Black Mouth

Black Mouth, the new novel from Ronald Malfi, after the disturbingly wonderful Come With Me, is dark in many ways. The title and cover sum up what you’re going to get, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re in for a real treat.

Jamie Warren has been running for a long time. Running from his past, from his childhood, from his old friends, and the strange things that happened in the black mouth. He’s been an alcoholic for a long time too, but he’s trying to go sober. That all changes when he gets a call from his hometown about his mother passing away and his brother needing help. It means going back to his hometown, where the black mouth is. Also, meeting up with some old friends who all remember the strange man who was teaching them magic until things went too far and turned tragic.

Black Mouth is a dark story that one might be turned away from, but Malfi has a way with words and description that draws the reader in so that they can’t stop, filling the scenes and the reader’s imagination, and compelling them to keep going until the very end.