The Darkening » (Reissue)

Chandler McGrew lives in Bethel, Maine, and has four women in his life—Rene, Keni, Mandi, and Charli—all of whom wish it to be known that he is either their husband or their father. Chandler is proud to hold the rank of Shodan in Kyokushin Karate, and is now studying Aikido. He is also the author of Cold Heart and Night Terror, and is currently at work on his fourth book for Bantam Dell. Chandler can be reached at his author website, www.chandlermcgrew.com.

IT BEGINS WITH A BLACKOUT.

All electrical power ceases to run. Even the sun seems a little dimmer. Cities come to a halt. And then their inhabitants vanish.

But a small, clandestine group of warriors has been preparing for this moment for centuries. Their hopes rest on two strangers, a thousand miles apart, who hold the keys to the world’s salvation: Dylan Barnes, a martial arts instructor who teaches his students the art of inner balance but is plagued by shadows only he can see and voices muttering in a language only he can hear; and Lucy Devereau, a private investigator who earns a living by prying into the lives of others but is haunted by her own birthright–and the mystery of her true parents.

The world around them–our world–is slipping into darkness. Now, as fate and blood push them to the front lines of an extraordinary battle, Lucy and Dylan must stare into the face of something ancient, something impossible, something that has come to blot out the light–forever.

Publishers Weekly

McGrew's creative, addictive novel is one part Rapture drama, one part Lovecraftian horror story and one part blood-soaked chase. Two years after the death of his wife, karate instructor Dylan Barnes begins hearing voices in his house; shortly thereafter, two policemen arrive to tell him that his wife's coffin has been exhumed and stolen. Dylan senses there's something strange about the policemen, and his suspicion is confirmed when an enigmatic killer named Crank, who works for the ancient secret society Rex Deus, arrives to rescue him from the increasingly menacing officers. Meanwhile, two mysterious agents rescue private detective Lucy Devereau, whose lineage clearly contains some enormous secret. Before long, electricity fails, people begin disappearing and the protagonists find themselves in a George Romero-flavored nightmare with just enough gore to delight horror readers, and just enough quasi-religious apocalypse imagery to keep everyone else hooked. "Mysterious" is a good word to describe this book, which reveals its secrets slowly and in small increments. But McGrew (Night Terror) keeps the pacing brisk and eschews overly florid prose, making this a thrilling one-sit read, right down to its explosive, delightfully hokey finale. Agent, Irene Kraas. (June 29) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.