A Black and Endless Sky

One of Tor Nightfire's "Horror Books We're Excited About in 2022"!"Lyons burnishes his reputation as a rising horror star . . . [and] keeps the pages flying with fast-paced chills." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)From the author of The Night Will Find Us comes a white-knuckled horror-thriller set across the American Southwest. Road trips can be hell. Siblings Jonah and Nell Talbot used to be inseparable, but ever since Jonah suddenly blew town twelve years ago, they couldn’t be more distant. Now, in the wake of Jonah’s divorce, they embark on a cross-country road trip back to their hometown of Albuquerque, hoping to mend their broken relationship along the way. But when a strange accident befalls Nell at an abandoned industrial site somewhere in the Nevada desert, she begins experiencing ghastly visions and exhibiting terrifying, otherworldly symptoms. As their journey through the desolate American Southwest reveals the grotesque change happening within his sister, one thing becomes clear to Jonah: It’s not only Nell in there anymore. Pursued by a mysterious stranger who knows far more about Nell’s worsening condition than they let on, the siblings race to find a way to help Nell and escape the desert before they’re met with a violent, bloody end. But there are far worse things lurking in the desert ahead... some of them just beneath the skin.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Lyons burnishes his reputation as a rising horror star with this über-creepy thriller . . . As with the best in the genre, nuanced characterization makes suspending disbelief almost effortless, and Lyons keeps the pages flying with fast-paced chills. Fans of Laird Barron will be especially delighted."

Library Journal

"Atmospheric and terrifying . . . readers won't be able to put [A Black and Endless Sky] down."

Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker– and Shirley Jackson–Award nominee

"In A Black and Endless Sky, Matthew Lyons has written a lush, unsettling, visceral story that is Lovecraftian and uncanny, yet touching and endearing. This is a powerful, immersive experience."

Kathleen Kaufman, author of the Diabhal trilogy, Hag, and The Lairdbalor

"A gripping read filled with tension and terror, the pacing is metered with otherworldly horrors and atmospheric haunts well acquainted with the unique isolation of the desert. A creepy and unsettling tale that gets under your skin and stays there."

prepare to be thrilled, touched, and scared shitless in this sprawling tale you'll wish was as endless as the ominous sky in the title."

"Horror is at its best when hearts are broken alongside the things going bump in the night, and Matthew Lyons' A Black and Endless Sky delivers

Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads and Whispers in the Dark

"A Black and Endless Sky builds tension from the first page, delivers a powerful left hook, then pulls readers into the tumultuous lives of Nell and Jonah. From there it's a well-blended mix of action, noir, horror, and compelling humanity. Matthew Lyons is swiftly establishing himself as a master of gritty, dark noir, with his own brand of clear-eyed, effective character study. A talented author."

Robert Rotstein, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author

"Siblings Jonah and Nell take a terrifying journey that tests the bounds of family, loyalty, and reality. Thought provoking and scary. Read with the lights on!"

Daco Auffenorde, award-winning author of Cover Your Tracks

"An intense, gripping, innovative novel filled with a delicious panoply of horrors. Get ready for a wild, creepy, and high-octane ride."

Shelf Unbound

“Nothing falls short in this eerie tale on redemption, loss and second chances. [Readers] will find themselves on the edge of their seat.”

About the Author

Matthew Lyons is the author of the novel The Night Will Find Us, as well as over three dozen short stories, appearing in the 2018 edition of Best American Short Stories, Tough, and more. Born in Colorado, he lives with his wife and their cat.

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