Typically, when I learn that a writer whose work I am reading is using a pen name, I find myself spending much of my time trying to figure out who it is. This happened when I read Scott Carson’s first novel, THE CHILL. However, that story was so engaging that I quickly became engrossed in it and forgot all about looking for clues to unmask the author.

Well, I don’t have to play that guessing game anymore as it has since been revealed that Scott Carson is crime fiction author Michael Koryta, who has now firmly ensconced himself as a top-notch writer of supernatural thrillers. His second work of horror, WHERE THEY WAIT, is sure to provide many chills and thrills for those wanting to be a bit spooked and unsettled this time of year.

"WHERE THEY WAIT is a story that will infect the dreams of readers and leave them with some unsettling imagery, all of which has been masterfully crafted by a talented author who keeps adding to his already impressive resume."

Nick Bishop is down on his luck. The former war correspondent and newspaper journalist finds himself between jobs and is game for any decent opportunity. His prayers appear to be answered when his old friend, Pat Ryan, offers him five grand for a puff piece to be written about a new mindfulness app called Clarity. It will require Nick to travel from his current residence in Tampa to his hometown in Maine. The trip also will give him a chance to see his mother, who was once a preeminent scholar in the field of memory research and is now ironically suffering the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Upon his arrival, Nick steps into his family home and finds that not much has changed, including his busy-body neighbor, Mr. Beauchamp. This will not be his last reunion. While visiting the offices of Clarity, Nick runs into Renee Holland, his old friend and flame. She’s their COO and accompanies him to his meeting with CEO Bryce Lermond. They explain that Clarity is still in beta testing, but they give him access to the app, which is primarily focused on helping people get to sleep.

Falling asleep has always been an issue for Nick. Even more surprising, he claims to have never dreamt anything and only sees pure blackness. This is all about to change. Not only does Clarity immediately knock him out with a strange and somewhat familiar song sung by a female voice, he swears that he has been visited by a ghostly female figure who seems to be speaking directly to him. She delivers cryptic messages that he will have to work hard to decipher.

Unfortunately for Nick, this will be far from the most alarming experience he will have in Maine. The end result will be a chilling expose of his own past but also a frightening voyage into mind control that threatens his very existence.

WHERE THEY WAIT is a story that will infect the dreams of readers and leave them with some unsettling imagery, all of which has been masterfully crafted by a talented author who keeps adding to his already impressive resume.