When Chase Maxfield returns to school as a hunky high schooler, he siphons attention away from Troy Barrett. But as Chase enters Troy's inner circle, it becomes clear that there's more to his miraculous transformation than he's willing to tell.
"I saw him, Jack."
I nearly dropped the phone. The room was spinning. Why? Because my brother's voice was deadly scary and because without him saying another word, I knew exactly who he meant.
"Jack, are you there? Did you hear me? I said I saw him. He was watching Chase. I know it's not possible, but I know who I saw, and I'm right, Jack. I know I'm right."
My mouth was so dry I didn't think I could speak. My hoarse voice finally muttered a few words of explanation that I knew he wouldn't buy. "Troy . . . you've been in the sun all afternoon. The mind. You know, your mind can play . . . "
"Jack, would you get over here?" I'd only heard his voice sound this desperate once before. A year ago. I closed my eyes and leaned against a pillar for support. "I saw him, Jack. He was here. Today. For just a minute . . . and then he was gone. Jack, Mr. Eden's alive."
"Fans of Steven Layne will be quickly drawn into this fast-paced tale. The tense story-full of twists and surprises-is another engaging science fiction thriller."
-Sara Holbrook, author, I Never Said I Wasn't Difficult
Praise for This Side of Paradise
"Layne's tale is a heady mix of conspiracies, alternate identities, and sinister underground laboratories with a creepy schizophrenic villain that readers will love to hate."
-VOYA
