You Can't Just Leave

By: John Mulhall

Narrated by: Maria Marquis

Mandy Holloway never expected to return to her crumbling childhood home on Stillwater Lane, a place haunted by painful memories of neglect, betrayal, and long-buried secrets. But with her family on the brink of financial collapse, she finds herself with no other options. Now, back in the decaying house she once swore to leave behind, Amanda confronts the specters of her past, and something far darker that lurks within the shadows.

The past demands a reckoning, and Mandy will soon realize…you can’t just leave.

CONTENT WARNINGS: SA, DV, Abuse, Addiction, Animal Cruelty, Slurs

©2025 John Mulhall (P)2025 John Mulhall

Atmospheric, eerie and moving

John Mulhall nails the Southern Gothic form with this deeply moving, at times very eerie, yet page turning story of how trauma lingers emotionally and physically. His portrayal of Mandy's trauma is very believable, and gutting, but he never delivers more than the reader can bear. It's an incredible variation on the Gothic form, where the ghosts that haunt us are often still on our heels until we find the courage to face them down.

Maria Marquis' narration is pitch perfect--I could have listened to another 12 hours of her nuanced, emotional embodiment of the many characters across ages and genders.