BRAM STOKER AWARD WINNER âĒ The acclaimed thriller of supernatural horror from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Story, Koko, and The Talisman.
âGhastly, hide-your-eyes horror; when Peter Straub turns on all jets, no one in the scream factory can equal him.ââStephen King
Â
BRITISH FANTASY AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST NOVEL
Every year on his birthday, Ned Dunstan has a paralyzing seizure in which he is forced to witness scenes of ruthless slaughter perpetrated by a mysterious figure in black whom he calls Mr. X.
Â
Now, with his birthday fast approaching, Ned has been drawn back to his hometown of Edgerton, Illinois, by a premonition that his mother is dying. On her deathbed, she imparts to him the name of his long-absent father and warns him that he is in grave danger. Despite her foreboding, he embarks on a search through Edgertonâs past for the truth behind his own identity and that of his entirely fantastic family.
Â
But when Ned becomes the lead suspect in three violent deaths, he begins to realize that he is not the only one who has come home. . . .