When their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and Luke's brother, Mike, seek help in the nearby town of Purity Springs. But as they walk the vacant streets, the teens make some disturbing discoveries. The seemingly deserted homes each contain a sinister book with violent instructions on disciplining children. The graveyard is full of unmarked crosses. Worst of all, there's no way to contact the outside world. When Purity Springs' inhabitants suddenly appear, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of Elijah Hawkins, the town's charismatic leader who has his own plans for the three of them. Their only hope for survival is Elijah's enigmatic son, Joseph. And his game may be just as deadly as his father's...

Praise: "A straight-ahead, cover-your-ears tale of terror that grows more nihilistic and grueling by the page." —BOOKLIST "A suspenseful and sporadically gory thriller." —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "A dark, distrubing story... [Creed] pulls no punches. A fine choice for a teens who crave horror." —SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL