Part of Pendergast, book 5
First published 2005
Art critic Jeremy Grove lies dead in his barricaded room, face twisted in absolute terror. His body burns with impossible heat while the stench of sulfur fills the air. A claw mark scorches the wall nearby. FBI Agent Pendergast arrives to investigate what defies rational explanation. More victims appear across the city, each dying in identical circumstances that point toward supernatural forces. Police Officer Vincent D'Agosta joins Pendergast as panic spreads through the public. People whisper that Satan himself walks among them, claiming souls according to some ancient contract. The investigation pulls Pendergast into a web of occult mysteries and deadly encounters. Each clue leads deeper into territory where science meets the inexplicable. As bodies accumulate and fear grips the city, Pendergast must determine whether true evil has emerged from hell itself or whether human cunning hides behind these seemingly demonic murders.
Genres: mystery, crime, horror, supernatural, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, inexplicable-deaths, supernatural-mystery
Setting: City
Period: Contemporary
740 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Warner Books
Content warnings: death, gore, graphic-violence