Spin a Black Yarn

Starred review from July 10, 2023
Bestseller Malerman (Bird Box) returns with a chilling volume of five horror novellas crafted with a perfect mix of intrigue, disgust, tension, and, of course, fear. Echoing such horror greats as Shirley Jackson, the opening tale follows a brother and sister from childhood to old age as the brother tries to make sense of his sister’s eponymous claim that “Half the House Is Haunted.” Malerman’s narratives succeed through not revealing too much—there’s no excessive gore, no jump scares or cheap tricks. Instead, he allows pressure to slowly build and refuses to let it break even when the stories conclude. This technique shines in “Argyle,” in which a man on his deathbed confesses to his wife and children that his whole life has been spent just barely restraining himself from committing brutal murders. It’s a classically engrossing horror story with a shocking twist. “Egorov” is presented as a true account in translation from the Russian of a murder and its unlikely consequences, while both “Doug and Judy Buy the House Cleaner” and “The Jupiter Drop” tend more toward sci-fi while still delivering plenty of scares. This is everything one wants out of a horror collection. Agent: Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary.

June 10, 2024

Set in fictional Samhattan, MI, Malerman's (Daphne) collection of novellas gives to Michigan what Stephen King's Castle Rock stories gave to Maine. These five varied novellas demonstrate Malerman's capacity to flex his creative muscle and writing skills. He shows he can create creeping dread with the dueling childhood narrative Half the House Is Haunted; constructs a solid science fiction thrill ride in The Jupiter Drop; and wraps it up with the more traditional revenge tale Egorov. An ensemble of narrators--Ashley Laurence, James Fouhey, and Pete Bradbury--help these stories live rent-free in listeners' heads. Bradbury's raspy, euphoric voice makes the horrifying deathbed confession of the man in Argyle all the more haunting. After serving as half of an intriguing sibling duo, along with Fouhey, in Half the House Is Haunted, Laurence lends a sardonic tone to Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM), a fancifully macabre story about a house washer that tries to clean the stains of Doug's and Judy's souls. Malerman also jumps in, narrating his insights into his writing process. VERDICT A great sampling of Malerman's novellas, brought to life by an ever-engaging group of talented voice actors.--James Gardner

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