BOOK 1. Corruption and violence built Middleville, a dystopian Midwest city. Godrick Jasper floats along between jobs and unemployment, and it's harder to keep the roof over both their heads. His decision to join a bank robbery seems the easiest way to get a little ahead. He didn't expect to be double-crossed and left behind to take the fall.Conflicting legacies between Godrick's father and grandfather create a curse that snatches control of his destiny. The curse drags him through harrowing events with seemingly no regard for his own safety, especially against the rivaling attention of two serial killers. As bodies begin to fall all around him, Godrick must fight and outwit both murderers to save his life and the life of the woman he loves.