First published 2006
Five urban explorers meet at a Jersey shore motel on a frigid October evening. Their target lies nearby: a decaying hotel from Asbury Park's prosperous past. The group has planned their illegal entry carefully, drawn by the thrill of infiltrating forbidden spaces. They believe they understand the risks of trespassing in abandoned buildings. Rotting floors, unstable walls, and security guards represent familiar hazards in their world of urban exploration. But this crumbling hotel holds threats they never anticipated. As the five companions breach the building's defenses and venture into its darkened corridors, they discover that some dangers cannot be planned for or avoided through caution alone. What begins as another night of exploration becomes a test of survival that will push each member to their limits and reveal what they are willing to sacrifice for each other.
Genres: adventure, mystery, horror, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, survival
Setting: Asbury Park, Jersey Shore
Period: October
475 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Pr
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence