by Dan Wells
First published 2012
John Wayne Cleaver thought killing the demon would end the murders in his small town. He was wrong. The creature he destroyed with fangs and claws had friends, and now another monster has arrived in Clayton County seeking answers about the disappearance. Fresh bodies arrive at the mortuary where John works, each one a new piece of a deadly puzzle he must solve. But something has changed since his first kill. The violent alter ego John calls Mr. Monster, the dark side he unleashed to defeat the previous threat, now seems to be taking control. John tasted death and found he liked it. As new victims pile up and the demon closes in, John struggles with a terrifying question: is he still the hunter, or has he become the hunted? Everyone in Clayton remains in danger until John can determine whether he can control the monster within himself long enough to stop the monster stalking his town.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Clayton County
320 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Tor Books
Content warnings: gore, violence