There were warning signs that independent journalist Katelyn "KT" Thorsen’s day was not going to proceed as planned. The failure of her source to show up for a scheduled meeting was frustrating, and the intimidating note sent to her home warning her to halt an investigation was almost standard.

However, a sense of disquietude haunts KT's mind until the moment a masked and armed individual appears and confirms her worst fears. Her feelings of dread are allayed by a mystery man who thwarts the attempted homicide. The stranger’s name is Peter Ash, and life-saving missions are his metier.

Peter had been alerted to a possible threat to KT’s life from June Cassidy, his girlfriend and KT’s friend. He is adept at handling crises; his time in the Marine Corps has provided a wealth of experience in keeping a level head under fire. Peter takes KT and her daughter, Ellie, under his protection, yet the persistence of those looking to deter KT’s work is inexhaustible.

"...a home run from the onset.... THE DARK TIME is an exhilarating thriller with a gripping plot, tense action sequences, and a chillingly authentic villain."

An assault on their motel room leaves KT dead, and soon Peter and Ellie are on the run. Having little to no faith in local law enforcement, Peter reaches out to his Marine platoon brothers to help acquire the necessary resources to survive, along with a temporary safe place for Ellie to stay. Peter feels a responsibility for her and believes he failed her by not protecting her mother.

In addition to finding Ellie a shelter from the chaos, Peter must learn the motive for KT’s murder. An audio cassette tape found while searching her basement yields a cryptic and foreboding message. The speaker, known simply as “The Messenger,” warns of troubled times ahead. Peter can glean information through intimidation, whereas June is a polished journalist who can access leads through charm and guile…or at least a functioning internet connection. The pair learn that KT was looking into the message, as well as the practices of “The Messenger” and his flock, which involved communication through encrypted apps, the stockpiling of firearms, and the acquisition of a large acreage of land in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

As Peter and June look to get to the bottom of the mystery that ended KT’s life, they are being covertly surveilled by a member of the movement. The Messenger has a plan meant to usher in “The Dark Time,” and interlopers are viewed unkindly. Peter, June, Ellie and those closest to them are in danger from a group of people determined to carry out the apocalypse.

This ninth installment in Nick Petrie’s series is a home run from the onset. It pits our lionhearted protagonist against a formidable foe, a doomsday cult headed by a magnetic leader who commands a devoted and militant following. Peter Ash is a soldier through and through who carries the burden of those he has lost, both on and off the battlefield. Despite his anger over KT’s death, he assumes the role of protector in keeping Ellie safe and commits himself to this mission wholeheartedly.

THE DARK TIME is an exhilarating thriller with a gripping plot, tense action sequences, and a chillingly authentic villain. Petrie continues to bang out unputdownable and memorable novels, and I already am looking forward to book #10.