by Blake Crouch
First published 2014
Ethan Burke steps into Wayward Pines expecting a routine investigation. The town looks perfect on the surface. Manicured lawns stretch between pristine houses. Friendly neighbors wave from their porches. But something feels wrong from the start. David Pilcher runs this place like his personal kingdom. Residents follow his rules without question. Nobody leaves town. Nobody asks why they can't. Those who break these simple rules face deadly consequences. Ethan starts digging anyway. He finds cameras watching every street corner. Guards patrol the perimeter. An electrified fence surrounds the entire community. The deeper he looks, the stranger everything becomes. Beyond that fence lies a truth more shocking than Ethan imagined. The revelation will shatter his understanding of reality itself. Time runs short as the full scope of Pilcher's control becomes clear. Ethan must decide whether to accept this twisted paradise or fight for something that might no longer exist.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, mystery, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Idaho, Wayward Pines, United States
285 pages · Paperback · Thomas & Mercer