceptual ones like "Knocking," "Closing In," and "In a Pet Shop" were chillingly perfect too. It is really hard to choose. Out of the twenty stories, there were only two or three that didn't hit it out of the park for me.
Highly recommended reading. I'm off to start one of his novels—I've heard great things about December Park!
April 29, 2018
“They’re always out there watching...searching..”
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone by Ronald Malfi is a collection of short stories written to demand a reaction from the reader and that it very well did from me. I received this book part of the Nocturnal Readers Box and it was my first read by this author who is known for his several horror and thriller novels.
The book consists of 20 short stories. The running theme in them is the horror of human nature. How we think and react to the monsters within us to which the resulting consequence is due to our own making, that is my favourite kind of horror. These stories play on this very well. I found some of them to be quite visceral and have left a lasting impression.
Some favourites of mine were without a doubt the opening story “The Dinner Party” I shouted “WTF” the minute I read this one 🤣, “Learned Children” and “The House On Cottage Lane” were great examples of creepy stories with scary kids!!, “Closing In” and “House Warming” are anxiety inducing stories 😬 and “Painstation” took me to the realm of Clive Barker’s Book Of Bloods.
An impressive variety of horror shorts which I think everybody could read and find ones they really enjoy. 😈
We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone by Ronald Malfi is a collection of short stories written to demand a reaction from the reader and that it very well did from me. I received this book part of the Nocturnal Readers Box and it was my first read by this author who is known for his several horror and thriller novels.
The book consists of 20 short stories. The running theme in them is the horror of human nature. How we think and react to the monsters within us to which the resulting consequence is due to our own making, that is my favourite kind of horror. These stories play on this very well. I found some of them to be quite visceral and have left a lasting impression.
Some favourites of mine were without a doubt the opening story “The Dinner Party” I shouted “WTF” the minute I read this one 🤣, “Learned Children” and “The House On Cottage Lane” were great examples of creepy stories with scary kids!!, “Closing In” and “House Warming” are anxiety inducing stories 😬 and “Painstation” took me to the realm of Clive Barker’s Book Of Bloods.
An impressive variety of horror shorts which I think everybody could read and find ones they really enjoy. 😈
July 4, 2021
My first go round with Ronald Malfi and I really enjoyed this collection. I buddy-read this book with Ashley and we were doing a theme of short story collections. I love short story collections. Anthologies are nice because you get to test out certain authors, but a collection of short stories by a single author is where you can really get a feel of their writing and whether or not you are interested in more by them. We all know some authors can write really well in one book and completely miss the mark on another so this is a good indication if a lot of stuff they write is interesting. This is definitely the case with Ronald Malfi. I enoyed pretty much all of these short stories. A solid 4 stars.
Typically with short story collections I like to share my favorite stories with you and that is what I'm planning on doing with this book. This collection contains 20 short stories. Here are my faves and here is a snippet of the others.
*The Dinner Party is the first story in the collection and it really starts off with a bang. IT's about a wife who seems to be losing it. She thinks she sees two strange men with glasses and trench coats following her. She sees other things as well. She is an unreliable witness. She is trying to make a dinner for her husbands co-worker and wife. Or maybe it's the husbands boss and wife. The wife is in a panic to make everything perfect, but she is also slowly becoming more and more unstable. I wont' say what happens at the end, but it was a real oohhhh moment.
Learned Children-had children of the corn vibes.
Knocking- had great imagery. I've read other books like this were there is a weird sound or noise within a house and the husband is overwhelmed with trying to find it. This is one of those stories.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island-had a big misdirect or twist near it's end that really made me like the story. Have you ever read a book that just seemed okay and then end was like OMG I can't believe that happened. That was this story. About a man and woman on vacation and the wife is a bit flirty.
The Glad Street Angel- this one wasn't scary, but sad.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart is story 6 and was quite creepy. It's about a man who takes a boy under his wing. This boy doesn't have many friends. The man has some weird ideas. The boy is a sponge and easily starts believing the old mans theories. When the old man asks for the boy to do an errand for him, the boy does not hesitate. This story shows that kids are gullible.
*Story 7 The House on Cottage Lane was a pretty stand out ghost story. I absolutely loved it. This story is about a neighboring family the Toomeys. They are a family that fosters children. Most of the kids are "weirdos" in some way. At least according to Brian our main character. His father makes Brian go over and play with these foster kids. Brian mostly hates it, but does it anyway. The latest kid to show up at the Toomeys is the most unusual kid Brain has ever had to interact with. The boy is quiet....too quiet. Brians two best friends like to tease the boy. One Halloween night the trio are getting ready to go trick or treating and Brians father "forces" Brain to take the new kid with them. This is when the story really gets interesting because the trio has planned on setting out to the rumored haunted house. They plan on getting the new kid to go in and then hopefully they can ditch him or he gets scared and goes home. Now this kind of story isn't very new, but it was still really good. Really liked how it ended.
Pembroke- is about a rare book shop that requires a book that is mysterious. A strange man comes in to collect the book when it goes missing, but the shop owner pretends to not have seen the book and the after math of that lie. So creepy.
In a Pet Shop-meh story. About a woman that always comes into this particular pet shop to watch them feed the birds. She never buys a bird or anything for that matter. It had a blah ending.
Couples seeking Couples- is another meh story about a man with an overactive imagination and a blah ending. It's also about swingers?
The Good Father- was predictable after a while. I've read other scary stories like this. Don't want to give away the ending, but it's about a runaway mom.
*The Housewarming- was a stellar read. This is my true nightmare. I hate crowds. Especially like after a parade at Disneyland and you're all claustrophobic and people are touching you or bumping into you. I HATE THAT! This was one of my favorite short stories about a couple who is new to the neighborhood and so they decide to invite over a few neighbors. Not thinking that the invite would get out of hand. That more and more people would continue to show up. It's like Hell really. Neverending hell of hands and voices and noise. God and all those people touching their things and walking around their house. UGH!
Chupacabra-another sad story. This one is about a mule for drugs or money. The brother decides to pay off his brothers debt by becoming a mule for him. Meh.
*All the Pretty Girls-"...ensconced in the scenic hug of Apache plume and cliffrose..." such a great line. I loved this one. This story is about a car and a janitor. The janitor "found" a car in the middle of nowhere. The janitor feeds the car girls that he has kidnapped, raped and left in the trunk to die. No I do not condone rape. However I do condone cars eating people.
*Closing In-This is one of my favorites from this collection. It reminded me of Stephen King's short story 1408. This has the same vibe. Hotel room appears off, like it has some kind of supernatural entity still there. The hotel punishes the guest. So, so good.
Underneath- was okay. Reminded me of Dark Half by Stephen King. It has the same kind of tale about an author and his counter or opposite. Which one is the bad one, who's to say. "We joined in union, as always. None of it was any different than it had ever been, except that our hands moved with equal and deliberate slowness..."
All is Calm-a weird kind of Alice in Wonderland re-telling. Alice has a husband that died? The story is told in 2nd person. It's an odd story.
*Painstation-this story is super effed up. It's about this guy who is super obsessed with a woman coworker. He tries to get the courage to finally talk to her and he kind of does, but she brushes him off. He ends up following her one night after work into this underground "Night Club" think of Eyes Wide Shut and the beginning of Blade. A highly sexual feast of deviant creatures and people. There is dire consequences when you reach the bottom floor and our main character Keanan gets what is coming to him at the end. Loved this one.
Discussions of Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects- was okay. If you like gore and wiggling insects than you'll like this story. It even references Renfield from Dracula and him eating flies.
Then There is Boston- another meh story. I am not for or against this story. Pretty indifferent.
All the titles with an * were my faves of the bunch. Definitely looking forward to reading more by this author. His writing has great imagery and the stories are mostly unique. Even if they have a theme that has been done before I enjoyed it. The meh stories were also good. I may have not thought they were favorites, but that didn't mean they weren't well written.
If you haven't checked out this author I highly recommend.
Typically with short story collections I like to share my favorite stories with you and that is what I'm planning on doing with this book. This collection contains 20 short stories. Here are my faves and here is a snippet of the others.
*The Dinner Party is the first story in the collection and it really starts off with a bang. IT's about a wife who seems to be losing it. She thinks she sees two strange men with glasses and trench coats following her. She sees other things as well. She is an unreliable witness. She is trying to make a dinner for her husbands co-worker and wife. Or maybe it's the husbands boss and wife. The wife is in a panic to make everything perfect, but she is also slowly becoming more and more unstable. I wont' say what happens at the end, but it was a real oohhhh moment.
Learned Children-had children of the corn vibes.
Knocking- had great imagery. I've read other books like this were there is a weird sound or noise within a house and the husband is overwhelmed with trying to find it. This is one of those stories.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island-had a big misdirect or twist near it's end that really made me like the story. Have you ever read a book that just seemed okay and then end was like OMG I can't believe that happened. That was this story. About a man and woman on vacation and the wife is a bit flirty.
The Glad Street Angel- this one wasn't scary, but sad.
Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart is story 6 and was quite creepy. It's about a man who takes a boy under his wing. This boy doesn't have many friends. The man has some weird ideas. The boy is a sponge and easily starts believing the old mans theories. When the old man asks for the boy to do an errand for him, the boy does not hesitate. This story shows that kids are gullible.
*Story 7 The House on Cottage Lane was a pretty stand out ghost story. I absolutely loved it. This story is about a neighboring family the Toomeys. They are a family that fosters children. Most of the kids are "weirdos" in some way. At least according to Brian our main character. His father makes Brian go over and play with these foster kids. Brian mostly hates it, but does it anyway. The latest kid to show up at the Toomeys is the most unusual kid Brain has ever had to interact with. The boy is quiet....too quiet. Brians two best friends like to tease the boy. One Halloween night the trio are getting ready to go trick or treating and Brians father "forces" Brain to take the new kid with them. This is when the story really gets interesting because the trio has planned on setting out to the rumored haunted house. They plan on getting the new kid to go in and then hopefully they can ditch him or he gets scared and goes home. Now this kind of story isn't very new, but it was still really good. Really liked how it ended.
Pembroke- is about a rare book shop that requires a book that is mysterious. A strange man comes in to collect the book when it goes missing, but the shop owner pretends to not have seen the book and the after math of that lie. So creepy.
In a Pet Shop-meh story. About a woman that always comes into this particular pet shop to watch them feed the birds. She never buys a bird or anything for that matter. It had a blah ending.
Couples seeking Couples- is another meh story about a man with an overactive imagination and a blah ending. It's also about swingers?
The Good Father- was predictable after a while. I've read other scary stories like this. Don't want to give away the ending, but it's about a runaway mom.
*The Housewarming- was a stellar read. This is my true nightmare. I hate crowds. Especially like after a parade at Disneyland and you're all claustrophobic and people are touching you or bumping into you. I HATE THAT! This was one of my favorite short stories about a couple who is new to the neighborhood and so they decide to invite over a few neighbors. Not thinking that the invite would get out of hand. That more and more people would continue to show up. It's like Hell really. Neverending hell of hands and voices and noise. God and all those people touching their things and walking around their house. UGH!
Chupacabra-another sad story. This one is about a mule for drugs or money. The brother decides to pay off his brothers debt by becoming a mule for him. Meh.
*All the Pretty Girls-"...ensconced in the scenic hug of Apache plume and cliffrose..." such a great line. I loved this one. This story is about a car and a janitor. The janitor "found" a car in the middle of nowhere. The janitor feeds the car girls that he has kidnapped, raped and left in the trunk to die. No I do not condone rape. However I do condone cars eating people.
*Closing In-This is one of my favorites from this collection. It reminded me of Stephen King's short story 1408. This has the same vibe. Hotel room appears off, like it has some kind of supernatural entity still there. The hotel punishes the guest. So, so good.
Underneath- was okay. Reminded me of Dark Half by Stephen King. It has the same kind of tale about an author and his counter or opposite. Which one is the bad one, who's to say. "We joined in union, as always. None of it was any different than it had ever been, except that our hands moved with equal and deliberate slowness..."
All is Calm-a weird kind of Alice in Wonderland re-telling. Alice has a husband that died? The story is told in 2nd person. It's an odd story.
*Painstation-this story is super effed up. It's about this guy who is super obsessed with a woman coworker. He tries to get the courage to finally talk to her and he kind of does, but she brushes him off. He ends up following her one night after work into this underground "Night Club" think of Eyes Wide Shut and the beginning of Blade. A highly sexual feast of deviant creatures and people. There is dire consequences when you reach the bottom floor and our main character Keanan gets what is coming to him at the end. Loved this one.
Discussions of Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects- was okay. If you like gore and wiggling insects than you'll like this story. It even references Renfield from Dracula and him eating flies.
Then There is Boston- another meh story. I am not for or against this story. Pretty indifferent.
All the titles with an * were my faves of the bunch. Definitely looking forward to reading more by this author. His writing has great imagery and the stories are mostly unique. Even if they have a theme that has been done before I enjoyed it. The meh stories were also good. I may have not thought they were favorites, but that didn't mean they weren't well written.
If you haven't checked out this author I highly recommend.
December 19, 2017
This is a collection of twenty stories. Most of them have already appeared in print. You can tell, that Malfi, put a lot of feeling each tale. Most of the stories are really good but there are a few of them that fall below par. Some of my favorite tales from this collection are, The Dinner Party, Under The Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart, The House on Cottage Lane and Learned Children. Malfi Stories themes include, Mysteries, Supernatural, Thrillers, and Plenty of Horror. "We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone", is a must read for Malfi fans. Malfi, is a writer with a lot of talent, and he is also a fantastic storyteller.
December 30, 2017
There is some damn fine storytelling going on here. I've been a fan of Ronald Malfi for a few years now, going back to his book titled Little Girls. I recently finished BONE WHITE and he just keeps bringing it and I'm digging his writing in a big way. Full review coming soon.
March 5, 2020
A really decent collection of stories. This was my first of Ronald Malfi's works, but his writing is so excellent - it definitely won't be the last.
My favorites:
The Dinner Party
Knocking
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island
The Housewarming
Chupacabra
Painstation
My favorites:
The Dinner Party
Knocking
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island
The Housewarming
Chupacabra
Painstation
December 22, 2017
Review: WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE by Ronald Malfi
Lately I've been reading subtlety often, particularly in Horror--well-done, for the most part. But I'm certain I hadn't encountered the Master of Subtlety until I commenced reading Ronald Malfi' s short story collection, WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE earlier this month [December 2017]. Mr. Malfi has stated that these stories had been written over a long period of time, and that they are non-themed. I believe there is a theme, the Theme of Subtlety, and at this the author is an accomplished master. I recommend savouring this collection especially. Take it one story at a time. If you try to read all in one sitting, your mind will be blown as effectively as the minds of some of Lovecraft' s protagonists when they sought "to know too much."
Lately I've been reading subtlety often, particularly in Horror--well-done, for the most part. But I'm certain I hadn't encountered the Master of Subtlety until I commenced reading Ronald Malfi' s short story collection, WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE earlier this month [December 2017]. Mr. Malfi has stated that these stories had been written over a long period of time, and that they are non-themed. I believe there is a theme, the Theme of Subtlety, and at this the author is an accomplished master. I recommend savouring this collection especially. Take it one story at a time. If you try to read all in one sitting, your mind will be blown as effectively as the minds of some of Lovecraft' s protagonists when they sought "to know too much."
December 28, 2018
the first couple of stories were so! good! but the second half was.... not great and the endings didn't make as much sense or have as much creep-factor
May 27, 2019
Great stories
I loved these stories! Delightful collection from one of my favorites:) Definitely worth checking out, some a little shocking with the twists!
I loved these stories! Delightful collection from one of my favorites:) Definitely worth checking out, some a little shocking with the twists!
January 6, 2018
I got this from the Nocturnal Reader box. And I actually enjoyed it. I don't tend to pick up short story collections ever, unless they're from Stephen King (I kid you not; of the 1300 books I've recorded here, only 8 are short story collections.) Not even of series I love. I just don't feel like the majority of authors these days can write decent short stories. And I have read a couple books by this author (I didn't realize this until a story or two in.) So I'm surprised I liked this one.
I think short stories work for this authors strengths. From what I remember of his other works, he can do creepy, scary scenes but he can't string them together into a cohesive horror novel. It's scary bit -- large section of boring shit -- scary bit -- large section of boring shit -- rinse and repeat. So I think the author focusing on a smaller scale works for him. He writes well, has a nice voice, and can write creepy shit. It's why I kept trying (before giving up.)
I liked some more than others but I only skimmed one or two, and I didn't out and out hate any. Decent short story collection with some creepy stories.
I think short stories work for this authors strengths. From what I remember of his other works, he can do creepy, scary scenes but he can't string them together into a cohesive horror novel. It's scary bit -- large section of boring shit -- scary bit -- large section of boring shit -- rinse and repeat. So I think the author focusing on a smaller scale works for him. He writes well, has a nice voice, and can write creepy shit. It's why I kept trying (before giving up.)
I liked some more than others but I only skimmed one or two, and I didn't out and out hate any. Decent short story collection with some creepy stories.
August 20, 2018
I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed every short in a short story collection (aside from Scary Stories to tell in the Dark) until now. We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone was wonderful! Crawling with creepy stories with twists I never would have thought of! I read this in between other books slowly because I didn't want it to end. I could see several of the stories as full length novels. ☠️👌🏼🔪⚰️🥀
Also, l👀k at that cover! It's a work of art!
Also, l👀k at that cover! It's a work of art!
July 24, 2024
I like Malfi a great deal. I usually tear through his books quickly and have read books of his short stories with no problems. He is a solid horror writer, but this collection felt underdeveloped.
Honestly, I don't remember any of them except the first. I remember it because it fell into the category of an Urban Legend that's been around since I was a kid. I giggled in delight at his version when I guessed what was happening.
Honestly, I don't remember any of them except the first. I remember it because it fell into the category of an Urban Legend that's been around since I was a kid. I giggled in delight at his version when I guessed what was happening.
May 20, 2019
Last year, Ronald Malfi's The Night Parade made my list of favorites for 2016. This year, his Bone White has all but solidified its place on my favorites of 2017. My first introduction to Ronald Malfi's work was his novella, Skullbelly, an atmospheric romp that relies more on your imagination than most and outside of a problematic ending (which I bring up for a reason), it's solid entertainment. After having stellar works in both the novel and novella form, it was only a matter of time before Malfi dropped his first collection of short stories, We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone.
I like a lot of things about Malfi's work, from character development to the way he delivers atmosphere, but after reading We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone, I found another thing to like; his versatility. In this collection you get a little bit of everything, from a woman suffering from paranoia in the book's opening story, "The Dinner Party", to a normal vacation that turns rather ugly and brutal in "The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island" to a rather sweet ending with the final tale, "There is Always Boston". I really hate saying this only because it's so clichéd in reviews, but there really is something for everyone here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
I like a lot of things about Malfi's work, from character development to the way he delivers atmosphere, but after reading We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone, I found another thing to like; his versatility. In this collection you get a little bit of everything, from a woman suffering from paranoia in the book's opening story, "The Dinner Party", to a normal vacation that turns rather ugly and brutal in "The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island" to a rather sweet ending with the final tale, "There is Always Boston". I really hate saying this only because it's so clichéd in reviews, but there really is something for everyone here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
February 20, 2018
I'm a big fan of short stories. They are just so much fun to read. This collection was very interesting. It ranges from very dark, to extremely weird, to even a random love story. I really enjoyed the collection as a whole, but there were definitely some hits, and a few that didn't quite do it for me. Here's a quick rundown of my thoughts on each story:
The Dinner Party: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wow! What a wonderfully horrific way to kick it off!
Learned Children: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Creepy! Very reminiscent of Children of the Corn.
Knocking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was scary. Definite nightmare fuel.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved this one! That twist ending got me good!
The Glad Street Angel: ⭐⭐⭐ It was ok. Kinda sad.
Under the Tutelage of Mr Trueheart: ⭐⭐⭐ This was interesting. Reminded me of Apt Pupil.
The House on Cottage Lane: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a stand out. Probably my favorite in the collection. I absolutely loved it!
Pembroke: ⭐⭐⭐ This one was a little strange, but definitely creepy.
In a Pet Shop: ⭐ Huh? I just didn't get it I guess.
Couples Seeking Couples: ⭐⭐ Uncomfortable to read to me. Not my cup of tea. But perhaps there's something sinister going on towards the end?
The Good Father: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another favorite. So good! The ending is so dark and twisted.
The Housewarming: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This one had me feeling completely nervous and panicked. I'll never want to invite new people over to my house again!
Chupacabra: ⭐⭐ This one took me a while to get into. I was kinda bored in the beginning, but that ending was really unexpected.
All the Pretty Girls: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great story! This is one where you you should go in blindly and just enjoy it for what it is.
Closing In: ⭐⭐⭐ Claustrophobic! Yikes!
Underneath: ⭐ I just didn't care for this one.
All is Calm: ⭐⭐⭐ Another sad read. Definitely makes you feel bad for the main character.
Painstation: ⭐⭐⭐ I'm still not really sure what to think of this one. Weird but definitely creepy.
Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects: ⭐⭐⭐ Good grief! This is a pretty disturbing read. I don't think I will forget it anytime soon....unfortunately
Then There is Boston: ⭐⭐ It was an ok story, just kind of an odd way to end a horror collection
The Dinner Party: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wow! What a wonderfully horrific way to kick it off!
Learned Children: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Creepy! Very reminiscent of Children of the Corn.
Knocking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was scary. Definite nightmare fuel.
The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved this one! That twist ending got me good!
The Glad Street Angel: ⭐⭐⭐ It was ok. Kinda sad.
Under the Tutelage of Mr Trueheart: ⭐⭐⭐ This was interesting. Reminded me of Apt Pupil.
The House on Cottage Lane: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a stand out. Probably my favorite in the collection. I absolutely loved it!
Pembroke: ⭐⭐⭐ This one was a little strange, but definitely creepy.
In a Pet Shop: ⭐ Huh? I just didn't get it I guess.
Couples Seeking Couples: ⭐⭐ Uncomfortable to read to me. Not my cup of tea. But perhaps there's something sinister going on towards the end?
The Good Father: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another favorite. So good! The ending is so dark and twisted.
The Housewarming: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This one had me feeling completely nervous and panicked. I'll never want to invite new people over to my house again!
Chupacabra: ⭐⭐ This one took me a while to get into. I was kinda bored in the beginning, but that ending was really unexpected.
All the Pretty Girls: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great story! This is one where you you should go in blindly and just enjoy it for what it is.
Closing In: ⭐⭐⭐ Claustrophobic! Yikes!
Underneath: ⭐ I just didn't care for this one.
All is Calm: ⭐⭐⭐ Another sad read. Definitely makes you feel bad for the main character.
Painstation: ⭐⭐⭐ I'm still not really sure what to think of this one. Weird but definitely creepy.
Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects: ⭐⭐⭐ Good grief! This is a pretty disturbing read. I don't think I will forget it anytime soon....unfortunately
Then There is Boston: ⭐⭐ It was an ok story, just kind of an odd way to end a horror collection
March 24, 2018
This collection came in one of the Nocturnal Readers Boxes I got. I find their selections pretty hit or miss. This was a miss. These stories are just okay. I'd even venture to say they made me feel "meh." Some are better than others, and some have themes or even just sentences that irked me. Greatly.
The greatest offenders in this collection:
• rape fantasy scenes––listen, I read a lot of horror and I watch a lot of horror. I'm over using rape as a plot progression point in horror stories. It's contrived and, at this point, cliché. Try harder.
• the line: "It did kill the scream, killing it even before it came, like an abortion." Who okayed that? That line makes absolutely no sense. None at all.
• the fact that there's a Mexican character in one of the stories who speaks one line of Spanish, and it's "muchaco" over and over and over again. I'm all for incorporating other languages into ––obviously––but that's not even trying, and it borders on insulting.
•stereotypical indigenous coding. Again, over it.
• the collection ends with a romance story. What? It felt so out of place.
And what was the point of the italicized story? This is a themeless collection, sooooo. Was it attempting to weave them together? If so, it failed.
Final Breakdown:
"The Dinner Party": 4/5
"Learned Children" : 2/5
"Knocking" : 3/5
"The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island" : 3/5
"The Glad Street Angel" : 3/5
"Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart": 4/5
"The House on Cottage Lane": 3/5
"Pembroke" : 3/5"
""In a Pet Shop": 1/5
"Couples Seeking Couples": 1/5
"The Good Father": 3/5
"The Housewarming": 3/5
"Chupacabra": 1/5
"All The Pretty Girls": 2/5
"Closing In" : 2/5
"Underneath" :
"All is Calm" : 4/5
"Painstation": 1/5
"Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects" : 3/5
"Then There is Boston": 1/5
The greatest offenders in this collection:
• rape fantasy scenes––listen, I read a lot of horror and I watch a lot of horror. I'm over using rape as a plot progression point in horror stories. It's contrived and, at this point, cliché. Try harder.
• the line: "It did kill the scream, killing it even before it came, like an abortion." Who okayed that? That line makes absolutely no sense. None at all.
• the fact that there's a Mexican character in one of the stories who speaks one line of Spanish, and it's "muchaco" over and over and over again. I'm all for incorporating other languages into ––obviously––but that's not even trying, and it borders on insulting.
•stereotypical indigenous coding. Again, over it.
• the collection ends with a romance story. What? It felt so out of place.
And what was the point of the italicized story? This is a themeless collection, sooooo. Was it attempting to weave them together? If so, it failed.
Final Breakdown:
"The Dinner Party": 4/5
"Learned Children" : 2/5
"Knocking" : 3/5
"The Jumping Sharks of Dyer Island" : 3/5
"The Glad Street Angel" : 3/5
"Under the Tutelage of Mr. Trueheart": 4/5
"The House on Cottage Lane": 3/5
"Pembroke" : 3/5"
""In a Pet Shop": 1/5
"Couples Seeking Couples": 1/5
"The Good Father": 3/5
"The Housewarming": 3/5
"Chupacabra": 1/5
"All The Pretty Girls": 2/5
"Closing In" : 2/5
"Underneath" :
"All is Calm" : 4/5
"Painstation": 1/5
"Discussions Concerning the Ingestion of Living Insects" : 3/5
"Then There is Boston": 1/5
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