In the year 2035, crisis response planning for catastrophic events is in high demand as the world faces a constant stream of threats, violence, and disasters. Nick Ritter is a top dollar crisis consultant, “your one-stop-shop for high-end apocalypse insurance.” When a deadly virus starts spreading in Boston, he decides it's time to flee to New Zealand, where he has been preparing to retire to a ranch outfitted for any survival scenario. But as he begins his own extraction, his escape becomes crowded with a small group of followers he picks up on the route out of town. He also uncovers the sinister plot behind the virus outbreak and is faced with monumental decisions to save himself at all costs or protect his newfound friends and save humanity from extinction.

Brimming with high-octane action sequences of survival, this story explores a world shredded by chaos and the “doom boom” that hurls disasters that the rich believe they can outmaneuver with enough money and with the right planning and preparation. Ritter’s expertise is fascinating as he lays out the process of crisis response planning. His insight is more than just insider knowledge. He applies it in realistic situations that are cinematic and riveting. The descriptive details and plot pacing combine to generate a frenetic energy of tension and tumult. Beneath the action-packed survivalist story lies a deeper story of friendship and found family. Knight also masterfully conveys the complexity of the lone survivor ideal and the value of community in the face of an unimaginable crisis. Knight’s well-designed villain is deviously entertaining as he espouses conspiracies, opinions, and analysis about the state of the world as well as humanity’s flaws and skewed trajectory. Thriller fans may find this fast-paced novel checks all the right boxes.

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