[The Orpheus Trilogy 01] • Orpheus

Cameron Holt is lucky enough to survive the initial outbreak that turns an idyllic New England island community into a hive of the walking, and running, dead. So is his son, Ethan. Now, the only thing keeping Holt going is the desire to either rescue his missing son from the zombies or, more likely, remove him permanently from their ranks.

A phone call is cut short just as Ethan defies his father and goes looking for his mother. Holt fights his way to the hospital and finds it under siege. He and other survivors eventually form two teams, each with a drastically different purpose. One saves people, the other eliminates everything in their way. The teams are constantly at odds, as are Holt and the arrogant head of the hospital, his ghoulish lead researcher in tow.

Holt is understandably obsessed with finding his son, but can't ignore the simple fact that people are looking to him for leadership. If he's not perfect, people will die. During his search, he discovers a new breed of zombie and a frightening hidden agenda, but he doesn't do it alone. His team is with him every step of the way.

The skills he learned in the military help keep him and others alive, but he's no superhero. Holt is only a man, physically and mentally exhausted, who lives at his limits simply because that's what a father does.

Ethan, unmistakably his father's son, has his own story to tell, as well. It begins with a movie date a few feet from Patient Zero.

Includes a preview of Dan DeWitt's next novel, "Ragnarok."