‘The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride’ – Ronald Malfi (From the collection ‘Ghostwritten’ – Titan Books)

 


Well, it took a few days but the Covid jab has (finally) stopped making me feel rough as [insert expletive here] and is, presumably, getting on with its actual job, blunting the effects of real Covid. I hope so, I’ve got a fair bit to get through at work today…

Anyway, I was actually in a good place, yesterday, to sit down and get some more reading under my belt; so that’s exactly what I did ;o) I’ve got a couple of collections that I’m working my way through, amongst others, so made those my focus and… A very nice afternoon’s reading was had by this reader, here’s to more afternoons like that ;o)

And one of those collections was Ronald Malfi’s ‘Ghostwritten’. ‘The Skin Of Her Teeth’ had already proved to be a fine opener, yesterday was time to see if ‘The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride’ was more of the same and…

It was, of course it was, let me tell you a bit about it.

Page Count: 110 Pages

Is there a job that’s easier than putting a book in your car at Point A and then delivering it to Point B? The Dark Brothers normally transport more illicit items so they’re looking forward to an easy journey followed by a decent payoff.

But the client has insisted on a delivery route that makes no sense; down roads never travelled and taking in sights that are on no map. And one of the brothers has already broken the most important rule set by the client…

Horror writers are particularly partial to a good Mythos; whether it’s Lovecraft’s original ‘Classic Mythos’ or a Mythos that they’ve created themselves to tie all their books together. ‘The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride’ is the point, in ‘Ghostwritten’, where Malfi takes the initial steps in the journey to create his own. It’s obviously a little early to make judgements, one way or the other, but the signs are definitely promising with clear links to ‘The Skin Of Her Teeth’ and a locale that is clearly capable of holding more than just a tale of two brothers on a journey. I’m definitely keen to see how this theme expands over the last two novellas in the collection. Malfi really captures that sense of an America so large that bits of it are easily lost and only found when you’re not looking. I love the echoes of Roland’s ‘Mid-World’ but I’m really here to see how Malfi continues to treat the theme of ‘books having power’ and the consequences of this.

As far as the story itself goes, we’re moving away from the quiet terror of ‘The Skin Of Her Teeth’ into the kind of dreamlike horror you only get when you realise that the roads you’re travelling down are leading you somewhere that may look familiar but is way outside your mortal comprehension. Malfi keeps the changes fairly subtle and this makes the key moments all the more impactful when they arrive; that and the brothers gradual understanding of their situation. It’s a compelling journey, made all the more so by the eventual reveal of the truth around Tommy’s circumstances.

I’m two novellas into ‘Ghostwritten’ now and I have to say, shame on me for not picking the book up sooner. I’m here now though and won’t make that mistake again. ‘The Dark Brothers’ Last Ride’ was superb and I’m keen to see if the Mythos makes another appearance in ‘This Book Belongs to Olo’. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

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