My Lovely Dark Summer

by Tom Connelly

It lives in the rocks.

They call it the Blaze, an eerie stretch of scorched earth on the outskirts of Fordington, a quiet town tucked away in upstate New York.

Once slated to become a thriving neighborhood in the early 1970s, the development was abruptly abandoned after a fire—violent and unexplained—reduced much of the land to ash.

Now, twenty years later, fifteen-year-old Laura Gibbons has just moved from Los Angeles to Fordington, only to stumble across a cryptic clue about what really happened at the Blaze.

With the help of her new friends, Melvin and Siobhan, Laura sets out to explore the deserted site. But what they uncover near a jagged ridge and a fallen pine tree is no mere relic of the past, it’s something alive. Something waiting.

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2026

About the author

Tom Connelly is the author of The Mansion, Zworsky's Children, Charlie One, and Flight Unknown. He grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley and played drums and guitar in several underground bands in the 1990s. He was one of the founding members of ALL OUT WAR.

He also published two academic books, Cinema of Confinement (Northwestern University Press) and Capturing Digital Media (Bloomsbury) as Thomas J. Connelly.


https://www.tomconnellyfiction.com
Facebook: @tomconnellyauthor
X: @ivyscobie
Instagram: @tconnelly11

Reviews

[Paige Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Lovely Dark Summer captures the irresistible appeal of small town supernatural horror. Tom Connelly crafts an atmosphere thick with mystery, where abandoned places and buried secrets feel genuinely unsettling.
The Blaze itself is a brilliantly conceived setting, equal parts local legend and waking nightmare. Its scorched history and eerie isolation create the perfect backdrop for a story about curiosity, friendship, and the dangers of uncovering what was meant to stay hidden.
Laura, Melvin, and Siobhan bring heart and authenticity to the narrative, grounding the supernatural elements in relatable youthful determination. For readers who enjoy atmospheric horror, eerie mysteries, and stories where the past refuses to remain buried, this promises to be a captivating read.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to write. It is a period of time I enjoyed so much. 1994! Come and join, Laura, Mel and Siobhan on their adventure.

[Mrs. C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Gen X adventure! Enjoyed the small town feel and characters. Some truly scary moments. I really loved it.