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Floating Staircase
“Deserves to stand alongside a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz—at their bestÌý.Ìý.Ìý. A mature horror yarnâ€� from the award-winning author of Bone White (New York Journal of Books). Ìý Horror writer Travis Glasgow and his wife, Jodie, have bought their first house in Westlake, Maryland, just steps from Travis’s older brother’s home. Travis is buoyed by the thought of renewing his relationship with his estranged sibling and overcoming the darkness from his past. But the house has other plans for him. Travis is soon awakened by noises in the night and finds watery footprints in the basement that lead him to the nearby lake, which has a strange staircase emerging from its depths. Ìý When Travis discovers that a former occupant of his house—a ten-year-old boy—drowned in the lake, he draws connections to his own childhood tragedy. As his brother and wife warn him to leave well enough alone, Travis is pulled into a dark obsession, following the house’s secrets to the floating staircase—and into the depths of madnessÌý.Ìý.Ìý. Ìý “It would not be an overstatement to say that Floating Staircase is a modern classic ranking among some of the best supernatural affairs ever committed to print.Ìý.Ìý.Ìý. The story and setting sizzle to life through Malfi’s unparalleled literary talent.â€� —Dreadful Tales Ìý “Malfi gives a few deft twists to the traditional haunted house theme with eerie, unpredictable, and exciting results.â€� —Publishers Weekly Ìý “Profoundly moving, terrifying and life-affirming, this is a glorious example of what the genre of horror fiction can accomplish in the right hands.â€� —Horror Novel Reviews
476 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2010
349 people are currently reading
5,421 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Malfi
72Ìýbooks3,324ÌýfollowersRonald 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."
In 2024, Malfi was awarded the William G. Wilson Maryland Author Award for adult fiction.
His most recent novels include Senseless (2025) and Small Town Horror (2024), both of which received favorable reviews and saw Malfi stretch his authorial voice.
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 .
In 2024, Malfi was awarded the William G. Wilson Maryland Author Award for adult fiction.
His most recent novels include Senseless (2025) and Small Town Horror (2024), both of which received favorable reviews and saw Malfi stretch his authorial voice.
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 .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
March 26, 2022
Whelp this fell short of the horror mark. More of a creepy ghost story with a sad ending. I felt Malfi was trying too hard to sell the red herrings. Which in turn made the twists lackluster.
December 23, 2013
I finished reading this with my Shelfari horror group on Friday. I've been mulling it over for a few days and this is what I came up with.
Floating Staircase is a well written tale about Travis Glasgow, a man who is haunted. Haunted by his new home and the things that may have been done there and haunted by the death of his brother, (which occurred when they were both very young). On top of all that, he is struggling to feel worthy in the eyes of his remaining brother, who is a cop. We join Travis as he tries to unravel these mysteries, while at the same time trying to come to terms over what happened to his brother all those years ago.
This was an atmospheric tale, but not quite as atmospheric as I would have liked. While I enjoyed the characters and felt for them, (most especially Elijah and Veronica), I didn't feel that this story offered anything new or original to the genre. I guess that's hard to do with things being as they are in the publishing world, but I do think this story needed that little extra something to boost it over the wall of the merely average. With that in mind, I rated this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4 for the quality of the writing. While this is no Shirley Jackson type of tale, I do recommend it for fans of hauntings and mysteries-you could do much worse.
Floating Staircase is a well written tale about Travis Glasgow, a man who is haunted. Haunted by his new home and the things that may have been done there and haunted by the death of his brother, (which occurred when they were both very young). On top of all that, he is struggling to feel worthy in the eyes of his remaining brother, who is a cop. We join Travis as he tries to unravel these mysteries, while at the same time trying to come to terms over what happened to his brother all those years ago.
This was an atmospheric tale, but not quite as atmospheric as I would have liked. While I enjoyed the characters and felt for them, (most especially Elijah and Veronica), I didn't feel that this story offered anything new or original to the genre. I guess that's hard to do with things being as they are in the publishing world, but I do think this story needed that little extra something to boost it over the wall of the merely average. With that in mind, I rated this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4 for the quality of the writing. While this is no Shirley Jackson type of tale, I do recommend it for fans of hauntings and mysteries-you could do much worse.
October 13, 2017
This book was okay. It started out a bit stereotypical, then the author allowed the plot to begin to unfold which ratcheted up my interest. The story is at its best when the mystery is unfolding. Much of the first quarter of the book was spent in establishing the setting and atmosphere. The author has a real talent for storytelling and it shows when he is simply unraveling the plot and allowing the characters to come to life. The story felt like the author needs a more astute editor that knows how to focus on his strengths and edit out the weak areas.
There were definitely hard to put this book down moments, but they were interspersed with segments I felt forced to skim. I know this author has talent and is capable of spinning a good yarn, this one just didn't hold my attention often enough.
There were definitely hard to put this book down moments, but they were interspersed with segments I felt forced to skim. I know this author has talent and is capable of spinning a good yarn, this one just didn't hold my attention often enough.
December 7, 2012
troubled writer, a tragedy in his past, moves back to the States with his wife to inhabit a haunted house on a lake in the middle of an especially chill winter.
this low-key novel is an improvement over the last Malfi i've read (), which suffered from a certain anononymity. he gets the eerie atmosphere right and he has a sure hand when it comes to all of the minor note moments of the actual haunting, and the subsequent investigation into the death of a child the prior summer. he also does well with the various bits of characterization as the protagonist wrestles with his tragic past and his current relationship with his brother - a caring but rather pushy alpha-male sort. i liked what felt to be an autobiographical, meta(ish) level to the novel - the old conceit of a book about a writer with writer's block didn't feel particularly tired. i liked the melancholy and i liked the odd detail here & there and i liked how Malfi makes his protagonist's history as relevant as the present. and i loved the central image of an old staircase frozen in a lake. a floating staircase to... where?
but unfortunately Floating Staircase is not particularly memorable. although certainly more resonant and interesting than Snow, it still suffers from a distinct lack of SNAP CRACKLE POP. or if not that, then at least some elegance in the writing, in the classic ghost story mode. the lack of excitement, stylish writing, or even the faintest whiff of perversity combined with Malfi's clear professionalism as a writer made the experience pleasant and easy going down (even occasionally gripping) - as well as bland and, finally, rather uninteresting.
no big complaints i suppose, but no big kudos either. i "liked" it.
this low-key novel is an improvement over the last Malfi i've read (), which suffered from a certain anononymity. he gets the eerie atmosphere right and he has a sure hand when it comes to all of the minor note moments of the actual haunting, and the subsequent investigation into the death of a child the prior summer. he also does well with the various bits of characterization as the protagonist wrestles with his tragic past and his current relationship with his brother - a caring but rather pushy alpha-male sort. i liked what felt to be an autobiographical, meta(ish) level to the novel - the old conceit of a book about a writer with writer's block didn't feel particularly tired. i liked the melancholy and i liked the odd detail here & there and i liked how Malfi makes his protagonist's history as relevant as the present. and i loved the central image of an old staircase frozen in a lake. a floating staircase to... where?
but unfortunately Floating Staircase is not particularly memorable. although certainly more resonant and interesting than Snow, it still suffers from a distinct lack of SNAP CRACKLE POP. or if not that, then at least some elegance in the writing, in the classic ghost story mode. the lack of excitement, stylish writing, or even the faintest whiff of perversity combined with Malfi's clear professionalism as a writer made the experience pleasant and easy going down (even occasionally gripping) - as well as bland and, finally, rather uninteresting.
no big complaints i suppose, but no big kudos either. i "liked" it.
August 9, 2023
Suspensefully Spooky!
Small backstory:
Travis Glasgow a horror writer and his wife, Jodie have moved to Maryland with the buying of a new home. Travis is not far from his brother, Adam who lives behind them. As Travis and Jodie start to settle into their new home it isn't long before Travis starts hearing things within the house and soon realizes that the house is haunted.
When Travis delves into the history of the house he soon finds out that a little boy named Elijah drowned in the lake that is by their house which stirs up sad memories from his past. The more that Travis investigates the mystery surrounding the death of Elijah it seems that the house becomes more haunted to the point where Travis feels he might be losing his mind!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was a great haunted story, but wasn't scary enough to require it to be a five star read. At times I felt that it would drag in spots and not keep my attention span at full alert. The pace of the story was up and down for me but I did enjoy the mystery of the haunting and liked how the author slowly built up the suspense.
I liked the characters in this one too and felt connected to Travis along with his feelings of what he was experiencing in the house and his feelings from the past.
All in all I felt the story was really good but I think it could have been scarier with a leave the lights on feeling as the atmosphere to me wasn't enough to make me jump or become spooked while reading it.
I have been wanting to read this book for awhile as I have owned it for a long time and I am happy that I finally stepped into it. I have a few more Malfi books on my kindle that I need to read at some point as well. Giving this book four "Haunted Mystery" stars!
Small backstory:
Travis Glasgow a horror writer and his wife, Jodie have moved to Maryland with the buying of a new home. Travis is not far from his brother, Adam who lives behind them. As Travis and Jodie start to settle into their new home it isn't long before Travis starts hearing things within the house and soon realizes that the house is haunted.
When Travis delves into the history of the house he soon finds out that a little boy named Elijah drowned in the lake that is by their house which stirs up sad memories from his past. The more that Travis investigates the mystery surrounding the death of Elijah it seems that the house becomes more haunted to the point where Travis feels he might be losing his mind!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was a great haunted story, but wasn't scary enough to require it to be a five star read. At times I felt that it would drag in spots and not keep my attention span at full alert. The pace of the story was up and down for me but I did enjoy the mystery of the haunting and liked how the author slowly built up the suspense.
I liked the characters in this one too and felt connected to Travis along with his feelings of what he was experiencing in the house and his feelings from the past.
All in all I felt the story was really good but I think it could have been scarier with a leave the lights on feeling as the atmosphere to me wasn't enough to make me jump or become spooked while reading it.
I have been wanting to read this book for awhile as I have owned it for a long time and I am happy that I finally stepped into it. I have a few more Malfi books on my kindle that I need to read at some point as well. Giving this book four "Haunted Mystery" stars!
January 15, 2021
I thought this was a pretty good mystery with a little bit of creepy ghost story thrown in as well.
Travis and his wife Jodie move into a house in the woods behind his brother Adam, his wife and two kids home.
Everything seems great at first. Travis is going to try working on his next book, he's a horror story author. Jodie goes back to school to finish up, then decides she wants to teach.
So all is good until Travis finds out a little boy named Elijiah drowns in their lake before they move there. Travis becomes obsessed finding out more about the boy and what happened to him. Travis own little brother Kyle drowned when they were young. Travis has always blamed it on himself.
I thought it was going to be a big horror book but it's more of a mystery-paranormal type book. I loved trying to figure out all of the clues and just when you think you figure it out, it goes off in another direction! It's a very sad but justifying ending.
Travis and his wife Jodie move into a house in the woods behind his brother Adam, his wife and two kids home.
Everything seems great at first. Travis is going to try working on his next book, he's a horror story author. Jodie goes back to school to finish up, then decides she wants to teach.
So all is good until Travis finds out a little boy named Elijiah drowns in their lake before they move there. Travis becomes obsessed finding out more about the boy and what happened to him. Travis own little brother Kyle drowned when they were young. Travis has always blamed it on himself.
I thought it was going to be a big horror book but it's more of a mystery-paranormal type book. I loved trying to figure out all of the clues and just when you think you figure it out, it goes off in another direction! It's a very sad but justifying ending.
March 7, 2022
Five stars is not enough for this novel. I literally did not put this book down until I finished the last page.
Want to read
March 9, 2017This Hardcover Thunderstorm book is signed by Ronald Malfi, there are initials where the number goes. The book has a three page afterword by the author.
The book is Thunderstorms Black Voltage series book #9.
The cover deign is by Daniel Serra.
The book is Thunderstorms Black Voltage series book #9.
The cover deign is by Daniel Serra.
September 7, 2021
Malfi has an amazing way words. His pros and fluidity is unmatched. I'm excited to pick up his next one.
December 7, 2022
I'm new to reading Malfi's books and I started with his newer ones Black Mouth and Come With Me. I loved Black Mouth and there are so many previous works that I thought I'd give this one a try from the library. I will say this one did not compare to Black Mouth, which as of right now is my favorite.
The quick synopsis is Travis and his wife buy a house, sight unseen, that is next door to his brother in a quiet lakeside community where a tragedy happened roughly a year before. As can be expected things start unveiling themselves and weird things start to happen.
The idea behind this had potential but has been done before for sure. There weren't enough clues or edge of your seat moments for me to try and work out what was going on, it felt like I was reading and not immersed in the book(I like to ponder in my brain what I think is going on). I like to be immersed, and scared.....(sort of on the scared part)
There was a bit of history with the MC that was brought up which I thought would be a huge part of the story, but I was waiting for more of a "oh wow" factor that never came about. I think the author could have delved more into that history and intertwined it in a different way.
I can tell the author has evolved from the earlier novels and while this wasn't awesome it was still something I think was well written. I will say there is a bit of animal abuse that made me cringe. So if that isn't your thing you may want to skip a few sentences, you can see where it is coming but of course I couldn't avert my eyes quick enough. Long story short (or shall I say review), this really had the bones to be good but the execution wasn't 100% there. I will still continue to try the later novels in hopes I find another great one I like!
The quick synopsis is Travis and his wife buy a house, sight unseen, that is next door to his brother in a quiet lakeside community where a tragedy happened roughly a year before. As can be expected things start unveiling themselves and weird things start to happen.
The idea behind this had potential but has been done before for sure. There weren't enough clues or edge of your seat moments for me to try and work out what was going on, it felt like I was reading and not immersed in the book(I like to ponder in my brain what I think is going on). I like to be immersed, and scared.....(sort of on the scared part)
There was a bit of history with the MC that was brought up which I thought would be a huge part of the story, but I was waiting for more of a "oh wow" factor that never came about. I think the author could have delved more into that history and intertwined it in a different way.
I can tell the author has evolved from the earlier novels and while this wasn't awesome it was still something I think was well written. I will say there is a bit of animal abuse that made me cringe. So if that isn't your thing you may want to skip a few sentences, you can see where it is coming but of course I couldn't avert my eyes quick enough. Long story short (or shall I say review), this really had the bones to be good but the execution wasn't 100% there. I will still continue to try the later novels in hopes I find another great one I like!
December 13, 2019
Woah. Just...woah. This book was so many things at once. Creepy, eerie, terrifying, touching� I wholeheartedly recommend it to every horror-junkie out there.
March 1, 2011
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Whenever I think of alt-horror writer Ron Malfi, for some reason I always think as well of cinematographer Frederick Elmes, who most famously was the director of photography for David Lynch's biggest films; because like Elmes, Malfi has an almost magical ability to set a very specific kind of atmospheric mood, both gauzy in nature and in sharp focus, achieving almost an angelic halo effect over all the characters he creates and stories he tells. I've reviewed three of his books in the past -- 2007's Via Dolorosa, 2008's Passenger and 2009's true-crime diversion Shamrock Alley -- and now just this month finds the release of his latest, an interestingly self-referential return to horror basics entitled Floating Staircase. And indeed, just as the 'alt-horror' moniker has always sat awkwardly on Malfi's shoulders, it might be most appropriate to get rid of the 'alt' altogether for this straight-ahead tale of possible ghosts and bumps in the night, because in many ways this is about the most traditional type of horror to be found, what could almost be called a deliberate leap backwards over the maturation of the genre in the early 20th century, to instead touch base with the primal goals of the first proto-horror writers of the Victorian Age.
After all, Malfi even sets the book in a very Victorian locale -- the far rural outskirts of New England's Baltimore area -- which under his descriptive hands becomes very similar in tone to Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow, or the stark rural Massachusetts of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables; and the tale's set-up is decidedly old-skool as well, the story of an unsteady couple freshly back from a sabbatical to London, whose in-laws have found a magnificent fixer-upper of a house in the deep woods not too far from where they live, a situation that the couple was exactly looking for after coming to miss this rural area where they grew up. And indeed, the reason I call this self-referential is that the male of this relationship is a long-suffering alt-horror author himself, who goes by Travis but who publishes his books under the nom-de-plume "Alexander Sharpe," and whose atmospheric novels all in one way or another reference the childhood drowning of his brother which he considers his fault, which needless to say has made his other brother and sister-in-law hesitant to mention that the previous owners of their new house sold it precisely because of a similar accident involving their own son.
Ah, but you can't keep a restless spirit down, which is what quickly turns this book kind of into a haunted-house tale and kinda a haunted-woods one, as Travis discovers not only a series of unexplained voices and events in his home but in fact a whole series of bizarre secret spaces as well, including an entire hidden room in the basement which seems to combine the decor of a nursery and a dungeon, even as on his property he discovers an unsettling staircase to nowhere floating in the middle of a lake, not to mention a whole group of townfolk who in good horror fashion act a lot stranger and more mean-spirited than you would expect from a bunch of random neighbors. Will there be a rational explanation for it all by the end? Will there be a supernatural explanation for it all by the end? Or is Travis having another of his well-documented nervous breakdowns, actually planting incriminating evidence while in blackout fugues as a way to punish himself over his lingering childhood guilt?
This is one of the things that I really love about all of Malfi's horror work, is that he keeps you guessing at the answer all the way to the final chapter, while stringing along the argument for each option so that they all remain strong possibilities, even while doing this in an evocative yet minimalist personal style that's a refreshing change over the disastrously over-the-top prose of so many others in his genre. it's a light touch he has over his tales, which is always what makes them such delights even when loaded up with genre tropes as they sometimes are, with like I said a sort of gossamer sheen to them as if spirits themselves, making the reading experience always airy yet spooky, a welcome alternative to the overbearing obviousness that comes with so many mainstream horror writers and their pounding tomes about blood-covered devil-worshipping serial killers. He's long been a writer who horror fans should absolutely be reading if they never have, and the back-to-basics Floating Staircase is no exception, a novel even fit for mere casual fans like me but that I suspect will be an even bigger hit with existing genre enthusiasts.
Out of 10: 8.8, or 9.8 for horror fans
(Floating Staircase is currently available as a limited-edition signed hardcover . The trade paperback edition comes out this summer.)
Whenever I think of alt-horror writer Ron Malfi, for some reason I always think as well of cinematographer Frederick Elmes, who most famously was the director of photography for David Lynch's biggest films; because like Elmes, Malfi has an almost magical ability to set a very specific kind of atmospheric mood, both gauzy in nature and in sharp focus, achieving almost an angelic halo effect over all the characters he creates and stories he tells. I've reviewed three of his books in the past -- 2007's Via Dolorosa, 2008's Passenger and 2009's true-crime diversion Shamrock Alley -- and now just this month finds the release of his latest, an interestingly self-referential return to horror basics entitled Floating Staircase. And indeed, just as the 'alt-horror' moniker has always sat awkwardly on Malfi's shoulders, it might be most appropriate to get rid of the 'alt' altogether for this straight-ahead tale of possible ghosts and bumps in the night, because in many ways this is about the most traditional type of horror to be found, what could almost be called a deliberate leap backwards over the maturation of the genre in the early 20th century, to instead touch base with the primal goals of the first proto-horror writers of the Victorian Age.
After all, Malfi even sets the book in a very Victorian locale -- the far rural outskirts of New England's Baltimore area -- which under his descriptive hands becomes very similar in tone to Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow, or the stark rural Massachusetts of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables; and the tale's set-up is decidedly old-skool as well, the story of an unsteady couple freshly back from a sabbatical to London, whose in-laws have found a magnificent fixer-upper of a house in the deep woods not too far from where they live, a situation that the couple was exactly looking for after coming to miss this rural area where they grew up. And indeed, the reason I call this self-referential is that the male of this relationship is a long-suffering alt-horror author himself, who goes by Travis but who publishes his books under the nom-de-plume "Alexander Sharpe," and whose atmospheric novels all in one way or another reference the childhood drowning of his brother which he considers his fault, which needless to say has made his other brother and sister-in-law hesitant to mention that the previous owners of their new house sold it precisely because of a similar accident involving their own son.
Ah, but you can't keep a restless spirit down, which is what quickly turns this book kind of into a haunted-house tale and kinda a haunted-woods one, as Travis discovers not only a series of unexplained voices and events in his home but in fact a whole series of bizarre secret spaces as well, including an entire hidden room in the basement which seems to combine the decor of a nursery and a dungeon, even as on his property he discovers an unsettling staircase to nowhere floating in the middle of a lake, not to mention a whole group of townfolk who in good horror fashion act a lot stranger and more mean-spirited than you would expect from a bunch of random neighbors. Will there be a rational explanation for it all by the end? Will there be a supernatural explanation for it all by the end? Or is Travis having another of his well-documented nervous breakdowns, actually planting incriminating evidence while in blackout fugues as a way to punish himself over his lingering childhood guilt?
This is one of the things that I really love about all of Malfi's horror work, is that he keeps you guessing at the answer all the way to the final chapter, while stringing along the argument for each option so that they all remain strong possibilities, even while doing this in an evocative yet minimalist personal style that's a refreshing change over the disastrously over-the-top prose of so many others in his genre. it's a light touch he has over his tales, which is always what makes them such delights even when loaded up with genre tropes as they sometimes are, with like I said a sort of gossamer sheen to them as if spirits themselves, making the reading experience always airy yet spooky, a welcome alternative to the overbearing obviousness that comes with so many mainstream horror writers and their pounding tomes about blood-covered devil-worshipping serial killers. He's long been a writer who horror fans should absolutely be reading if they never have, and the back-to-basics Floating Staircase is no exception, a novel even fit for mere casual fans like me but that I suspect will be an even bigger hit with existing genre enthusiasts.
Out of 10: 8.8, or 9.8 for horror fans
(Floating Staircase is currently available as a limited-edition signed hardcover . The trade paperback edition comes out this summer.)
February 9, 2016
This is an extraordinary well written story about about one man's attempt to find redemption and some form of closure to an incident that occurred during his formative years. Ronald Malfi manages to blend superbly elements of horror and crime nicely presented in the guise of small town America. Travis Glascow and his wife Jodie have settled in the pretty little community of Westlake Maryland but as befits all good storytelling nothing is ever as it seems and, as we are shown, the perfect life is something we all strive for but few achieve. Travis is haunted by the death of his younger brother Kyle, left under his protection but who tragically died jumping from an old wooden pier. The house in Westgate has a sinister past, Elijah Dentman, son of the previous owners met a tragic and untimely demise but even in death the spirit of Elijah refuses to rest "Nature does not know extinction. It knows only change. Metamorphosis. It knows that when life is snuffed out and the soul vacates the body, it must, by definition, go somewhere. And if you don't believe in God or a god or in heaven and hell, then where do souls go?"
What makes this book such a wonderful achievement, so deep thought and contemplative is the authors style of writing. In a reflective mood Travis thinks back to his childhood and in particular his father "My father, who'd always been an intimidating physical presence, seemed to grow smaller day by day, some vital bone or organ now broken within him. He reminded me more and more of those rusted old cars on concrete blocks, colorless weeds growing all around him. He became an alcoholic after Kyle's death and maintained that ungodly and self-deprecating profession until prostate cancer punched his card many years later." Just look at the poetic nature of the opening paragraph to Chapter 18 " When you withdraw from the world, you find that the world withdraws from you, too. Then all that's left is the Greyness, the Void, and this is where you remain. Like a cancerous cell. Like a cut of tissue, diseased, in a Petri dish. You glance down and there it is: this gaping gray hole in the center of your being. And as you stand there and stare into it, all you see is yourself staring back."
Suffice to say this style permeates throughout the book and makes for rich and rewarding reading. Introduce to this a mix some wonderful, colourful characters; Althea Coulter tutor to Elijah and an old lady sadly dying of cancer, Earl Parsons veteran seasoned reporter, Veronica and David Dentman parents of tragic Elijah and possibly holding the secrets and answers that Travis seeks in his search for the truth and maybe just maybe his own salvation.
What makes this book such a wonderful achievement, so deep thought and contemplative is the authors style of writing. In a reflective mood Travis thinks back to his childhood and in particular his father "My father, who'd always been an intimidating physical presence, seemed to grow smaller day by day, some vital bone or organ now broken within him. He reminded me more and more of those rusted old cars on concrete blocks, colorless weeds growing all around him. He became an alcoholic after Kyle's death and maintained that ungodly and self-deprecating profession until prostate cancer punched his card many years later." Just look at the poetic nature of the opening paragraph to Chapter 18 " When you withdraw from the world, you find that the world withdraws from you, too. Then all that's left is the Greyness, the Void, and this is where you remain. Like a cancerous cell. Like a cut of tissue, diseased, in a Petri dish. You glance down and there it is: this gaping gray hole in the center of your being. And as you stand there and stare into it, all you see is yourself staring back."
Suffice to say this style permeates throughout the book and makes for rich and rewarding reading. Introduce to this a mix some wonderful, colourful characters; Althea Coulter tutor to Elijah and an old lady sadly dying of cancer, Earl Parsons veteran seasoned reporter, Veronica and David Dentman parents of tragic Elijah and possibly holding the secrets and answers that Travis seeks in his search for the truth and maybe just maybe his own salvation.
March 19, 2013
A tremendously involving and multi-layered novel of horror, suspense, haunting, character, emotion, sibling rivalry, marriage and family, and so much more, “Floating Staircase� proves that Literary Horror works-and finely tunes this sub-genre into a champion fright.
“Floating Staircase� is thematic as well, and operates on many layers of theme (perhaps I should write instead, “on many stairs of theme�). Travis Glasgow is a haunted novelist: haunted within, by the tragic demise of his younger brother at age ten, when Travis was thirteen; haunted without, in the “new� older home which his older brother Adam arranged for Travis and his wife to purchase in a tiny town in rural Maryland, Westlake, so that Travis and Jodie might return from life in North London. Travis is haunted by memories of his late younger brother, Kyle; by the childhood fear never ended of Kyle’s return from the river; by his incomplete relationship with older brother Adam. For Travis Glasgow, authorship is catharsis, and each of his four novels have had themes of drowning or of drowned apparitions, and each has a water signification in its title.
But moving to a new home (On “Waterview Court�) presents Travis and Jodie with all new challenges: the house is almost hidden in the pines, and looks out upon a self-enclosed lake, in which stands what appears to be a floating staircase, very attractive in the summers to neighborhood daredevils. The house, formerly owned by a long-lived man named Bernard Dentman, is also, quite literally, haunted-very much so; and Travis has just the type of personality to both attract hauntings, and to be aware of such.
“Floating Staircase� is thematic as well, and operates on many layers of theme (perhaps I should write instead, “on many stairs of theme�). Travis Glasgow is a haunted novelist: haunted within, by the tragic demise of his younger brother at age ten, when Travis was thirteen; haunted without, in the “new� older home which his older brother Adam arranged for Travis and his wife to purchase in a tiny town in rural Maryland, Westlake, so that Travis and Jodie might return from life in North London. Travis is haunted by memories of his late younger brother, Kyle; by the childhood fear never ended of Kyle’s return from the river; by his incomplete relationship with older brother Adam. For Travis Glasgow, authorship is catharsis, and each of his four novels have had themes of drowning or of drowned apparitions, and each has a water signification in its title.
But moving to a new home (On “Waterview Court�) presents Travis and Jodie with all new challenges: the house is almost hidden in the pines, and looks out upon a self-enclosed lake, in which stands what appears to be a floating staircase, very attractive in the summers to neighborhood daredevils. The house, formerly owned by a long-lived man named Bernard Dentman, is also, quite literally, haunted-very much so; and Travis has just the type of personality to both attract hauntings, and to be aware of such.
September 6, 2016
6/9 - A good read that became quite tense towards the end, so much so that I got a hell of a fright when my mum called my name last night while I was reading the scene with Travis and David Dentman in the cemetery. But what was with that ending?! I really don't understand what happened regarding Kyle. What did Travis mean when he said ? How was ? If I could I would mark this down half a star for that ambiguous ending, I don't like having to make my own mind up about what happened in this kind of story. I want a conclusion to be a conclusion and for it to be laid out in clear detail.
I liked the way there were similarities between Travis' past experience with Kyle's death and Elijah's death, but I was slightly irritated when all those connections turned into innocent coincidences. I wanted a more supernatural explanation to the story and more horror. There could have been a lot of horror, what with all the incidences of ghostly, unexplainable footsteps and block towers that built themselves, but except for the scene I mentioned above I didn't find myself particularly spooked. Maybe I've seen too many horror movies (just watched the Poltergeist remake and that squirrel got a small shriek out of me), but I was looking for more scares than I got.
I liked the way there were similarities between Travis' past experience with Kyle's death and Elijah's death, but I was slightly irritated when all those connections turned into innocent coincidences. I wanted a more supernatural explanation to the story and more horror. There could have been a lot of horror, what with all the incidences of ghostly, unexplainable footsteps and block towers that built themselves, but except for the scene I mentioned above I didn't find myself particularly spooked. Maybe I've seen too many horror movies (just watched the Poltergeist remake and that squirrel got a small shriek out of me), but I was looking for more scares than I got.
November 7, 2012
This is the second book I've read by Ronald Malfi, and while he has a nice writing style, his storylines underwhelm me and his characters are cardboard.
I kept waiting for the scares in this ghost story, but it was a formulaic story about a spirit helping a living being solve his disappearance. Sorry, I've read this story many times before.
I kept waiting for the scares in this ghost story, but it was a formulaic story about a spirit helping a living being solve his disappearance. Sorry, I've read this story many times before.
November 27, 2018
3.5 stars
I've wanted to read this book since I first learned of its existence. There was something intriguing and dark about it, like a classic southern gothic novel. Unfortunately, I just couldn't quite get into this one. It drug on a bit due to a dragging plot line. In that end, I stopped reading this multiple times and read Malfi's other offerings, 'Craddle Lake' and 'Little Girls.' (Both of which I loved).
Ultimately, though, this isn't a ghost story or a horror novel as much as a tale of grief.
Travis was haunted by the death of his brother, blaming himself, and ultimately had to confront his grief in order to forgive himself and come to peace with his past. In that sense, it is a memorable story or the power of grief and the power in forgiving oneself. Getting to that point, however, was a bit tedious.
I've wanted to read this book since I first learned of its existence. There was something intriguing and dark about it, like a classic southern gothic novel. Unfortunately, I just couldn't quite get into this one. It drug on a bit due to a dragging plot line. In that end, I stopped reading this multiple times and read Malfi's other offerings, 'Craddle Lake' and 'Little Girls.' (Both of which I loved).
Ultimately, though, this isn't a ghost story or a horror novel as much as a tale of grief.
Travis was haunted by the death of his brother, blaming himself, and ultimately had to confront his grief in order to forgive himself and come to peace with his past. In that sense, it is a memorable story or the power of grief and the power in forgiving oneself. Getting to that point, however, was a bit tedious.
March 8, 2012
I'm a sucker for a haunted house story. Floating Staircase is the story of Travis Glasgow, a horror writer who moves into an old, run-down house with his wife. Haunted hijinks ensue.
Throughout the course of the book, Travis investigates the death of a young boy who drowned (or did he??) in the lake behind their house the summer before the Glasgows moved in. Through his investigations Travis also has to confront his guilt over the death of his younger brother, who drowned in a lake when they were kids. So not all the ghosts of this book are of the paranormal kind, there are the more common ghosts of human memory as well.
For the most part, I would recommend checking out this book if you're a fan of the horror genre. But, be warned that the best spooky stuff is concentrated in the earlier chapters of the book. At some point the book shifts away from straight-up horror to a more standard murder mystery. I would have preferred a little more intense spookiness at the climax of the book, but really, when wouldn't I prefer a little more spookiness?
Throughout the course of the book, Travis investigates the death of a young boy who drowned (or did he??) in the lake behind their house the summer before the Glasgows moved in. Through his investigations Travis also has to confront his guilt over the death of his younger brother, who drowned in a lake when they were kids. So not all the ghosts of this book are of the paranormal kind, there are the more common ghosts of human memory as well.
For the most part, I would recommend checking out this book if you're a fan of the horror genre. But, be warned that the best spooky stuff is concentrated in the earlier chapters of the book. At some point the book shifts away from straight-up horror to a more standard murder mystery. I would have preferred a little more intense spookiness at the climax of the book, but really, when wouldn't I prefer a little more spookiness?
November 4, 2016
The biggest issue I had with this book was the premise. Here we have Travis Glasgow, a man who to this day feels responsible for his younger brothers death. We also have Adam Glasgow, Travis's older brother, a man he hasn't spoken to in years. And yet, out of the blue and for some unknown reason Adam decides to entice Travis to move to a haunted house (oh he doesn't tell Travis that) where a young boy died in a similar way to his brother. To me this just seems as if Adam is trying to send Travis around the bend and straight to crazy. It's thoughtless, inconsiderate and downright mean. I mean WTF?
And this wasn't so much a ghost story (though there certainly is a ghost), it's more like a murder mystery since Travis spends the entire book researching the "ghost" in his haunted house.
I will say that Malfi definitely has a way with words but it comes across as "trying too hard".
And this wasn't so much a ghost story (though there certainly is a ghost), it's more like a murder mystery since Travis spends the entire book researching the "ghost" in his haunted house.
I will say that Malfi definitely has a way with words but it comes across as "trying too hard".
August 14, 2011
There are some books that leave you breathless. This is one of them. Full review soon...
August 2, 2024
It isn’t often that the writing in a book leaves me breathless when I finish it as this one did. Such a great story with subtle twists and interesting characters. The inner voice of the main character is so well developed that you really feel that you understand him. I can see that others don’t agree with me, to each their own taste, but I found the writing to be exceptional. It may not be the type of horror that reviewers were looking for but it had enough atmosphere for me. I highly recommend this one and will keep reading Malfi’s work.
May 10, 2018
Im zweiten Anlauf stellte sich das Buch als solide Geistergeschichte heraus, die jetzt nicht unbedingt herausragend innovativ war, aber gut geschrieben. Was Nettes für zwischendurch.
Edit. Sehe gerade, dass gerade der Schreibstil vor drei Jahren noch der Auslöser war, das Buch in die Ecke zu pfeffern. Wie man sich doch selbst ändert mit der Zeit...
Edit. Sehe gerade, dass gerade der Schreibstil vor drei Jahren noch der Auslöser war, das Buch in die Ecke zu pfeffern. Wie man sich doch selbst ändert mit der Zeit...
May 5, 2021
Malfi is a great storyteller and this is a very good story. More mystery than thriller and some creepy parts to keep it interesting. If you like Ghost stories I highly recommend this one
October 20, 2014
This was a pretty book that might have/should have been great or close to it. Malfi has certainly got the writing chops to create a massively long finely crafted literary mystery/thriller with slight supernatural undertones. This isn't a straight up horror he's known for, this is more along the lines of Jennifer McMahon's territory. The basic premise was solid enough at first glance but didn't hold up to scrutiny of logic nor was it particularly original. Horror writer moving out to a small rural place becomes obsessed with a death of a young boy that took place in his house the year before. And lack of originality isn't even the main thing here, the book is drastically dramatically overwritten. It tries to be so literary that at times the plot got dragged down to a crawl or collapsed outright under the weight of all the unnecessary words. Last chapter is the best example of this. Logic wise...if your middle brother as a child was indirectly responsible for death of your youngest brother and that is something that has haunted him his entire life, would you find him a place to live in a house where a young boy died in presumably similar way just a year prior. That seems to be the height of thoughtlessness and inconsideration at the very least. The female characters were barely fleshed out, the male characters took the center stage here. There wasn't nearly enough supernatural element to make this a horror novel and nowhere near enough plot twists and surprises to make this a good mystery or justify the length. The fact that despite all that it was absolutely readable and fairly compelling is a huge testament to Malfi's talent as an author, but this is far from his best work. Somewhat disappointing, but a reasonably entertaining read with average plot and above average writing. Just so overdone.
July 6, 2013
Ronald Malfi’s Floating Staircase was nominated for a 2012 Bram Stoker Award in the Best Novel category and for good reason. Ghost stories can be hard to pull off (I mean, they’ve all been told, right?). But somehow, Malfi manages to infuse his story with a tension and air of horror that is all too often missing in lesser novels.
Travis Glasgow is a writer (stories about writers are a sub-genre in themselves it seems) who’s seeking a new start with his wife, Jodie. What better place than Westlake, across the cul-de-sac from his brother. But Glasgow carries a secret—years before, he was responsible for his younger brother’s death. Perhaps it’s appropriate, then, that the home he has bought also has a dark story to tell—that of the son of the previous owners, a young boy who mysteriously disappeared in the lake, never to be found. And now, Glasgow is convinced that the same boy’s spirit haunts the house, seeking justice for his death.
Malfi is a genius when it comes to characterization. There’s really no other way to put it. The man doesn’t write his characters, he somehow brings them into the world. They are as real as you or I, and we live their struggles through Malfi’s books. And that is where the horror comes in. I’ve had more chill bumps from Malfi’s writing than every horror movie I’ve ever seen combined.
Malfi’s “Mourning House� was one of the best pieces of writing I have come across in years. With Floating Staircase, Malfi has officially become my favorite horror writer. I can’t wait to read more.
Travis Glasgow is a writer (stories about writers are a sub-genre in themselves it seems) who’s seeking a new start with his wife, Jodie. What better place than Westlake, across the cul-de-sac from his brother. But Glasgow carries a secret—years before, he was responsible for his younger brother’s death. Perhaps it’s appropriate, then, that the home he has bought also has a dark story to tell—that of the son of the previous owners, a young boy who mysteriously disappeared in the lake, never to be found. And now, Glasgow is convinced that the same boy’s spirit haunts the house, seeking justice for his death.
Malfi is a genius when it comes to characterization. There’s really no other way to put it. The man doesn’t write his characters, he somehow brings them into the world. They are as real as you or I, and we live their struggles through Malfi’s books. And that is where the horror comes in. I’ve had more chill bumps from Malfi’s writing than every horror movie I’ve ever seen combined.
Malfi’s “Mourning House� was one of the best pieces of writing I have come across in years. With Floating Staircase, Malfi has officially become my favorite horror writer. I can’t wait to read more.
March 5, 2012
This is quite a hefty book at almost 500 pages and yet I read this in one sitting. The story just sucks you in from the first few pages and doesn't let you go. I thought that this was more of a murder mystery than a horror novel but it had its moments. At the core of the story is a writer who is still dealing with the death of his younger brother. I think that his personal journey was what interested me most. Loved this one! Can't wait to check out Mr. Malfi's other works.
May 28, 2018
This book was not what I anticipated. It was recommended as a "spine tingling horror novel" but was more of a detective story. The writing was excellent so not a disappointing read by any means, just not what I expected.
January 22, 2015
Floating Staircase
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it had me thinking" what's going to happen next"? This story was creepy throughout and had me on the edge of my seat. Ronald Malfi knows how to weave a creepy story that will remain with you long after you finish!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it had me thinking" what's going to happen next"? This story was creepy throughout and had me on the edge of my seat. Ronald Malfi knows how to weave a creepy story that will remain with you long after you finish!!
August 26, 2019
Another great one by Malfi. If you haven't read this author, you are missing out.
April 2, 2012
Author Travis Glasgow recently completed a novel titled The Ocean Serene, written as Travis’s way of dealing with the death of his brother Kyle, whom he felt he had killed years ago. Thinking he had put his past behind him, he and his wife, Jodie, move to Westlake, Maryland to be closer to his living brother, Adam. However, upon arrival to the house, Travis starts noticing strange happenings. He is hearing noises and seeing strange sights in the basement. What he witnesses makes him believe that Kyle’s spirit has followed him all this way and is trying to tell him something. Then one day Travis notices another oddity; a staircase, floating in the middle of the lake outside their house. As Travis’s confusion and fears increase, he decides to do an investigation of his own, wondering if there is more to the house than just a ghost from his own past. Taking his research skills to the local library, he soon discovers that the previous owners of his new house have something in common with him; they also dealt with the death of a drowning boy in their family. Travis becomes obsessed with finding out as much as he can about the previous owners of his house in order to find out what message the being that has been reaching out to him is trying to get across.
Of all the books I read in 2011, Floating Staircase was at the top of my list! From start to finish I could not put this book down. Having not previously read anything by Ronald Malfi I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised and will definitely be looking up his other reads. I’ve always been a fan of ghost stories and this book is definitely that. In the beginning, Malfi leaves you wondering if maybe Travis Glasgow has gone just a bit crazy over the years due to the blame he had put on himself after his brother’s death. But once he discovers that there is another presence in the house other than what Travis originally thought was his brother’s spirit, things really take off. Mixing elements of both horror and mystery, Malfi has put together a page-turner that, even when finished, leaves you wanting more. Powerful and chilling, Floating Staircase is one ghost story that horror fans should not miss. Highly Recommended!
Contains: Adult Language & Adult Situations
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian dot com
Of all the books I read in 2011, Floating Staircase was at the top of my list! From start to finish I could not put this book down. Having not previously read anything by Ronald Malfi I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised and will definitely be looking up his other reads. I’ve always been a fan of ghost stories and this book is definitely that. In the beginning, Malfi leaves you wondering if maybe Travis Glasgow has gone just a bit crazy over the years due to the blame he had put on himself after his brother’s death. But once he discovers that there is another presence in the house other than what Travis originally thought was his brother’s spirit, things really take off. Mixing elements of both horror and mystery, Malfi has put together a page-turner that, even when finished, leaves you wanting more. Powerful and chilling, Floating Staircase is one ghost story that horror fans should not miss. Highly Recommended!
Contains: Adult Language & Adult Situations
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian dot com
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