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Where They Wait

A Novel

LIST PRICE $9.99

About The Book

A “mesmerizing” (Stephen King) supernatural novel about a sinister mindfulness app with fatal consequences from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chill.

In this “taut, creepy techno-chiller” (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts), recently laid-off newspaper reporter Nick Bishop takes a humbling job: writing a profile of a new mindfulness app called Clarity.

The app itself seems like a retread of old ideas—relaxing white noise and guided meditations. But then there are the “Sleep Songs.” A woman’s hauntingly beautiful voice sings a ballad that is anything but soothing—it’s disturbing, and more of a warning than a relaxation—but it works. Deep, refreshing sleep follows.

So do the nightmares. Vivid and chilling, they feature a dead woman who calls Nick by name and whispers guidance—or are they threats? And her voice follows him long after the song is done. As the effects of the nightmares begin to permeate his waking life, Nick makes a terrifying discovery: no one involved with Clarity has any interest in his article. Their interest is in him.

About The Author

Scott Carson is the pen name of Michael Koryta, a New York Times bestselling author whose work has been translated into more than twenty languages, adapted into major motion pictures, and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A former private investigator and reporter, his writing has been praised by Stephen King, Michael Connelly, and Dean Koontz, among many others. Raised in Bloomington, Indiana, he now lives in Indiana and Maine.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (October 26, 2021)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781982104641

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Raves and Reviews

"WHERE THEY WAIT hums with creeping dread and mounting horror. It’s smart and scary, and the final act is like that last downhill plunge on a rollercoaster—terrifying, exhilarating, and unforgettable. I loved every page.”

– Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author of GWENDY'S BUTTON BOX

"Compulsively readable . . . Easy to get hooked and hard to forget . . . Pure horror."

– New York Times Book Review

“Uber-creepy horror thriller . . . Superior prose enhances a craftily twisted plot, which sticks its landing. Peter Straub fans will hope for more from Carson.”

– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Horror knows no bounds in this supernatural thriller about a new mindfulness app, behind which lurks something much more sinister.”

– Newsweek

"Readers will be terrified."

– Booklist (starred review)

"You can't put it down. Mesmerizing."

– Stephen King

"You should read this book."

– Goodreads

"A creepy horror novel that goes places I didn’t expect, WHERE THEY WAIT is eerie and unsettling and made me side eye my mindfulness apps."

– The Library Ladies

"If you’ve ever suspected that your relaxation app was secretly trying to kill you, this is the book for you."

– New York Post

"Eerie and intriguing."

– Buzzfeed

"WHERE THEY WAIT is a tense and haunting page-turner, with crisp prose, wonderful characterisation and a cool modern twist on the ghost story. Compulsive reading."

– Ginger Nuts of Horror

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More books from this author: Scott Carson