Daniel Kramer is homebound when he eyes a woman who appears to lose her balance on a train platform. He comes to her aid and is instantly smitten. He attempts to converse with her, but she is primarily standoffish. They part company, the woman determined never to see him again, but fate has a way of intervening. Daniel finds a personal item that belongs to her, and thus he has a way to see her once more. However, there may be a reason why Daniel should avoid this random stranger. Daniel is contacted by a journalist friend who informs him about a young woman who has learned about people living in the underground of New York City. The mystery underneath the “city that never sleeps” and the enigmatic woman he met are possibly related.

The author’s tale is a mystery blended with horror that is at times stark in its brutality. The beginning of the book proves to disarm as Daniel first meets Sarina. The danger lying under the surface first greets Daniel after seeing Sarina when he is mugged. As the story progresses, Sarina is the quintessential femme fatale as peril follows her with nearly every move. Daniel is the reluctant hero, damaged by unimaginable tragedy but possessing a chivalrous streak. He is obsessive about finding answers as to who or what is running amok in subterranean New York City and what Sarina knows. Karn skillfully weaves in elements of action, horror, mystery, and romance in an intense but fun package. The result is an adrenalin-charged novel that will be best read with the lights on.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

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