Floating Staircase [Paperback]

Ronald Malfi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2011

Following the success of his latest novel, Travis Glasgow and his wife Jodie buy their first house in the seemingly idyllic western Maryland town of Westlake. At first, everything is picture perfect—from the beautiful lake behind the house to the rebirth of the friendship between Travis and his brother, Adam, who lives nearby. Travis also begins to overcome the darkness of his childhood and the guilt he’s harbored since his younger brother’s death—a tragic drowning veiled in mystery that has plagued Travis since he was 13. Soon, though, the new house begins to lose its allure. Strange noises wake Travis at night, and his dreams are plagued by ghosts. Barely glimpsed shapes flit through the darkened hallways, but strangest of all is the bizarre set of wooden stairs that rises cryptically out of the lake behind the house. Travis becomes drawn to the structure, but the more he investigates, the more he uncovers the house’s violent and tragic past, and the more he learns that some secrets cannot be buried forever.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Ronald Malfi] 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." —Chicago Center for Literature and Photography (March 1, 2011)

"Part classic haunting and part fast-paced thriller."  —Adrienne Jones, author, Brine

"Malfi's ability to successfully judge two parallel plots (slowly revealing Travis's brother's death as Travis learns more about Elijah's) while also capturing the complex nature of his protagonist's tumultuous relationship with his family, results in a thoughtful, multilayered tale." —Jessa Sobczuk, Rue Morgue (November 2011)

"Malfi's use of language and his power of description are sublime."  —Fear Zone

"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!" —Monster Librarian (March 2012)

"Malfi's lyrical prose and sensitive approach only heighten his tale's emotional impact, and the final turn of events is both surprising and expertly set up." —Publishers Weekly (August 1, 2011)

"Shamrock Alley (2009) was a fine crime thriller, The Ascent (2010) was a compelling story of self-redemption, and this is a clever, emotionally resonant foray into horror." —David Pitt, Booklist (August 2011)

"Floating Staircase deserves to stand alongside a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz—at their best. Floating Staircase is a mature horror yarn, but deep down it is also an exploration of obsessions and in particular the obsession it takes to be a writer." —A. J. Kirby, New York Journal of Books (September 2011)

About the Author

Ronald Malfi is the author of The Ascent, The Fall of Never, The Nature of Monsters, Shamrock Alley, and Via Dolorosa. He lives in Arnold, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Medallion Press (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605424366
• ISBN-13: 978-1605424361
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1.5 x 5.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #295,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ronald Malfi is the award-winning author of the novels Floating Staircase, Snow, The Ascent, and several others. Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres. He currently lives along the Chesapeake Bay where he is at work on his next book.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointment April 26, 2012

By Laurie A. Brown VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

While billed as a ghost story, `Floating Staircase' is more of a detective story. There seems to be a ghost- there may even be two of them- the psychological ghosts of the past are every bit as strong a force as it is.

Travis Glasgow has just moved to a very small town where his older brother lives. He and his wife love the old house, but as soon as they move in strange things start to happen. A tiny, hidden room in the basement is found. Unexplainable noises come from the dark. Things are moved around when no one is touching them. It turns out a young boy died on the property, and the more Travis finds out, the more he thinks that it wasn't an accident, and he sets out to prove it, or, really, becomes obsessed with figuring it out. This puts a strain on his marriage, his relationship with his brother, and calls into question his mental state, since his own younger brother died as a boy.

Is the ghost of the young boy trying to get Travis to solve a crime? Or is Travis's long held guilt feelings over his brother's death taking over his mind? It's hard to tell; we're kept guessing up to the end of the story.

Pretty much every reviewer has rated this book very highly, but while it's a *good* book, I didn't find it as outstanding as others did. The creepy aspects were largely played down while the detective aspects took over. The plot dragged; while there were always things happening, they were almost all low key; there was a constant feeling of tension but no ups and downs to break it up. This made it seem flat. The attempt to sustain constant tension might have worked in a shorter story, but at nearly 500 pages it's just doesn't work. The characters were never developed very well, and after awhile I quit caring.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Want To Trip On This Staircase August 30, 2011

By T.T. Zuma

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

While Malfi is fond of using snow as a backdrop in his novels, he's always done so with great effect. Floating Staircase takes place for the most part in the dead of winter, and though the snow isn't presented as a major character in Floating Staircase as it had been in Snow and Ascent, it is a great metaphor for the chilling feeling of isolation the main character in Floating Staircase experiences in his quest to solve the mystery of a young child's drowning.

Floating Staircase is the story of a novelist who had lost his younger brother, partially due to his fault, in a drowning accident when they were kids. The novelist, Travis Glasgow, moves from London to N.Y. with his wife into a new house in upstate N.Y. to be next to his older brother. When strange occurrences in the new house bring back memories of his younger brother, Travis begins to investigate the background of the house and discovers that a child had died on the property years before. The child had drowned in the lake bordering his home.

Floating Staircase is a departure for Malfi, while there are scenes of action in the novel, the chills and frights come from the confrontational scenes between characters and heavy atmosphere. Malfi does an outstanding job at raising the hackles on our neck the old fashioned way, with suspense and introspective fear. His characterization is top notch; we feel Travis's doubts, his guilt, and his terror as our own.

Ronald Malfi is becoming a master at creating horror laden long fiction, and Floating Staircase is one more reason he is going to be considered one of the greats of this genre in just a short time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Read March 8, 2013

By Brett Talley

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

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 "The 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.