From a new star in horror fiction comes a terrifying novel of obsession, greed, and the shocking actions we’ll take to protect those we love, all set in a small town filled with dark secrets.

"Marino has a good eye for genuinely disturbing imagery. This novel hums with a terrifying momentum." — Kirkus

The Larkin siblings are known around the small town of Wofford Falls. Both are artists, but Peter Larkin, Lark to his friends, is the hometown hero. The one who went to the big city and got famous, then came back and settled down. He’s the kind of guy who becomes fast friends with almost anyone. His sister Betsy on the other hand is more… eccentric. She keeps to herself.

When Lark goes to deliver one of his latest pieces to a fabulously rich buyer, it seems like a regular transaction. Even being met at the gate of the sprawling, secluded estate by an intimidating security guard seems normal. Until the guard plays him a live feed: Betsy being abducted in real time.

Lark is informed that she’s safe for now, but her well‑being is entirely in his hands. He's given a book. Do what the book says, and Betsy will go free.

It seems simple enough. But as Lark begins to read he realizes: the book might be demonic. Its writer may be unhinged. His sister's captors are almost certainly not what they seem. And his town and those within it are... changing.

And the only way out is through.

"Marino draws readers in quickly, creating sympathy for the characters, unveiling the necessary details to immerse them in a world of art, siblings, deadly intrigue, and a centuries-long nefarious quest. Dread is present from the start, but it quickly escalates into a disorienting cosmic terror that touches everyone." — Booklist

"Marino offers horrors both existential and visceral." — M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

"Dark and fascinating . . . Not quite like anything I've ever read before. A strange, compelling, late-night page-turner. It kept me reading way past my bedtime." —T. Kingfisher, author of The Hollow Places, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

Also by Andy Marino:
The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

Title: It Rides a Pale Horse

Author: Andy Marino

Genre: Horror / Fiction / Fantasy

Paperback: 368 pages

Publication Date: 10/04/2022

Publisher: Redhook

Language: English

ISBN: 9780316629522

GOODREADS

My Review

It Rides a Pale Horse is a mind-bender par excellence. If you enjoy art tied in with a mystery this might be your next read. This book was everything I didn’t expect but perfectly twisty and smart.

Wofford Falls is a small town with a tight-knit community. This comes across right away in the way the dialogue goes between the characters. Everyone knows everyone and everyone and every business that’s happening with their fellow neighbors.

We meet Peter Larkin, a well-known sculptor on his rounds in town. He is offered a large sum for one of his pieces with instructions to deliver it to this estate outside of town to a rich buyer. Everything looks promising for this transaction.

Peter has a sister, also a very talented artist, and we meet her on Peter’s birthday in her studio in the basement of his home. She is a recluse, and in snippets of thoughts, we learn that there is a history with the siblings' parents, mainly their father.

When Peter delivers the art piece, he is shown images of the capture and abduction of his sister via the art buyer. The ransom: to create a stature to the liking of something told in a book. Baffled and upset, Peter thinks on how to follow the clues given in the book. There is no clear path to what the end result will be, but it is the key to something much greater than anyone could have imagined.

Here is where the story begins to switch between the POVs of Peter and the captors. These parts hone in some ominous tales, a horrific sideline story, and more lore on the book. Not only are Peter and his sister watched at every step, but things also begin to change around town. So do a few other key characters like Peter’s best friend and his art agent, their memories, perceptions, places, and timelines. This is where the mindbending comes in!

As Peter tries to think to rescue his sister, while creating this master art piece, his birthday gift all of a sudden seems to play in too. Was this a premonition or a planned derailment?

It Rides a Pale Horse reads mainly as a speculative fiction novel. It is really interesting in terms of the magical realism created because it happens to have a layered system of dimensions through art. This was very unique and grotesque in places. Let’s just say, the sculpture had once living parts, etc.

Light on horror, a twist on macabre, and a fast-paced plot make this a notable, one-of-a-kind story I’d recommend to someone who enjoys art and contemporary fiction.

Happy Reading!

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

All opinions are my own.

Thank you!