[The Analyst 01] • Dead Roots

Thomas Bell is an analyst for the Department of Paranormal Study and Defense, where he goes toe-to-toe with the invisible supernatural threats that pierce every layer of society, and covers up every trace of their presence. His estranged ex-wife, anxiety and depression, and persistent memories of childhood trauma serve as constant obstacles in his struggle to stay sane in the face of the impossible. Though substance abuse and casual sex will keep the inner demons at bay, the real ones just find more and more to prey on.

A routine arrest-and-exorcise op goes awry, and Tom must escort the entity to Japan, where it’ll be handed off to Harold Saldana—the man with all of Japan’s supernatural trafficking under his thumb. Hosting the demon is professional medium Shinichiro Keda, and Tom is suspicious of this soft-spoken freelancer, especially when it seems that he and Harold have something of a history.

Meanwhile in the small town of Orchard, West Virginia, a terrifying presence has taken root. When Tom arrives to track down a missing girl, he comes face to face with a horror from his past, adding yet more to his psychological balancing act. Something will have to give, and soon—and Tom is afraid it’s going to be him.