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The Boy in the Lot
Fear lives in Stillwater.
Eleven-year-old Mark Davis wasn’t happy at all that his family was moving to the small town of Stillwater. He worried that he’d miss his old friends and not be able to make new ones. But he’ll soon learn that was the least of his worries. Something deadly is waiting to welcome him to town.
Enjoy this chilling, short companion piece to Ronald Malfi’s new novel to get just a hint of the terrors that await you—and the residents of Stillwater—in The Narrows!
Eleven-year-old Mark Davis wasn’t happy at all that his family was moving to the small town of Stillwater. He worried that he’d miss his old friends and not be able to make new ones. But he’ll soon learn that was the least of his worries. Something deadly is waiting to welcome him to town.
Enjoy this chilling, short companion piece to Ronald Malfi’s new novel to get just a hint of the terrors that await you—and the residents of Stillwater—in The Narrows!
18 pages, ebook
First published August 4, 2012
About the author
Ronald Malfi
71 books2,843 followersRonald Malfi is the bestselling, award-winning author of many novels and novellas in the horror, mystery, and thriller genres. In 2011, his novel, Floating Staircase, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for best novel by the Horror Writers Association, and also won a gold IPPY award. Perhaps his most well-received novel, Come with Me (2021), about a man who learns a dark secret about his wife after she's killed, has received stellar reviews, including a starred review from BookPage, and Publishers Weekly has said, "Malfi impresses in this taut, supernaturally tinged mystery... and sticks the landing with a powerful denouement. There’s plenty here to enjoy."
His most recent novels, Come with Me (2021) and Black Mouth (2022), tackle themes of grief and loss, and of the effects of childhood trauma and alcoholism, respectively. Both books have been critically praised, with Publishers Weekly calling Black Mouth a "standout" book of the year. These novels were followed by Ghostwritten (2022), a collection of four subtly-linked novellas about haunted books and the power of the written word. Ghostwritten received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "wonderfully meta collection...vibrantly imagined," and that "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight."
Among his most popular works is December Park, a coming-of-age thriller set in the '90s, wherein five teenage boys take up the hunt for a child murderer in their hometown of Harting Farms, Maryland. In interviews, Malfi has expressed that this is his most autobiographical book to date. In 2015, this novel was awarded the Beverly Hills International Book Award for best suspense novel. It has been optioned several times for film.
Bone White (2017), about a man searching for his lost twin brother in a haunted Alaskan mining town, was touted as "an elegant, twisted, gripping slow-burn of a novel that burrows under the skin and nestles deep," by RT Book Reviews, and has also been optioned for television by Fox21/Disney and Amazon Studios.
His novels Little Girls (2015) and The Night Parade (2016) explore broken families forced to endure horrific and extraordinary circumstances, which has become the hallmark for Malfi's brand of intimate, lyrical horror fiction.
His earlier works, such as Via Dolorosa (2007) and Passenger (2008) explored characters with lost or confused identities, wherein Malfi experimented with the ultimate unreliable narrators. He maintained this trend in his award-winning novel, Floating Staircase (2011), which the author has suggested contains "multiple endings for the astute reader."
His more "monstery" novels, such as Snow (2010) and The Narrows (2012) still resonate with his inimitable brand of literary cadence and focus on character and story over plot. Both books were highly regarded by fans and reviewers in the genre.
A bit of a departure, Malfi published the crime drama Shamrock Alley in 2009, based on the true exploits of his own father, a former Secret Service agent. The book was optioned several times for film.
Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he currently resides along the Chesapeake Bay.
When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock band VEER, who can be found at veerband.net and on Twitter at @VeerBand
Visit with Ronald Malfi on Facebook, Twitter (@RonaldMalfi), or at http://www.ronaldmalfi.com.
His most recent novels, Come with Me (2021) and Black Mouth (2022), tackle themes of grief and loss, and of the effects of childhood trauma and alcoholism, respectively. Both books have been critically praised, with Publishers Weekly calling Black Mouth a "standout" book of the year. These novels were followed by Ghostwritten (2022), a collection of four subtly-linked novellas about haunted books and the power of the written word. Ghostwritten received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called the book a "wonderfully meta collection...vibrantly imagined," and that "Malfi makes reading about the perils of reading a terrifying delight."
Among his most popular works is December Park, a coming-of-age thriller set in the '90s, wherein five teenage boys take up the hunt for a child murderer in their hometown of Harting Farms, Maryland. In interviews, Malfi has expressed that this is his most autobiographical book to date. In 2015, this novel was awarded the Beverly Hills International Book Award for best suspense novel. It has been optioned several times for film.
Bone White (2017), about a man searching for his lost twin brother in a haunted Alaskan mining town, was touted as "an elegant, twisted, gripping slow-burn of a novel that burrows under the skin and nestles deep," by RT Book Reviews, and has also been optioned for television by Fox21/Disney and Amazon Studios.
His novels Little Girls (2015) and The Night Parade (2016) explore broken families forced to endure horrific and extraordinary circumstances, which has become the hallmark for Malfi's brand of intimate, lyrical horror fiction.
His earlier works, such as Via Dolorosa (2007) and Passenger (2008) explored characters with lost or confused identities, wherein Malfi experimented with the ultimate unreliable narrators. He maintained this trend in his award-winning novel, Floating Staircase (2011), which the author has suggested contains "multiple endings for the astute reader."
His more "monstery" novels, such as Snow (2010) and The Narrows (2012) still resonate with his inimitable brand of literary cadence and focus on character and story over plot. Both books were highly regarded by fans and reviewers in the genre.
A bit of a departure, Malfi published the crime drama Shamrock Alley in 2009, based on the true exploits of his own father, a former Secret Service agent. The book was optioned several times for film.
Ronald Malfi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, the eldest of four children, and eventually relocated to Maryland, where he currently resides along the Chesapeake Bay.
When he's not writing, he's performing with the rock band VEER, who can be found at veerband.net and on Twitter at @VeerBand
Visit with Ronald Malfi on Facebook, Twitter (@RonaldMalfi), or at http://www.ronaldmalfi.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 1, 2015
1/10 - I didn't know this was a 'prologue' to a longer Malfi book until after I finished reading. If I had known while reading I probably would have marked it higher, but as it was I found it unsatisfyingly short and unresolved.
But yay for only two editing mistakes (at the same time boo for there being any editing mistakes)!
Location 105
'The card depicted a grouchy cartoon crab, a pouty frown in its face.
On its face, not in its face.
Location 144 (which, funnily enough is the 'about the author' page)
Ronald Malfi is the award-winning author of eleven novels, to include...
Maybe that should be which includes, otherwise it sounds like Malfi hasn't written those books yet, but they've already won awards (presumably fraudulently).
I guess the 'teaser' idea that this turned out to be has worked on this reader because I am definitely interested in reading the rest of this story in The Narrows.
But yay for only two editing mistakes (at the same time boo for there being any editing mistakes)!
Location 105
'The card depicted a grouchy cartoon crab, a pouty frown in its face.
On its face, not in its face.
Location 144 (which, funnily enough is the 'about the author' page)
Ronald Malfi is the award-winning author of eleven novels, to include...
Maybe that should be which includes, otherwise it sounds like Malfi hasn't written those books yet, but they've already won awards (presumably fraudulently).
I guess the 'teaser' idea that this turned out to be has worked on this reader because I am definitely interested in reading the rest of this story in The Narrows.
December 28, 2014
I had no idea that this is a companion piece to The Narrows and not a stand alone short. As such it doesn't really make much sense and has an ending that is abrupt and gives no idea of what the story is really about.
This wouldn't prompt me to buy The Narrows, it's a poor advertisement for how good the novel might be. Shame, as I think Mr Malfi is way better than this.
December 25, 2013
It was hard to see the point of this very short book...except as a little teaser to The Narrows and therefore I have read before attempting the much meatier offering of The Narrows. The Malfi style is there but little in the way of story or character development...how could it at only 18 pages long...still cant really complain as it was a free download....
March 8, 2023
Just to short to be a real teaser for a bigger novel. But the writing was ok.
April 1, 2017
Seemed unfinished; ended too soon.
3.5 stars, rounded up. Review to come.
3.5 stars, rounded up. Review to come.
April 28, 2019
This was a nice quick story, about a ten min read.
I enjoyed it, but it actually felt like the first chapter of a novel. I felt there’s a lot more to tell and I would certainly enjoy reading that.
I enjoyed it, but it actually felt like the first chapter of a novel. I felt there’s a lot more to tell and I would certainly enjoy reading that.
June 10, 2015
The author takes his time to introduce the boy in the lot before giving us just a short glimpse of the monster at the very end. This short story is a perfect example for the concept of the novel it is meant to promote: slow pace, elaborate character building and sparse but intense horror. Having read The Narrows already, I knew the danger lurking in the darkness and my main focus was on the writing.
However, the plot itself is not too original, so if readers are not captivated by the author's great style they may miss out on an excellent novel.
However, the plot itself is not too original, so if readers are not captivated by the author's great style they may miss out on an excellent novel.
December 29, 2012
This is a very short read that did nothing to pique my interest for future reads in this world. Anyone who took a vacation and needed to stop for a rest, could write down every detail and come up with something just as good or better than this. Really shocked. Not recommended.
February 10, 2013
This was a spooky short story, but it comes across unfinished, sort of like it'd be a great prologue for a novel and, as I see from GR's description, it is in fact a teaser for Narrows. Works well as such, made me curious about the book.
November 12, 2014
Very short story.......You could read it in 15 minutes.......but superb.
This is a prelude to The Narrows. If it was written to whet the appetite for the main novel.....it worked with me. Leaves you screaming at the book for more more more!
This is a prelude to The Narrows. If it was written to whet the appetite for the main novel.....it worked with me. Leaves you screaming at the book for more more more!
April 22, 2016
Ready to read the Narrows!
April 8, 2022
The Narrows is one of many books I own and plan to get to eventually, so when I found out it had a quick companion read, I figured I would take the time to read it.
Everything in the writing itself is fine, near 3 stars. I just feel that this does nothing on its own as a short story. Maybe even a physical description of the creature would knock it up to 3 stars, but the story really does nothing to increase my odds of getting to The Narrows more quickly.
I did enjoy Snow by this author, and I have no doubts he delivers at minimum a good read, but this left me wanting.
Everything in the writing itself is fine, near 3 stars. I just feel that this does nothing on its own as a short story. Maybe even a physical description of the creature would knock it up to 3 stars, but the story really does nothing to increase my odds of getting to The Narrows more quickly.
I did enjoy Snow by this author, and I have no doubts he delivers at minimum a good read, but this left me wanting.
July 4, 2023
A shorter review for this than I normally do. Unless you are about to read THE NARROWS by Ronald Malfi, skip this. Or hold onto it until that point. It is a good companion piece or prologue. However, as a stand alone piece, it doesn't hold up. There's enough to get your interest but then it just ends. Nothing to make me feel satisfied or creeped out. It's like reading an 18 page book and then finding out afterwards that the remaining 300 pages are missing. I like Malfi's works and will keep reading him but this should have been skipped.
December 29, 2020
A standard highway horror motel short story
September 4, 2012
The Boy in the lot was a very quick read (Only 18 pages) but I have to say from the beginning of the novel I was intrigued.
Ronald Malfi has done an amazing job with grabbing the readers attention. The way he ended the story has me wanting to go out and buy the rest of the series.( which I am) I would recommend this short story to anyone looking for a quick and easy read.
Ronald Malfi has done an amazing job with grabbing the readers attention. The way he ended the story has me wanting to go out and buy the rest of the series.( which I am) I would recommend this short story to anyone looking for a quick and easy read.
January 12, 2018
The Boy in the Lot is a very brief short story - 18 pages - serving as a companion to the author's excellent novel 'The Narrows'. That's one creepy town, and this is only a small slice of what can go wrong when a person dares to get near Stillwater. The creepy scene is brief, and the story mainly focuses on young Mark with his dog and griping parents as they are forced to stay at a run-down hotel after their travels. This can be read in 10 minutes or under - if it were a stand-a-lone, it would feel a little too skimpy to be worth it - but taken as companion piece of such a worthy horror novel, a few more brownie points have been earned.
Finished reading January 2018, but leaving date blank so the short story doesn't count for the yearly challenge.
Finished reading January 2018, but leaving date blank so the short story doesn't count for the yearly challenge.
June 3, 2014
This apparently did more for me than it did for others, this captured me immediately. "The Boy in the Lot" is a very brief teaser/ tie-in (I think the 18 page count is generous) to the novel "The Narrows" but it has done it's job and has fully whet my appetite for a book that wasn't on my radar until now.
The Davis family is flesh out well in such a short period of time, haggard and worn-out during an unwanted move away from Maryland. And man, do I want to know more. "The Narrows" had definitely moved up in my to-read list.
I haven't read any full novels from Ronald Malfi yet, and I'll need to rectify that.
The Davis family is flesh out well in such a short period of time, haggard and worn-out during an unwanted move away from Maryland. And man, do I want to know more. "The Narrows" had definitely moved up in my to-read list.
I haven't read any full novels from Ronald Malfi yet, and I'll need to rectify that.
September 7, 2012
I just finished reading this shortie on my Samsung Galaxy Note. It's another freebie from Samhain.
Mark doesn't want to move away from his friends, but his father got a new job in another state and he's got no other choice but to accept it. But when his parents stop for the night in a crappy motel, something really horrible is waiting for him outside...
This was another well written short story, with that old-style horror feeling.
Mark doesn't want to move away from his friends, but his father got a new job in another state and he's got no other choice but to accept it. But when his parents stop for the night in a crappy motel, something really horrible is waiting for him outside...
This was another well written short story, with that old-style horror feeling.
February 1, 2015
This very short story is a companion story (and really, more of a teaser) to Malfi's The Narrows. It is a fun little horror story that packs a punch and serves its purpose in that it gets the reader wanting to know more, needing to go out and buy the other book! Great fun, now I must get the other book!
May 31, 2013
A great, creepy little story -- until it ends on a complete cliffhanger! Not surprising, as it's kind of a teaser for The Narrows; still, it felt like libris interruptus. Darn it . . . guess I'll need to read that novel!
September 24, 2012
This short story was okay. It was my first Malfi read and I was disappointed, but I gave him another chance with Floating Staircase. I think this story sets up the basis for one of his novels but I'm not sure. Maybe I will read it again. I feel like I just didn't get it.
June 26, 2013
A quick read, a companion to the new novel by Ronald Malfi "The Narrows" Mark finds what has been waiting to welcome him into town of Stillwater.
Creepy read sitting on the edge of your seat, because you know something is about to happen.
Creepy read sitting on the edge of your seat, because you know something is about to happen.
June 22, 2016
This reminded me of the first few minutes of the TV show "supernatural" where the monster gets someone. :) it was ok writing and a bit creepy. But it felt incomplete. Like the beginning of a novel I'll never get to finish. :(
Read
September 8, 2012Very good for a short story really makes me want to read something else by this author.
February 13, 2013
The story was well written, but it stopped way too soon, leaving me wanting for more.
April 22, 2013
Great story.This is more of a prologue for the book The Narrows.Very creepy.Looking forward to the Narrows even more.
May 29, 2013
I'm not sure how I feel about it exactly. What I read I liked, but it just abruptly ended. What grabbed the kid? I wanted more.
January 10, 2014
Good short story!
April 4, 2014
All right creepy little story but with no proper ending. Just a set up for the "The Narrows". Glad I got it on freebie day.
April 25, 2014
Great little introduction to the writer and lead in to The Narrows.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews