A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons
Tor Nightfire (August 2024)
Reviewed by Chandra Claypool (Instagram) (TikTok)
Let’s meet Anne Heller. The opening of this book places her in a bank heist gone wrong. She is caught literally in the crossfire. But Anne isn’t quite the killer and instead injures a police officer who she then takes hostage because hey, witnesses and all that. From here we get thrust into a crazy world that starts at her family’s cabin that she decides to hole up in. We soon learn that this abode isn’t quite as deserted as she thought it would be and the presence that also resides there is not to be messed with.
I’ve recently had a fascination with Skinwalkers so was very delighted to have a monster such as one in this compulsive story. The evil entity that stalks about is super creepy and I loved every time it made an appearance. But why the flies — why does evil always come with flies? Creeeeepy!
I came to absolutely love Anne and the police officer she kidnaps. Their dynamic is fun and I was rooting for them the entire time. While some of her, and their, actions may be suspect at times, you needed it to propel the story forward and continue on in this madness. After all, what fun is it if characters always made the right and best decisions?
While some of the storyline can seem vaguely similar to other things that I’ve read, what compelled me is the way the author brings everything to light. A little bit of thriller, a little bit of cult, and a little bit of supernatural, creepy entity. An epilogue that wasn’t needed but also that made me smile inside and out. As a lover of horror and crime fiction, A Mask of Flies hits right into my wheelhouse so it’s no surprise that I loved this read. I had heard of Lyons but had never read his work until now and I will surely be looking into his backlist and anticipating his next release.
