by Dean Koontz
First published 1998
Christopher Snow cannot leave his house during the day. The 28-year-old suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, a genetic condition that makes any light exposure potentially fatal. He has spent his entire life navigating Moonlight Bay, California after sunset. Now his parents are dead under suspicious circumstances, and mysterious figures want him to stop investigating their deaths. They threaten to kill everyone he cares about: Orson, his unusually intelligent dog who drinks beer; Bobby, his surfing companion; and Sasha, his girlfriend who works as a late-night radio DJ. Snow must uncover the truth while staying hidden in his own hometown. He discovers that a genetic engineering laboratory has created dangerous experiments, including mutant rhesus monkeys that hunt him through the streets. Some townspeople are changing into something monstrous. Snow fights to protect his loved ones and solve the mystery of his parents' deaths, all while the sun remains his greatest enemy.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, mystery, horror, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, mystery
Setting: Moonlight Bay, California
Period: Nighttime
12 pages · Audio Cassette · Random House Audio
Content warnings: body-horror, graphic-violence, medical-trauma