A supernaturally-tinged LA puzzle-box thriller – Zodiac with teeth, from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated and bestselling author of Come with Me.

What do you see…?

When the mutilated body of a young woman is discovered in the desert on the outskirts of Los Angeles, the detective assigned to the case can’t deny the similarities between this murder and one that occurred a year prior. Media outlets are quick to surmise this is the work of a budding serial killer, but Detective Bill Renney is struggling with an altogether different a secret that keeps him tethered to the husband of the first victim.

What do you hear…?

Maureen Park, newly engaged to Hollywood producer Greg Dawson, finds her engagement party crashed by the arrival of Landon, Greg’s son. A darkly unsettling young man, Landon invades Maureen’s new existence, and the longer he stays, the more convinced she becomes that he may have something to do with the recent murder in the high desert.

What do you feel…?

Toby Kampen, the self-proclaimed Human Fly, begins an obsession over a woman who is unlike anyone he has ever met. A woman with rattlesnake teeth and a penchant for biting. A woman who has trapped him in her spell. A woman who may or may not be completely human.

In Ronald Malfi’s brand-new thriller, these three storylines converge to create a tapestry of deceit, distrust, and unapologetic horror. A brand-new novel of dark suspense set in the City of Angels, as only “horror’s Faulkner” can tell it.

I’ve owned several Ronald Malfi books for a while now, but this is the first one I actually picked up, and wow, what a way to start. It’s funny because when I finished it, my initial thought was, “That was good, but not great.” But then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The more it sat with me, the more impressed I became. It’s one of those stories that sinks in after the fact, creeping up on you long after you close the book.

I went with a mix of reading and listening to the audiobook, and the cast did an excellent job bringing the story to life. Joe Hempel, Ray Greenley, and Jenn Lee each handle different perspectives, and all three performances are strong and distinct. The only drawback is that you can tell each recorded their parts on different microphones, so the audio quality shifts slightly between voices. It’s a small thing, and probably something only audio sticklers like me notice, but it’s worth mentioning. Otherwise, the production is stellar.

As for the story, it’s a layered, interconnected thriller told through three main threads that slowly weave together. Detective Bill Renney is investigating the brutal murder of a woman in the desert, one that looks disturbingly similar to a case from the year before. Maureen Park is a woman trying to settle into a new life with her fiancé, only to have it disrupted by the sudden appearance of his strange, unsettling son. And Toby Kampen, a self-described “Human Fly,” becomes infatuated with a mysterious woman whose teeth are… not quite right.

Each storyline on its own feels like its own short novel, but as the book progresses, the threads start to pull tighter until they knot together in ways you don’t expect. There’s an undercurrent of unease that never lets up. Even when I wasn’t sure where it was all going, I couldn’t look away.

Malfi’s writing is sharp and moody. He doesn’t rely on jump scares or gore. Instead, he builds an atmosphere that seeps in quietly. I also appreciated how he played with perception. The title isn’t just for show; the story constantly makes you question what people see, hear, and feel, and how much of reality is shaped by what they want to believe.

The ending is where this one will either lose you or impress you. Not because it’s shocking, but because of how open and ambiguous it is. Normally, that kind of ending frustrates me, and initially it did. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized how well it worked. It left space for interpretation, and I kept turning it over in my head long after finishing.

I’ve seen other readers call this one of Malfi’s lesser works, which honestly excites me. If this is him at his “weakest,” I can’t wait to see what he does at full power. I had a lot of fun with this one and I’m looking forward to checking out some of his other work.

Overall I found this to be a dark, eerie, slow-burn thriller that lingers long after it’s done. It’s not flashy or fast-paced, but it’s deeply atmospheric, character-driven, and quietly disturbing. If you like psychological horror that makes you squirm more than scream, give this one a shot. Just be ready for it to haunt you a little afterward.