Floating Staircase

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.

"[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)

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