Synopses & Reviews
It begins like a campfire story: Five boys and a grownup went into the woods...
It ends in madness and murder. And worse...
Once a year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip — a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story and a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite — shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry — Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. An inexplicable horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival that will pit the troop against the elements, the infected… and one another.
Part Lord of the Flies, part 28 Days Later — and all-consuming — this tightly written, edge-of-your-seat thriller will take readers deep into the heart of darkness and close to the edge of sanity.
Review
"The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn’t put it down. This is old-school horror at its best." Stephen King
Review
"Some thrillers produce shivers, others trigger goose bumps; Cutter's graphic offering will have readers jumping out of their skin...intense...packs a powerful punch....Readers may wish to tackle this heart-pounding novel in highly-populated, well-lit areas — snacks optional." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Suspenseful....sinister....horrifying." Library Journal
Synopsis
WINNER OF THE JAMES HERBERT AWARD FOR HORROR WRITING
"The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn't put it down. This is old-school horror at its best." --Stephen King
Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip--a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfire. The boys are a tight-knit crew. There's Kent, one of the most popular kids in school; Ephraim and Max, also well liked and easygoing; then there's Newt the nerd and Shelley the odd duck. For the most part, they all get along and are happy to be there--which makes Scoutmaster Tim's job a little easier. But for some reason, he can't shake the feeling that something strange is in the air this year. Something waiting in the darkness. Something wicked...
It comes to them in the night. An unexpected intruder, stumbling upon their campsite like a wild animal. He is shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry--a man in unspeakable torment who exposes Tim and the boys to something far more frightening than any ghost story. Within his body is a bioengineered nightmare, a horror that spreads faster than fear. One by one, the boys will do things no person could ever imagine.
And so it begins. An agonizing weekend in the wilderness. A harrowing struggle for survival. No possible escape from the elements, the infected...or one another.
Part Lord of the Flies, part 28 Days Later--and all-consuming--this tightly written, edge-of-your-seat thriller takes you deep into the heart of darkness, where fear feeds on sanity...and terror hungers for more.
Synopsis
Lord of the Flies meets
The Ruins in this frightening novel written in the bestselling traditions of Stephen King and Scott Smith.
Boy Scouts live by the motto "Be Prepared." However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.
Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers' doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop's own with a bioengineered horror that's straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended... and eventually each other.
About the Author
Nick Cutter is a pseudonym for an acclaimed author of novels and short stories. He lives in Toronto, Canada.