It Rides a Pale Horse - by Andy Marino (Paperback)

About the Book

"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"--

Book Synopsis

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.

"If you like Grady Hendrix's novels, Clive Barker, or just a dash of Lovecraftian horror, you're going to love this one." - San Francisco Book Review

Peter Larkin -- Lark to his friends -- is a local hero in the small town of Wofford Falls. The one who went to the big city, found fame in the art world, then returned home to settle down. He's the kind of guy who becomes fast friends with almost anyone. His sister, Betsy, is talented as well. And eccentric. Unlike Lark, she keeps to herself.

When Lark meets with a fabulously rich client, 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.

"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

Review Quotes

"It Rides a Pale Horse is a bizarre thrill ride from beginning to end. Captivatingly surreal."--San Francisco Book Review

"A visceral, disturbing story about the power of art and ritual."--Paste Magazine

"Marino is very willing to plumb the depths of human discomfort and nihilistic despair, revealing disturbing images that sear into the brain while showing how art, and sibling bonds, can both create and destroy."--Library Journal

"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. Booktalk it to readers as The Twisted Ones, by T. Kingfisher meets Slade House, by David Mitchell with a touch of Lovecraft Country, by Matt Ruff."--Booklist

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

"Admirers of the works of Tana French, Megan Abbott, and Zoje Stage will devour this book."--Booklist on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

"Andy Marino's The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess is a gripping portrait of addiction and an innovative take on demonic possession, delivering a shocking ending and powerful themes of how love heals but can also be corrupted."--Craig DiLouie, author of The Children of Red Peak, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

"Equal parts surreal and hyper-real, darkly hypnotic. Marino puts his main character's throbbing heart on full display and we are swept along on the dark journey into waters both mystical and terrifying. With every new revelation, the dread just mounts and mounts to the mind-shattering conclusion."--David Wellington, author of The Last Astronaut, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

"Marino does an impressive job writing tender and heartbreaking moments without sacrificing the brutal tone that drives the story. Absolutely devastating."--Publishers Weekly on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

"Marino offers horrors both existential and visceral. From a stunning opening, the sense of dread just builds and builds."--M. R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts, on The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess

"Odd and 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

About the Author

Andy Marino was born in upstate New York, spent half his life in New York City, and now lives in the Hudson Valley. He works as a freelance writer.