In the small village of Hawkins Hollow, three best friends who share the same birthday sneak off into the woods for a sleepover the evening before turning 10. But a night of celebration turns into a night of horror as their blood brother oath unleashes a three-hundred-year-old curse.Twenty-one years later, Cal Hawkins and his friends have seen their town plagued by a week of unexplainable evil events two more times - every seven years. Quinn is a well known investigative journalist, and despite Cal's protests, she insists on delving into the mystery. But when the first signs of evil appear months early, it's not only the town Cal has to protect, but also his heart.

Review

"After three boys accidentally awaken an ancient evil near their small Maryland town, the tight-knit community finds itself lost to a Stephen King-style plague of madness and destruction for a week every seven years. Twenty-one years later, those three boys, now grown, are hoping to find a way to stop the evil before its third return, which may mean the end of the town; they don't know much about the "anomalies," but they do know that "[e]very time it gets stronger." This time, the town is graced by author Quinn Black, eager to document the paranormal mystery. When two more women arrive-one an associate of Quinn's, the other led to town by strange visions-the circle of six decide to face the oncoming apocalypse together. Hyperprolific bestseller Roberts frontloads her story with drama and endearing characters (especially in Quinn and bowling alley owner Caleb Hawkins), but an abundance of exposition and domestic concerns (protagonists decorate a house, trade banter and pair off predictably) slow the plot significantly. Though future volumes are sure to pick up, this trilogy kickoff suffers from a dearth of twists and little payoff; fans of the brisk, colorful Roberts style will enjoy the ride, though probably not as much as they'd expect." Publishers Weekly

Author Biography

Nora Roberts is the author of more than one hundred New York Times bestsellers, with more than 300 million copies of her books in print. Under the pen name J. D. Robb, she is author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series. Visit her website at www.noraroberts.com.