Reviewed by Andrew Glos.

It takes a lot for a horror novel to scare me these days. I mean, really scare me. I mean actually checking the closets and behind the doors when I tuck myself into sleep at night. So I want to start this review with a thank you to Josh Malerman for giving me an acute case of the heebie-jeebies every night this week. 

Mr Malerman’s latest effort, Incidents Around the House, is told from the perspective of 8 year old Bela. Her parents’ marriage is rocky. Their drinking is concerning. She feels lonely at home and doesn’t really have any friends… except for Other Mommy. She comes and plays with Bela during the days, and is there to tuck her into bed at night. Other Mommy also needs Bela… to let her “into her heart”. Every night she asks, and every night Bela feels pressured to say yes, but she’s isn’t sure she wants to and the request makes her feel uncomfortable for some reason. 

This novel is a strong recommend from me. Malerman’s descriptions of Other Mommy – and I’m not lying here – kept me awake at night and made it hard to sleep. She made me wish I didn’t have a closet in my bedroom. (She doesn’t “live in the closet”, but she does “come through it”.) I found Other Mommy totally unnerving. Malerman also nails the perspective and voice of an 8 year old girl. She’s written with a perfect balance of innocence and confusion, mixed with a perceptiveness that only comes with not knowing “how the world is supposed to be”. 

Incidents Around the House is available on Kindle, in print, and on Audible.

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Reviewed by Andrew Glos, horror reviewer and all around good guy. Follow him on Twitter.

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