Caffeinated Reviewer

I’ve enjoyed previous audiobooks by Josh Malerman and was delighted for the chance to listen to Goblin, a collection of six novellas narrated by Dominic Hoffman. From the prologue involving a delivery driver and his special delivery, I was hooked. Leave the light on and listen…

From the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Malorie comes a chilling story that revolves around a mysterious small town, revealing its sinister secrets one by one.

Goblin seems like any other ordinary small town. But with the master storyteller Josh Malerman as your tour guide, you’ll discover the secrets that hide behind its closed doors. These six novellas tell the story of a place where the rain is always falling, nighttime is always near, and your darkest fears and desires await. Welcome to Goblin. . . .

A Man in Slices: A man proves his “legendary love” to his girlfriend with a sacrifice even more daring than Vincent van Gogh’s—and sends her more than his heart.

Kamp: Walter Kamp is afraid of everything, but most afraid of being scared to death. As he sets traps around his home to catch the ghosts that haunt him, he learns that nothing is more terrifying than fear itself.

Happy Birthday, Hunter!: A famed big-game hunter is determined to capture—and kill—the ultimate prey: the mythic Great Owl who lives in Goblin’s dark forests. But this mysterious creature is not the only secret the woods are keeping.

Presto: All Peter wants is to be like his hero, Roman Emperor, the greatest magician in the world. When the famous magician comes to Goblin, Peter discovers that not all magic is just an illusion.

A Mix-Up at the Zoo: The new zookeeper feels a mysterious kinship with the animals in his care . . . and finds that his work is freeing dark forces inside him.

The Hedges: When his wife dies, a man builds a hedge maze so elaborate no one ever solves it—until a little girl resolves to be the first to find the mysteries that wait at its heart.

I love a good horror story. The tales contained within reminded me of Stephen King and Joe Hill shorts with a side of Hitchhiker. You’ll find a creeptastic prologue and a smashing epilogue to round out these spin tingling tales. All the stories take place in the strange town of Goblin.

• A Man in Slices – This story shares the friendship of Richard and Charles and the great lengths one man goes to for his love. The story begins on a rainy night with Richard desperately decided who he should tell after a confession from Charles. Then the author takes us back to their childhood. Charles moved to town, and Richard befriended him. By the time he realizes there is something off about Charles, he had committed to being his one and only friend. The story shares weird occurrences during their childhood, teens and adult life. The buildup was fantastic. 4.5 coffee cups
• Kamp– Imagine being so afraid of being scared to death that it consumes you. Such is the case with Walter Kamp who’s so afraid of ghosts that he has removed dark corners and shadows from his apartment. This was creepy with an unreliable narrator who sets traps and is afraid of his own shadow. 4 cups
• Happy Birthday, Hunter! -Neal Nash is celebrating his sixtieth birthday. As an accomplished hunter he is obsessed with acquiring a Great Owl found only in the North Woods of Golin. When he sets out to hunt for this prized creature, he soon learns the hunter can become the hunted. 3 cups
• Presto – A magician named Roman Emperor performs in Goblin. magic that seems real, but at what cost? More than slight of hand. 3.5 cups.
• A Mix-Up at the Zoo -What if you worked two jobs? What if you accidentally mixed them up? For Dirk Rogers who works full time at the Hardy Carrol Goblin Zoo, as a tour guide and part time at the Goblin slaughterhouse it ends in disaster. Eek! 4 cups.
• The Hedges -a girl named Margot enters a hedge maze and discovers its treasure. Goblin police and trouble in the North Woods. 4.5 cups.

Dominic Hoffman reminded me of Holter Graham, from his tone. His voice draws you in, adding an eerie believability to the stories.

My favorites of the collection were the opening prologue and The Hedges. Don’t miss the epilogue! If you are looking for thrills and chills, these stories will leave you shivering and maybe keeping the bathroom light on and the door ajar.

Amazon | Audible

About Josh Malerman

Josh Malerman is an American author and also one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung, whose song "The Luck You Got" can be heard as the theme song to the Showtime show "Shameless." His book Bird Box is also currently being filmed as a feature film starring Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, and Sarah Paulson. Bird Box was also nominated for the Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the James Herbert Award. His books Black Mad Wheel and Goblin have also been nominated for Stoker Awards.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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