On October 26th, Scott Carson’s next thriller, Where They Wait, is set to hit bookstores everywhere.
Carson, who was unmasked before The Chill came out last year, is actually New York Times bestselling author Michael Koryta—who explained his reasoning for writing under a pseudonym here in this exclusive interview with The Real Book Spy back in 2019.
Written in the same vein as his last novel, Where They Wait follows a war correspondent named Nick Bishop, who accepts a new kind of writing assignment that soon proves to be the most interesting—and dangerous—job of his career.
Check out the official cover art and plot details below.
A new supernatural novel about a sinister mindfulness app with fatal consequences from the New York Times bestselling author of the “grips from the first page” (Stephen King) thriller The Chill.
Recently laid-off from his newspaper and desperate for work, war correspondent Nick Bishop takes a humbling job: writing a profile of a new mindfulness app called Clarity. It’s easy money, and a chance to return to his hometown for his first visit in years. 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, really, more of a warning than a relaxation—but it works. Deep, refreshing sleep follows.
So do nightmares. Vivid and chilling, they feature a dead woman who calls Nick by name and whispers guidance—or are they threats? And soon 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.
An atmospheric and haunting thriller perfect for our times, Where They Wait proves that “horror has a new name and it’s Scott Carson” (Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
MICHAEL KORYTA is the New York Times bestselling author of sixteen novels—including Those Who Wish Me Dead, which is to be adapted into a film starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Taylor Sheridan. His previous novels were New York Times notable books, national bestsellers, and have been nominated for numerous awards, including having won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Koryta is a former private investigator and newspaper reporter. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and Camden, Maine.
2021 will be a two-book year for Koryta/Carson, as Never Far Away was released last month to critical acclaim. Readers excited to pre-order Where They Wait ahead of publication can do so here to anywhere else books are sold.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and pens a monthly thriller column for CrimeReads. Additionally, he co-hosts ThrillerTalk, a new podcast with K.J. Howe. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.