Every small town has ghosts. King’s Branch has Marla.
A reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a creepy Gothic house, Marla Gorman is the stuff of urban legends. Some believe she’s a prisoner. Others claim she’s a witch.
The evening of the first murder, Detective Carl Lancaster sees Marla leering at him from her bedroom window. He sees her again at the exact moment a second man is killed. And though Marla was nowhere near either murder site, Carl is convinced she’s connected to the crimes.
To Carl, Marla is a menace. To social worker Annie Frost, Marla bears a bizarre connection to her past. To Dylan Ellison, a struggling college student, Marla might be the companion for which he’s been longing.
But none of them understands Marla’s true nature. She’s about to plunge them—and everyone in King’s Branch—into an unspeakable nightmare and teach them the true meaning of terror.
"Marla charges hard out of the gate and never stops moving until its final pages. Janz’s tale is propulsive and sometimes gut-wrenching, yet ultimately shot through with a strain of tenderness and heart that I didn’t see coming." —Nick Cutter, author of Little Heaven
"The nightmare tension and dread Janz generates in Marla is top-notch, and reaches a new level of intensity I’ve not seen in his rich prose before. This is Janz in top form. Marla is dark, disturbing, and beautiful...but mostly it’s terrifying." —James A. Moore, author of the Blood Red trilogy
Jonathan Janz is an author and public schoolteacher. His sci-fi horror novel VEIL is now available, and you can find his story "Lenora" in THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND. He’s represented for Film & TV by Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment, and his literary agent is Lane Heymont. His ghost story The Siren and the Specter was selected as a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Horror. Additionally, his novels Children of the Dark and The Dark Game were chosen by Booklist and Library Journal as Top Ten Horror Books of the Year. Jonathan’s main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter (http://jonathanjanz.us12.list-manage....), and you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, and Goodreads.
Marla is book 17 in Earthling Publishing's Halloween Series.
I actually beta-read an early version of this book and was honored to discuss my reading experience over the phone with the author. I've read several, if not a dozen Janz books and this one is set apart as one of his most spooky offerings, in my humble opinion. Marla Gorman is a reclusive woman who lives with her mother in a creepy old house in a small town. Of course, all the locals have their stories and opinions about that situation. In classic horror tradition, a string of grisly murders gets the townspeople and local law enforcement all riled up. Fingers start pointing toward Marla. The death toll rises, and rumors of the frozen expression of fear on the corpses leak to the public, a slasher-esque urban legend rises up. Pitch-perfect tension and suspense. This is a real Halloween story that is best enjoyed during the spooky season.
Jonathan Janz is an author who impresses you with plot, makes you care about his characters, and blows you away with his endings. I have devoured and loved every one of his books, and Marla is no different. If the striking cover with Marla’s terrifying face on it doesn’t grab you, then strap in because I’m here to convince you.
In the small town of King’s Branch, Detective Carl Lancaster and his partner, RJ Williams investigate a spree of murders. However something else strange is happening. Detective Lancaster has seen Marla at every crime scene. The problem is, Marla is nothing but an urban legend - the town gossip. They say Marla is held up with her mother in a creepy gothic house. She’s elusive and the townspeople don’t really know her story. The detectives are determined to figure out how Marla is connected to the murders and what’s going on in King’s Branch.
As much as I adore the secondary characters, this is the story of Marla. The heightened suspense creates an ominous tone and a nightmarish feel. Janz has a way of enticing his readers and I was fully invested in every scene. With concise prose, concrete characters, sharp dialogue, and plenty of eerie moments, you’ll be compelled to witness Marla in all of her horrific and mysterious splendor. If you want to solve murders, spend time in a small, familiar town, and figure out the enigmatic Marla, then you need this book!
Available only as a limited hardcover through Earthling Publications.
CREEPY. 🏚️ STRANGE. 🌀 UNSETTLING. 🪟 A deeply eerie small-town horror story with an ominous house, strange deaths, and a girl, Marla Gorman, at the center of it all who feels wrong from the get-go. This book is atmospheric, weird, disturbing, and genuinely fun in that “why am I reading this in the dark?” kind of way.
Whew. What a genuinely creepy time. 😳
Marla is unsettling, disturbing, and so deeply eerie. Also, the cover sends chills up my spine. My little one has seen it a few times while I’ve been carrying my e-reader around the house, and each time has yelled, “Ah!! BOOGIE!!!” — which is a pretty accurate review of the book. 😂
I liked this quite a bit. Janz does a great job with the horror elements, especially in the way he builds the atmosphere around (and inside) the Gorman house. It has that old horror movie feeling, with a little bit of Supernatural episode energy and some Twin Peaks weirdness threaded through it.
I went into this story pretty blind, and I think that is the best way to do it. Right away, you know something is going on with Marla, and it is absolutely not pleasant. But Janz lets the dread build in a way that feels psychological, atmospheric, and strange before the story starts turning the screws. There are enough twists and reveals to keep the book moving, but a lot of the fun is in reading along and trying to figure out what the fuck is up with this girl.
I also enjoyed the characters. They were fun to read, and I was entertained by the banter. The cops as detective duo gave me classic crime-partner vibes, except they have the deeply unfortunate experience of stumbling into something paranormal. The side characters added more texture and feeling to the story too, which helped the horror feel more grounded and emotionally charged.
I liked that the story had more going on under the surface without making a huge production of it. There’s fear here, but also guilt, family damage, and that deep urge to explain the things we don’t understand, even when the explanation might be worse.
That said, the few things that didn’t fully work for me were mostly on the writing side. There were moments where the prose felt a little perfunctory, like the story was hurrying through a beat instead of letting it breathe. A few character revelations also felt slightly unearned to me, with some convenient developments that moved the plot along but made me pause and question how easily certain things clicked into place. None of this ruined the experience by any means, but it did occasionally pull me out of the story just enough to notice the machinery underneath.
I also really liked where the ending went, but I did wish it had taken its time a little longer in the aftermath. There are still some pieces left unexplained, and while I don’t mind ambiguity in horror, a few of those lingering questions felt less like eerie mystery and more like loose threads I wanted the book to tug on just a bit more.
This would make such a wicked movie, truly, but I think I’d be too scared to ever watch it. The book already gave my easily terrified brain more than enough to work with.
4/5 stars from me. Such a fun and spooky ride
Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the gifted ARC.
King's Branch is a small town and every small town has its own secrets and folklore. In King's Branch, those things are all about Marla. During a series of murders, Marla becomes the focus of investigation for a number of reasons, none of them really sane. (Just because you see a face leering out of a window, that doesn't mean they've murdered anyone.) But in this case, Marla's leer becomes the main focus and Jonathan Janz amps up the tension with a townful people getting their due. What fun!
There were a few things, character's actions mostly, that didn't come off as quite believable, but when you're having this much fun, that kind of thing takes a back seat.
MARLA feels like old school horror to me. Those horror books I read back in the late 70's and ALL of the 80's had a special feel to them that isn't entirely nostalgia. This book feels like that. It also felt that this was an ode to the books of that era. I feel Stephen King in there, (King's Branch? Also, Carrie?), as well as one of my favorite tropes: evil in a small town. (Salem's Lot, anyone?)
Whether or not these things were in Janz's mind while writing, these are the things that came to my mind. MARLA was fun as hell, and I recommend it, especially to fans of King's early writings and to fans of 80-90's horror! Come feel Marla's leer!
Boy-oh-boy am I surely grateful to Blackstone right now! I finally read my first Jonathan Janz novel and that means I need to pick up my copy of Veil ASAP. I really want to thank @books_and_biceps9155 for giving me the push.
In the town of King’s Branch, Indiana, people are turning up dead. Their faces frozen in horror and with their eyes a bloody mess. It’s obvious they’ve been mur.dered but in the most unusual ways.
Then, there’s the Gorman House. An old debilitated and creepy old house that Marla and her mother live in. There’s been whispers that something’s wrong with Marla. Why doesn’t she leave the house? Why does she give you that creepy stare from her bedroom window?
Let me tell you that I devoured this novel. Think gothic witchy vibes with a little bit of Carrie thrown in. Hell yeah, right?! One of my favorite parts of his writing is how he gives the story some heart. You get inside of these character’s heads and care for them. OH, and there’s even a dog 🐕.
You gotta add this one to your TBR! It’s unsettling, creepy, and atmospheric and I absolutely loved it! A perfect time for Summerween too. I’ve gotta get a finished copy of this bad boy for sure. I highly recommend it.
Janz just gets better and better I could not put this down and read it in two sittings mainly during the night, what a creep fest it sure has the creepy vibes (as my daughter would say). There is an urban legend in the town of King's Branch and her name is Marla, for a few of the residents though some urban legends have a basis in fact, as all the secrets and lies in town start to unravel 2 detectives are thrust into the middle of the danger. This is by far the best Janz book since 'The Nightmare Girl' (my opinion), Marla unfolds like the best of Stephen King (and that's not hyperbole) I did not want this to end and can't wait until Janz drops a new title. You really feel for these characters and there is a true emotional journey for some of them, so if thats your thing you could do worse.
41/2 stars (wish goodreads would do quarter and half stars)
Where is this book, I need it, 5 stars already cos it's janz
Updated review after I've actually read..surprise it's still 5 stars! . . I finally read Marla! I'm a big Janz fan, a Janzie? All of his books I've read so far have been my favourites and they take pride of place on my bookshelves, I'm late to the party I know I struggled to find a copy untill my friend Mark very kindly gifted me his! I was overly cautious turning the pages as I didn't wanna tarnish this precious copy 😂 I find Janz particularly skilled at the following, you might wanna sit down its a long list..meshing genres together to deftly create something of a horror smorgasbord, police procedural, mystery/thriller, gothic, family drama and horror, Marla has all of this and a propulsive plot that keeps you walking a tightrope of suspense and just when you think you've figured it out, you haven't, is this a slasher? a supernatural? plot twists abound! Creating nuanced characters that you can't help but invest in and really root for (some you don't) paired with faultless depictions of humanity and relationships makes his stories linger long after you've finished reading, dialogue between characters that feels authentic and honest to god laugh out loud funny, multiple POVs that never distract from the narrative, the characterization as always, is, I believe one of Janz strongest weapons, icky gooey gory gruesome imagery that makes me cringe but can't help but go back for more, this was incredibly creepy and tense and a perfect book for Halloween time (Halloween is everyday right?) Utterly captivating and blood chilling I believe Marla is up there with some of the horror cult classics (I think it actually is I'm just late to the party remember), reminiscent of King but Janz has entirely his own distinct style, peppering the ongoing tension and horror with just enough humour to ease the reader along his nightmarish tales I'm so glad I got to read this! Have you read this? Have you read Children of the Dark? I won't tell you again... 👀
I'm not even going to TRY posting a review right now while GR is having all of these technical issues, but I will go ahead and say that this book was absolutely incredible!! Another win from Jonathan Janz ♥ review coming soon!
JonathanJanz has crafted a real page turner here. Eerie and suspenseful and a whole hell of a lot of fun for horror fans. Marla is one of Janz’s greatest creations, and whatever you do, don’t look into her eyes! 😳😬😱🎃
It's October 1st - officially starting the spooky season for those who don't celebrate all year long like I do. And what a way to start the month! Janz is quickly becoming a favorite horror author of mine and MARLA is my third by this author, and so far my favorite, that I've read. There's something so deliciously eerie and creepy about the rumors of a reclusive woman in a gothic house that keeps the law enforcement on their toes (at least in this case) and the teens in their glory of testing themselves. Murders, with the faces found in fear, reminded me somewhat of how Samara left her victims in The Ring. But what is truly happening with these atrocities and why is everyone so obsessed with MARLA? The fun for me is that Marla is the name of my former boss as one of the tertiary characters' names is Jason Karr... which is the name of a friend of mine (though I hope he hasn't met the same fate). I couldn't help but picture them as I read though Marla is certainly not nearly as scary. I also truly love these types of stories. Part slasher with an underlying supernatural feel, Janz truly brings Marla to life. We get a lot of the various characters and the various POVs keep you right in the action. And you get to know them well enough to care about what happens to them. But we are centered around Marla. You can just feel her leering coming straight off the pages (as if you didn't already feel her just from the glorious cover). When we get towards the end of the story and things start to become cohesive, we truly get a feel of the evil within. While I wasn't surprised at the last chapter, I really loved the ending prior where we learn about what and who Marla is, where she gets her power and why the people in this town are important to her. There is an increased tension that palpitates with every page turned and keeps you glued to the pages. I know I certainly don't want to be looking into her eyes (and that's hard to do with a cover that seems to follow you everywhere). I think I'm definitely in the #janzfanz circle of horror fans. Rejoice, be merry and be careful out there.
This was my first Jonathan Janz book and it for sure won’t be my last. Marla was a force to be reckoned with and I loved every minute of it. The writing was excellent and the story excellently told, it genuinely had me creeped out more than a few times, wondering if I was going to see Marla lurking around a corner or waiting for me in another room. I got attached to the characters in a way I wasn’t expecting and the ending was absolutely perfect.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for the early copy.
I just put it down so probably not the best time to write a review as these are only my initial thoughts. I’ve read many of the “classic” horror books and most of them are considered classics for a very good reason. But now there’s Marla by Jonathan Janz, and I think this just might be the scariest book I’ve ever read. Scarier than The Shining, Pet Sematary, or IT.Scarier than Swan Song or Rosemary’s Baby. This book had me on the edge almost the whole way through (which is extremely difficult when you have a weird work schedule and not enough time to read).
For my money, Marla is right up there with all the great horror novels. I implore you to find a copy and start reading asap.
Second read: My opinion is unchanged. This is a great horror novel and one I hope will find the audience it deserves.
‘Jonathan Janz is one of the few horror writers working today who can truly unnerve his readers. ‘Marla’ is a grippingly suspenseful story, full of brutality, tantalising mystery and sacrifice. From the very first sentence Janz puts us on edge and it doesn’t let up until the final page, where I was a quivering wreck and struggling for breath. There is an unsettling eeriness that permeates each line, ensuring that every page is bleached in torment and beguiling prose - ‘Marla’ showcases one of the genres most chilling voices. Janz has crafted a nightmare of a book!’
Ross Jeffery Bram Stoker Award-nominated Author of Tome
MARLA, by Jonathan Janz, is Earthling Publication's Halloween 2022 selection.
All small towns have their local "haunted house", or resident "witch" for others to spread outlandish rumors about. In the town of King's Branch, it happens to be Marla--a young woman, never seen, who has lived with her mother, Irene, all her life. Homeschooled, nobody can even say what she looks like--except in those exaggerated tales.
Until the night Detective Carl Lancaster drives past the Gorman home and sees Marla leering at him from an upstairs window.
"Carl Lancaster believed in evil. After eleven years as a police detective, how could he not?"
Janz nails the small town atmosphere in this novel; their superstitions, rivalries, dramas, cliques, and secrets. The characterization is superb, and I easily felt that I knew each character as the book went on.
". . . You needed imagination to comprehend something like this . . ."
As more people are involved, and the body count rises, a thriller aspect edges its way into the novel as well. The complexity as you mentally weave the strands together in your mind makes MARLA a very difficult novel to put down.
"There's something wrong in the Gorman House."
It's getting increasingly rare to surprise me--in a good way--with any twist lately, but MARLA did just that.
A huge thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the gifted copy of this book!
Vibes: True Detective X Carrie
My Thoughts:
Once you set eyes on MARLA by Jonathan Janz, you won’t be able to look away. The story centers around Marla Gorman who is basically the boogieman of her small town. Some say she’s a witch, others say she’s a recluse, but everyone agrees there’s something strange about Marla. When a string of unnatural murders occur, Marla appears to be connected, but is she really to blame or just another outcast being used as a scapegoat?
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It’s a captivating, propulsive read that begs to be binged. Part supernatural horror, part crime thriller, the story is filled with small town drama and family dynamics that feel all too real. There’s some pretty creepy moments, but the scares are balanced by a cast of heartfelt characters. I’ll forever be obsessed with the mystery surrounding Marla. She’s such a fantastic character, and one I won’t forget anytime soon. And that ending!!
The audiobook narration is excellent. The narrators do an amazing job of making each character feel distinct. I was instantly drawn in by their voices and kept rapt by their performances. Both narrators add a whole other layer to the tension already on the page. I highly recommend giving it a listen!
My Rating: 5/5 stars Narration: 5/5 stars ✔️ Highly Recommend!
Every Halloween, horror fans rejoice. For many, it’s to celebrate the spooky season, as the time of the weirdos arrives. But there’s another great reason to get excited. Earthling Publications limited Halloween hardcovers! Last year’s entry, Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi, was one of my top books of 2021. It will, deservedly, be released by Tor Nightfire in 2023. Where to go from there? The master of the macabre, of course. Nary a horror subgenre exists that Jonathan Janz has yet to put his spin on. Small-town murder mystery might be the closest one can come to nailing this book down, but it’s not that simple or straightforward. Marla has notes of a slasher, but with a larger looming element of supernatural secrecy. Where Janz shines is in keeping the reader guessing. Marla revels in a quality that keeps its audience slightly off-kilter throughout the runtime. The story is told through multiple points of view, each one providing a different look at the unsettling events transpiring in King’s Branch, then moving on before allowing the reader to dig their heels in and gain firm footing. The balance of POV’s is also a strength. Janz manages to create the aforementioned tension through movement while still allowing us to get to know Dylan Ellison and Detective Lancaster, sprinkling personality and characterization in without distracting from the linear narrative. The characters matter, therefore the stakes matter. This pays off in spades during act three when the author ties all of the dangling threads together. Jonathan Janz crafts an ending that is ambiguous enough to keep the reader thinking after the story ends, but also satisfying enough to say “That was a hell of a book.” Earthling Publications and Jonathan Janz have both done it again. Marla is a hell of a book.
Thank you to Netgalley, publisher, and author for the digital ARC.
dnf @ 50%
I'm very sorry to throw in the towel around the halfway mark, but I'm not getting along well with the writing, despite there being an interesting mystery here. I don't think others will necessarily share my same issue and so I do still implore anyone who's curious about this book to give it a try.
I was interested in the central mystery and certain plot developments, but the prose, especially the dialogue and inner monologues, kept pulling me out of the story. The writing style felt YA to me which wouldn't be a deal breaker in and of itself, but I was also running into quips that are a little trite and cheesy for my taste, the same flat voice across multiple should-be-pretty-different-from-each-other characters, and paragraphs with sentences that are saying contradictory things. This last issue often enough lead to me trying to extract what the author was intending to say rather than what he was actually saying. Unfortunately it happened enough for me not to chalk it up as a one-off.
This is still an ARC in the U.S. so I won't use direct quotes, but to paraphrase an idea for the sake of example: A detective is considering someone he thinks may be involved in a series of crimes and thinks something along the lines of 'Maybe she just has psychic powers. To think otherwise would lend credibility to the paranormal.' But wait...what do you mean thinking otherwise would lend credibility to the paranormal? Aren't psychic powers paranormal? Am I supposed to take this to mean it would give credibility to an even MORE paranormal explanation, like a ghost?
Another example is what I took as a continuity error between how a crime scene is described at different points. The detective on scene mentions a murder victim's eye had come out of its socket and was dangling on the cheek of the corpse. Later (like a week later) the same detective is thinking about how the blood covering the victim's face in that crime scene made it harder to definitively see the expression in that victims' eyes when they died, but no mention that one of those eyes was effectively missing altogether.
Maybe I'm being obnoxious and nitpicking, but I will say that I'm not usually some crazy stickler when it comes to the quality of the writing itself, but in this case it just really was pulling me out of the experience too frequently.
I would still recommend this to people who want a quick, pulpy read with an engaging mystery.
This story had some really great horror descriptions and atmospheric moments, which is where the author excels. I did want more of Marla lore and backstory to build upon and felt like the plot and characters lacked a bit in development. I could tell the author is a King fan, which is fun, but overall I couldn't quite get into it on the level I was hoping for and felt a disconnect from the writing and storytelling.
Marla has to be one of my most anticipated novels of 2022, So when the opportunity came up for people to have the chance to read an ARC of Marla in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at the event. When I finally received Marla in the mail, I couldn't help but tear into it with such force you'd think me a feral animal. Marla is an intense, thrilling tale of..well...herself. After a number of mysterious deaths in Kings Branch, she becomes the main suspect after Detective Lancaster (one of our MCs) sees her before every murder. For a reason, I could explain, but it would ruin the insane plot twist towards the novel's end. Let's say if I were ever to meet Marla in real life, I would probably pass out from fear. There was such a psychological build-up in Marla that I had to put down the book numerous times because my heart couldn't stop pounding. Especially towards the end of Chapter 12, I didn't pick up the book for days because I was genuinely freaked out. I think it is always a good thing when a horror novel has the ability to scare you in your own home with your own thoughts. Marla, like all of Jonathan Janz's other works, was very well-written, with the flow of the story moving along with such ease you could finish multiple chapters in one sitting. Jonathan Janz created multi-dimensional characters with personalities, strengths, and weaknesses so they felt real, and you cared about them. With Marla being our main character and who the book is all about, the other cast of characters stole the show. Detective Carl Lancaster, Detective RJ William, and Annie Frost (total badass would stan her) brought heart to the town of Kings Branch. In the end, I realized there is nothing in our imaginations that can be as beautiful and as dreadful as Marla. The story of Marla lived up to the hype, in my opinion, and with it being a limited edition, I think there will be readers who will regret not buying this book. If you read it, let me know what you thought of it. To Earthling Pub, thank you again for the ARC, and as always, Happy Reading! x
Marla is an exceptionally eerie novel about a small-town detective trying to uncover the truth about a recent string of murders and if they're connected to the local "witch", Marla, who everyone has an opinion about.
I really liked the multiple POV's and weaving in and out of everyone's lives and experiences. There was a creeping sense of dread throughout the entire story, like a shadow following you, or that feeling of being watched, which I loved.
There were some seriously creepy scenes in this book. There is one in particular that I am STILL thinking about. Jonathan Janz really brought the scare factor with this book. I really enjoyed how everything tied together and everyone teamed up to get to the bottom of what was going on. Janz writes characters so well and really makes you love or hate someone. This book hits the ground running and then keeps you in suspense all the way until the end.
Marla will haunt you long after you've turned the last page and closed the book. Janz has written something masterful here. You might want to sleep with the light on...
I received an ALC on NetGalley! Holy crap y’all! Do not be like Vonnie and listen to this while working out! There are some scary ass scenes where I no joke had to stop what I was doing mid set and just stare at the wall like… what the hell did I just listen to?!
This is insane!!! Highly suggest the audiobook, but maybe don’t listen to it at the gym 😂
I wanted to love this one because I’ve heard some great things about it. However, I had a hard time connecting to the story. I’m not sure what it was so I’d like to come back to it at some point and try again but for now it felt too slow for me.
Marla is a gruesome and nightmarish story about a series of brutal and horrific murders that leave the victims with looks of extreme terror on their faces. Detective Carl Lancaster begins to suspect local recluse Marla Gorman after seeing her sneering down at him from her window on the nights of each murder. Additional perspectives create an impending sense of dread as events begin to rapidly unfold in this not-so-cozy small town. The ending was PERFECT! This is a violent and twisted book that keeps you guessing until its very fun and exciting conclusion. The characters were great and the overall creepy atmosphere was very well done. Did I mention how much I loved the ending?? (Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced copy!)
Marla had an interesting premise, but the execution didn’t quite work for me.
As a horror novel, it sets out to be unsettling and disorienting and it definitely achieves that, but in a way that made it difficult to stay grounded in the story.
Instead of building intrigue, the lack of clarity around what was actually happening left me feeling disconnected rather than invested.
For a book under 300 pages, I was hoping for tighter development and more cohesion. The plot twists and turns in ways that felt more confusing than compelling, and I found myself wanting more explanation and structure to fully understand the direction of the story.
Because of this, it became a bit of a struggle to get through. The tension never quite landed, and by the time I reached the ending, it felt anticlimactic rather than impactful.
There’s a strong concept at the core, but the delivery didn’t fully come together for me.
Tropes & Themes:
• Psychological horror • Unreliable reality • Disorienting narrative • Slow-burn horror • Reality vs perception • Surreal horror elements • Descent into confusion
Marla was a tough one for me. I usually like everything Janz puts out. I’m constantly recommending Exorcist Falls to anyone looking for possession horror. It’s simply top-notch. Marla doesn’t quite get there for me. The idea of a Carrie-like girl holed up with her domineering mother in the local haunted house sounded like it was a slam dunk. My issue wasn’t necessarily the story, but the characters and some of the dialogue. They felt forced to me. There were decisions made by the detectives and their chief that felt unrealistic, that they would never happen in the real world. There were moments where Marla had some genuine atmosphere going on, though. When some characters were trudging through the dark in the house, you could feel the tension ratchet up. That’s Janz at his best. He really does a marvellous job with the atmosphere. Always has. Marla, by no means, is a bad story. For me, it didn’t elevate to Janz’s usual level of excellence. You may disagree. That’s the beauty of horror.
Jonathan Janz! YES! It’s been a minute since I’ve read anything by him, but MARLA is the absolute best reminder of why I love his storytelling so much.
This is small-town gothic horror at its finest, loaded with a thick, suffocating atmosphere that builds tension until the claustrophobia is practically tangible. I am a massive sucker for local legend horror... that childhood fixation on the creepy house down the street we all grew up near where the dark secrets (and wildly exaggerated stories) lived. Janz nails that nostalgic, spinechilling vibe. Instantly hooked.
True to form for Janz, I cared deeply about these characters. I was constantly stressed out and rooting for them. He has a brilliant knack for utilizing multiple POVs to show different angles of grief, stress, and survival without ever losing momentum.
Best of all for me, Marla herself is so much more than a standard horror trope. Janz uses her character to explore the human condition, profound loneliness, and the very real horrors that come with it. Absolutely everything about this worked for me!
Highly anticipated book of the year and it delivered!! So happy that story lived up that iconic cover and the urban myth that is MARLA.
Janz is a master at horror. Visual storytelling, great characters, dialog and suspense. This is small town with secrets, creepy house and mystery. Well paced, nice build up. Look over the shoulder chills. Highly recommend.
The audiobook does include the prequel "Moonflowers", worth it just for that because damn.
Expert audiobook production and dual voice narration by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins. Quickly becoming two of my favorite narrators.
The FMC Marla is a mysterious woman that the town steers away from. People are being murdered and the detectives begin to ask questions.
When it comes to horror I enjoyed that the story had its moments. The scene were vivid and descriptive and I appreciated that. I also enjoyed the mystery behind Marla and her home. I couldn’t tell where the story was going.
At times the story felt slow and I think I would’ve liked more information as to Marla’s history and what she really was. I think I was left with that question being unanswered.