I Believe in Mister Bones by Max Booth III– Book Review

I’m going to go on record as saying that I Believe in Mister Bones is my favorite horror novel of 2024. Why? The laughs, man! I needed the laughs!

The laughs, the feels, and the vibe… (No, I’m not trying to sound cool; I just am)… I Believe in Mister Bones has it all. In these pages, Max Booth III has created an original monster that still feels familiar, somehow. Exciting and new, yet cozy.

The plot centers around a married couple who run an indie horror press, Daniel and Eileen, whose lives spiral out of control when Daniel encounters a curse by reading a submission sent to their publishing inbox, pasted in the body of an email with no contact info included. Even I was thinking, Why is he bothering to read that? But there’s something so alluring about Mister Bones.

The email tells the story of a monster who steals your skeleton, bone by bone, while you sleep. Those are some pretty tasty creepypasta ingredients, huh? Instantly, Daniel becomes obsessed and desperate for answers. Who sent the email? What does it mean? Why can’t he stop thinking about it? And why does he feel so strange, like he’s coming down with something?

I’ve been in love with books and literature my entire life. So, naturally, I enjoyed the fact that the main characters are publishers. The text is chock-full of fun references to the indie horror community. Easter eggs to gobble up. But I think no matter who is sitting down to read I Believe in Mister Bones, they’re going to feel connected and involved. Max Booth III is just a good writer like that.

Warning. You might laugh at unexpected times, like when Daniel cracks a joke that no one acknowledges, so he just thinks to himself, What if I killed myself right now? An overreaction I can relate to, for sure. Even the username of the mysterious manuscript sender, Augustskeef, made me laugh. Augustskeef? Like, why does that sound so funny?

There is a scene in which Daniel and Eileen visit a crackpot doctor for the numbness and loss of taste Daniel has been experiencing since encountering the curse, and I don’t even know what to tell you about that scene. You just have to read it yourself. I’ve never laughed so hard over someone eating pie in my life.

I like that there is a POV shift in the novel. I like that there is diversity. I like that underneath all the madness, there is heart. Maybe I should be saying my favorite horror novel to come out in 2024 was The One That Everyone Talks About by Big F. Deal, but for me, it was I Believe in Mister Bones by Max Booth III.

You can grab a signed copy at the Ghoulish bookstore here: https://ghoulish.rip/product/i-believe-in-mister-bones-signed/

Or just a regular old copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Mister-Bones-Max-Booth-ebook/dp/B0DJ52NPZD

-Book review by Lindsey Goddard