Bone White

Ronald Malfi delivers a chilling tale set in the frozen wilderness of Dread's Hand, Alaska. Paul Gallo arrives after seeing news reports of a mass murderer leading police to victims' graves in this remote location. The area holds personal significance for Paul, as it is where his twin brother disappeared a year prior. He seeks closure and aims to put his grief to rest by investigating the recent tragedies. Upon arrival, Paul encounters superstitious locals who speak of the devil stealing souls. They describe a line of wooden crosses surrounding the woods. These markers do not honor the dead but serve to keep what lurks within from escaping. The narrative unfolds as an edge-of-the-seat thrill ride. Malfi, described by Josh Malerman as a modern-day Algernon Blackwood, crafts a story that lingers long after reading. The book suits fans of Paul Tremblay, Adam Nevill, and T. Kingfisher who enjoy supernatural fiction rooted in isolated settings. Readers seeking lighthearted entertainment or urban mysteries will find this work unsuitable. The atmosphere relies on the scrape of bone on bone and a landscape of frozen darkness. Malfi uses the setting to amplify the terror of the unknown. The plot moves from personal grief to communal fear, blending the two into a cohesive horror experience. The wooden crosses act as a tangible barrier against an unseen threat, grounding the supernatural elements in physical reality. This approach creates a sense of dread that permeates every scene.