As soon as Bone White was described to me as having been like True Detective I knew I had to read it.

I’ve been having what I call my “Year of Malfi.” Having only recently discovered this talented author, I am zipping through his back list. I started with Black Mouth, then December Park, Come with Me, and Bone White.

Bone White is my least favorite, which isn't to say it isn't a good book. I don't believe Ronald Malfi could write a bad one. It just didn't resonate with me.

The book opens with a disheveled man coming into a diner and asking for a cup of cocoa in what sounds like No Man’s Land, Alaska; Dread’s Hand or “The Hand” as locals call it. A place with the similar dark lore to Black Mouth and even Allison’s hometown in Come with Me. Everyone in town knows everybody else, so it would stand to reason that missing folks would stand out, but when questioned, nobody has seen a thing. Not even when this man, Mallory, who hasn’t been seen in a while, turns up and confesses to several murders.

Cue our main character, Paul Gallo. Twin brother to a man who has been missing for a while and whose last known location is Dread’s Hand. Paul arrives in Alaska to join the group of people being DNA tested as part of the victim identification process. The story takes off from here.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but Paul & Danny’s connection is missing something for me. Once inseparable, these twins took different paths in life and it feels like Paul’s search for Danny is out of obligation to their parents more than his desire to find his missing brother.

The twin angle does spark a couple of genuinely interesting moments, but overall, I just couldn’t emotionally invest in their relationship. Then the story takes a few twists that I guess are probably why True Detective might be invoked (like Carcosa and the Yellow King) where the reader has to draw their own conclusions about what is actually plaguing The Hand.

Ronald Malfi is a brilliant author and other works of his that I have read tie the plot together beautifully in the end. Maybe that’s what I’m missing here? Then again, maybe this is the kind of story where a tidy ending doesn’t work? A recommended read, but not my favorite. ( )

Some good stuff, some not. ( )

Dread’s Hand, Alaska - a tiny town on the edge of civilization - has suddenly made the national news. A murderer has led police into the remote wilderness to uncover the graves of countiess victims.
Paul Gallo watched the TV news report and knows he has to fly there as the bodies are exhumed. His twin brother Danny went missing a year ago… and his last known location was Dread’s Hand. It’s time to find closure.
Unfortunately, Paul finds his visit is only the beginning of his grief as superstitious locals are quick to deny Danny was ever there…

Everything about this story was unsettling, from the people to the town itself, and the sense of dread was uncomfortable as the mystery became more sinister! ( )

"What you got all over them clothes?"
"Is that blood on your clothes Joe?"

In the tiny frozen mining village of Dread's Hand Alaska, where an unusual amount of people go missing, a killer steps forward to lead the authorities to 8 bodies he's buried.
When Paul Gallo sees this on the news, he drops everything to rush there, where he hopes at last to find closure in the search for his missing brother Danny. Paul has always tried to watch out for Danny, what with being the oldest of the two by a good seven minutes. He will not rest until he finds out what happened to him. Nobody seems to want Paul there, strangers are not welcome and the locals have some odd superstitions, especially about what goes on in those woods. But are they only local legend or is there really something supernatural going on? The 8 unearthed bodies are not the first murders associated with this little village.

This is my second time venturing in to a world created by Ronald Malfi. I believe that I said after having read "The Night Parade" that I would definitely be on the look out for any of his future releases. Now after having read "Bone White" I think I also need to search out everything he has ever written in the past and make it my mission to find time to read it all.

Bone White is an impressive literary horror.
I read an advance copy
All of my reviews are posted at https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/ ( )

I decided to read this book after seeing a heap of friends praising it and I'm glad I did because now I have to add Ronald Malfi to my list of horror authors to be on the lookout for.

Now, I'm not easily scared, and to be honest did not this book scare me, but I was enthralled with it. I mean what's not to like? A lot of whole missing people, a small town with a bad reputation and a serial killer that one day decided to share with the police what he has done. It's a book that not only has an intriguing story, it truly well-written and this combination made it well worth the time it took to read it. I quite enjoyed reading this book and the best part I think was everything was still so mysterious, not that I did not like the ending of the book, but I loved the whole "what the hell is going on here?" feeling that I had for better part of the book. What's wrong with this town, and why would anyone go there? And, what happened to Paul's brother Danny? And, is there really something out there among the trees...?

Bone White is a really good book, and I'm glad I have The Night Parade to read, It's always fabulous to discover a new author and knowing you have one more unread book to read!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )