Floating Staircase - Dreamy, Emotional Horror
Ronald Malfi obliged me by sending a signed copy of this book my way, so a big thank you to him for that!
This story follows horror author Travis Glasgow. Haunted by a traumatic past event, he moves with his wife to a small town near his brother and his family. Travis finds out about the sordid history of the home they purchased and its own dark past. He cannot disentangle the house's history from his own past memories and he finds himself writing a story about what he envisions happened in their home. His family watches helplessly while he begins to come unglued.
Malfi has quickly become an author I put on a pedestal next to the likes of Stephen King and Paul Tremblay. His writing makes me feel like I'm coming home. There is always a sense of impending madness peppered in with supernatural and emotional elements, which is true to life but also clearly fictionalized. The characters, I swear, are real people. It is so easy to get lost in their lives and thoughts. The old adage "Write what you know" is what Malfi does, often with a main character who is an author like himself, and I think that's what makes it feel so real and personable.
I always enjoy a sit-down with Malfi's thoughts and dreamy characters, and I bet you will too.