The Night Parade

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By Ronald Malfi

Publisher Description

One man’s gifted daughter may be the cure to a mysterious illness causing hallucinations and death in this horror novel by the author of Little Girls.

First the birds disappeared.

Then the insects took over.

And the madness began . . .

They call it Wanderer’s Folly—a disease of delusions, of daydreams and nightmares. A plague threatening to wipe out humanity.

After two years of creeping decay, David Arlen woke up one morning thinking that the worst was over. By midnight, he’s bleeding and terrified, his wife is dead, and he’s on the run in a stolen car with his eight-year-old daughter, who may be the key to a cure.

Ellie is a special girl. Deep. Insightful. And she knows David is lying to her. Lying about her mother. Lying about what they’re running from. And lying about what he sees when he takes his eyes off the road . . .

Praise for the writing of Ronald Malfi

“Best horror novel of the year.” —Hunter Shea

“Slowly but surely creeps under your skin.” —The Horror Bookshelf

“An emotionally compelling and interesting read.” —Booklist

“A beautiful and ultimately terrifying story.” —Shotgun Logic

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132 Reviews

3.5

Author_jamesbryant

Created about 9 hours ago

Nikita

Created 6 days ago

DarkHeartbreaking

Goodgollymollyg

Created 13 days ago

Multi-layered charactersDescriptive writingEasy to readSuspensefulDark settingDarkSelf-harmViolence

entanglednovels

Created 14 days ago

“Actual rating: 3.5 stars - Review also posted on my blog http://www.expeditionsofabooknerd.wordpress.com Considering I read this book over my Reading Week in February, this review is also long overdue. I will quickly explain my reasoning for rounding up the stars to 4 in my rating. I really enjoyed Malfi's story, although the writing wasn't anything over the top exceptional, but the story and plot he created was very unique and kept me hooked. More to come on that. I found this book in the sale section of Kobo books when I was looking for cheap ebooks since I sadly wasn't able to bring six books in my small suitcase. I'm really glad I found this book, and it was worth the $2 (I believe) I paid at the time. In a world where Wanderer's Folly has broken out, I was hooked from the moment. I've been trying to delve further into adult fiction, and this was another great start. It's classified as horror and thriller, although I would classify it more in the thriller side. I never found it terrifying or scary - more downright creepy. Malfi created the kind of scenes that make you uncomfortable and unsettled but nothing outright horrifying. Writing: I really enjoyed Malfi's writing, and while it didn't blow me away, it definitely was enough to lure me in and keep me engaged throughout the novel. I was impressed with some of his descriptions and analogies, as they weren't the recycled ones we see over and over, especially in thriller and horror. It did seem a bit off and on in consistency throughout the novel, but nothing too drastic that I would DNF the book. There were a few sections that felt slow, but not overly so that I wanted to stop reading. The Night Parade is the first work I've read by Malfi and I am intrigued to read his other novels and works now. If you like thriller, it's definitely worth checking out. Plot: It was the plot of The Night Parade that really kept me invested. I love all things creepy and unsettling, and Malfi did not disappoint in the creep factor. There were some truly unsettling scenes in the book that still resonate with me months later. I'm a sucker for plague-apocalypse type books, so you can bet I was hooked on this one. Wanderer's Folly, the plague spreading across the world, is definitely up there on creep factors, and I really enjoyed how Malfi decided to go for a brain-type disease that wasn't creating zombies but making people honestly lose their minds. I'm not sure how this would resonate with those who suffer similar illnesses in real life, such as schizophrenia and the like, so if you find anything wrong with my review or the novel, please let me know and I will change it ASAP. Otherwise, I did enjoy reading from the perspective of the father, and I liked how it also contributed the fugitive aspect into the novel. I do wish we got to learn more about the plague, as some of it did feel vague, although when comparing this to real life, it does seem true that the government would do its best to cover up as possible. In regards to the emotional toll of the book, I'm not going to lie I had a hard time holding back my tears when I finished the novel, as I found the ending very moving. I won't spoil it for those who want to read it, but it was quite emotional. Characters: I found most of the characters intriguing, although we only follow David and his daughter Ellie for the entirety of the novel, as other characters come and go. I found David fell a little flat at some points, simply a character going through the motions of the plot, and others he was very passionate and intriguing. It could be chalked up to the stress his character went through but I do think he could have used a bit more work. I did enjoy his character development that occurred, and I thought that aspect was well done. Ellie, David' eight year old daughter was...interesting to say the least. She definitely was not written as I expected her to be. When I began reading, I thought she was in her teens, but then I later realized she was only eight and found it very odd how Malfi chose to write her - it also seemed a bit unrealistic. Although Malfi's set up of Ellie's character was done well enough to believe her traits and behaviour by the end. Ellie almost creeped me out the most at some points in her attitude and demeanour, but Malfi was successful in developing her character. While it seemed farfetched in the beginning of the novel, by the conclusion I knew I understood Ellie well. Overall, I do recommend this book to those readers who are interested in thriller and horror novels. With an intriguing plot and different characters, it's a great quick read. Considering I usually don't enjoy ebooks, but I tore through this one, I think that is saying something. Let me know if you've read The Night Parade, or any other thriller and horror recommendations you may have! Happy reading!”

Libby

Created about 2 months ago

“This one was just ok for me, it was a little slower paced and dragged at times but the concept was interesting. Although there were some horror elements, I really wouldn't consider this horror.”

About Ronald Malfi

Ronald Malfi is an award-winning author of several horror novels, mysteries, and thrillers. He is the recipient of two Independent Publisher Book Awards, the Beverly Hills Book Award, the Vincent Preis Horror Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award for Popular Fiction, and he is a Bram Stoker Award nominee. Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, Debra, and their two daughters. Learn more about Ronald and his work at ronmalfi.com.