Synopsis:
Life is no bowl of cherries for the Smiths. Matt is a selfish prick with a drinking problem, and his long-suffering wife has fallen foul of a most unsavoury guest. As merry hell begins to break loose and it becomes clear that her life is in mortal danger, Matt finds himself dealing with more than one demon. The question is, will he finally prove man enough to rise to the occasion?
Book number two in the Hartmouth Horrors series of standalone novellas, this dark little tale crackles with irreverent nastiness.
Review:
What begins as a slice of domestic dysfunction quickly unravels into a nightmare. Matt, the alcoholic husband, and Mia, his self-absorbed wife, are two deeply flawed people circling the drain, and their downfall makes for compulsive reading.
This tale reminded me of Come Closer or The Haunting of Sheila Lee, both of which contain creeping dread, loads of suspense and questions, and an untrustworthy protagonist.
Miklaszewicz’s prose is distinctly British: natural, flowy, and cheeky in all the right places. It’s the kind of writing that makes you smirk one moment and cringe the next. The tone is irreverent, the dialogue precise, and even in the most grotesque moments, there’s a rhythm that keeps you hooked.
The chapters were short and snappy with no dull moments. Not only is this an obvious and outward horror, but the rot at the heart of marriage is a focus here, too. Jan does a fantastic job at getting the reader settled into an average, everyday home just to infiltrate it with evil and turn everything on its head.
The story itself is disturbing in the best way. What I appreciated most was how The Devil in Mia never pretends to be anything other than what it is: a dark, nasty little tale with bite. It’s grotesque, funny, tragic, and unnervingly human. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely for readers who enjoy their horror laced with wit and decay.
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