Stephen—an official who works for an entity known only as “the bureau”—arrives one night at the gates of Hurst to investigate a mysterious death. He is not welcome in this secluded, cult-like sanctuary, which long ago cut itself off from society. To get inside, he must enlist the help of a reluctant deputy, and together this odd couple probes a deepening mystery. The situation grows more and more perilous and Stephen must find what he is looking for before the residents of Hurst uncover the truth about him. Here is a story that defies the boundaries of genre—a Blade Runner-meets-Edgar Allan Poe thriller—and will keep you guessing until its startling conclusion. Benjamin Percy is the author of three novels—most recently, The Dead Lands (Grand Central/Hachette, 2015)—as well as two books of short stories. He writes the Green Arrow Series for DC Comics and is a contributing editor at Esquire magazine.