Summary

From bestselling author Dean Koontz comes an eBook original novella, the first of two tales that pave the way for Ashley Bell, his new novel of dark suspense! A woman with a good heart and a troubling gift. A man with a twisted soul and a terrifying talent. In this literal war of wills, only one can survive.

With just a touch, Makani Hisoka-O'Brien can see the deepest secrets that others conceal--and it frightens her. There's danger in the terrible knowledge that floods her mind and haunts her conscience.

With just a touch, Rainer Sparks can learn the biggest problems that others bear--and it thrills him. There's profit to be made making problems go away, by any means . . . including murder.

In a place as big as Southern California, these two might have never met and discovered one another's chilling abilities. But good and evil have a way of colliding . . . with shattering consequences.

Acclaim for Dean Koontz

"Dean Koontz is a prose stylist whose lyricism heightens malevolence and tension. [He creates] characters of unusual richness and depth . . . with a level of perception and sensitivity that is not merely convincing; it's astonishing." --The Seattle Times

"Demanding much of itself, Koontz's style bleaches out clichés while showing a genius for details. He leaves his competitors buried in the dust." --Kirkus Reviews

"A rarity among bestselling writers, Koontz continues to pursue new ways of telling stories, never content with repeating himself." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"Tumbling, hallucinogenic prose. 'Serious' writers . . . might do well to examine his technique." -- The New York Times Book Review

"[Koontz] has always had near-Dickensian powers of description, and an ability to yank us from one page to the next that few novelists can match." --Los Angeles Times

"Koontz is a superb plotter and wordsmith. He chronicles the hopes and fears of our time in broad strokes and fine detail, using popular fiction to explore the human condition." -- USA Today

"Characters and the search for meaning, exquisitely crafted, are the soul of [Koontz's] work. . . . One of the master storytellers of this or any age." -- The Tampa Tribune

"A literary juggler." -- The Times (London)