Marla, Jonathan Janz
Marla, Jonathan Janz
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Marla

Author: Jonathan Janz

Narrator: Patricia Santomasso, Sean Patrick Hopkins

Unabridged: TBD

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/20/2026

Synopsis

From beloved horror author Jonathan Janz, Marla is a slow-burn, full-throttle horror novel about the families we inherit, the guilt we carry, and the terrible gravity of a gaze you can’t forget. The hardcover edition includes a foiled cover, gorgeous sprayed edges, and an exclusive, never-before-published prequel story.Turn the page—if you dare.Every small town has ghosts. King’s Branch has Marla.A reclusive young woman who lives with her mother in a creepy Gothic house, Marla Gorman is the stuff of urban legends. Some believe she’s a prisoner. Others claim she’s a witch.The evening of the first murder, Detective Carl Lancaster sees Marla leering at him from her bedroom window. He sees her again at the exact moment a second man is killed. And though Marla was nowhere near either murder site, Carl is convinced she’s connected to the crimes.To Carl, Marla is a menace. To social worker Annie Frost, Marla bears a bizarre connection to her past. To Dylan Ellison, a struggling college student, Marla might be the companion for whom he’s been longing.But none of them understands Marla’s true nature. She’s about to plunge them—and everyone in King’s Branch—into an unspeakable nightmare and teach them the true meaning of terror.

About Jonathan Janz

Jonathan Janz is the author of more than a dozen novels and numerous short stories. His novels Children of the Dark and The Dark Game were chosen by both Booklist and Library Journal as Top Ten Horror Books of the Year. Jonathan’s main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter, and you can follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.

About Patricia Santomasso

Patricia Santomasso has always been an avid reader and storyteller. Her love of literature led her to earn a BA in English, and shortly afterward she moved from Connecticut to New York to study theater. She worked for years on stages around the country doing mostly classical plays and Shakespeare. It was there she met her husband, narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins, doing a production of As You Like It. Now she has merged her love of acting and the written word and happily reads stories out loud from the comfort of a booth. To date she has recorded over 150 audiobooks. Patricia's youthful voice and comic timing give heroines a warm relatability, and her surprising dips into baritone make her male characters engaging and believable. Paste Magazine has called her narration style "warm-but-tart," which she agrees is a fitting description. Patricia and Sean have a sweet baby daughter, Lyra Roisin, who isn't much interested in hearing either one of them read to her.

About Sean Patrick Hopkins

A student of neuroscience and speech pathology, Sean Patrick Hopkins has translated his understanding of human behavior and vocal performance into a career in storytelling. His classical training and versatility with dialects has helped to create distinct and varied characters across many genres. In addition to narrating over 100 audiobooks, he has been seen and heard on film, television, video games, and stages in New York City and across the country. When not in the booth, you can find him buried in genealogy research, out exploring our National Parks, and raising an amazing daughter alongside his wife, fellow narrator Patricia Santomasso.

Reviews

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Quotes

“I loved Marla. It’s a novel about fear, about what scares us as individuals, in our hearts, as well as what scares us collectively, in a community. Jonathan Janz is so scary I have to read him during the day.” Caroline Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author of You

“Marla is brutal, eerie, and compelling. Janz has created a work that feels like modern and classic horror all wrapped into one. Just make sure you open the first page early enough in the day, because once you start reading, you’re not going to be able to stop, and you don’t want to be all alone in the dark, late at night, with Marla.” Brian Freeman, New York Times bestselling author of the Jonathan Stride series

“Marla charges hard out of the gate and never stops moving until its final pages. Janz’s tale is propulsive and sometimes gut-wrenching, yet ultimately shot through with a strain of tenderness and heart that I didn’t see coming.” Nick Cutter, author of The Troop

“A profound sense of supernatural creepiness permeates this superb, blood-chilling horror novel from Janz. Fans of Stephen King’s Castle Rock books will be hooked.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Pitch-perfect tension and suspense. This is a real Halloween story that is best enjoyed during the spooky season.” Sadie Hartmann (Mother Horror), Bram Stoker Award–winning author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered

“Jonathan Janz is one of the few horror writers working today who can truly unnerve his readers. Marla is a grippingly suspenseful story, full of brutality, tantalizing mystery, and sacrifice. From the very first sentence, Janz puts us on edge, and it doesn’t let up until the final page, where I was a quivering wreck and struggling for breath. There is an unsettling eeriness that permeates each line, ensuring that every page is bleached in torment and beguiling prose. Marla showcases one of the genre’s most chilling voices. Janz has crafted a nightmare of a book!” Ross Jeffery, Bram Stoker Award–nominated author of Only the Stains Remain

“A dynamic, heartbreaking, heroic, and terrifying horror thriller!…Highly recommended!” Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author, on Veil

“An instantly compelling, instantly unshakable nightmare.” Nat Cassidy, USA Today bestselling author of Mary, on Veil

“Janz is an elite writer…This book was achingly perfect.” Steve Stred, author of Churn the Soil and Mastodon, on Veil

“Marla was limited to five hundred copies in 2022, selling out a month before release and garnering critical acclaim. Ever since, [Janz] has waited for a big publisher to give him and Marla a full chance.” Lafayette Journal & Courier

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