Where They Wait: A Novel

A “mesmerizing” (Stephen King) supernatural novel about a sinister mindfulness app with fatal consequences from the New York Times bestselling author of The Chill.

In this “taut, creepy techno-chiller” (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts), recently laid-off newspaper reporter Nick Bishop takes a humbling job: writing a profile of a new mindfulness app called Clarity.

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, and more of a warning than a relaxation—but it works. Deep, refreshing sleep follows.

So do the nightmares. Vivid and chilling, they feature a dead woman who calls Nick by name and whispers guidance—or are they threats? And 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.

Scott Carson is the pseudonym of Michael Koryta, a New York Times bestselling author whose work has been translated into more than twenty languages, adapted into major motion pictures, and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A former private investigator and reporter, his writing has been praised by Stephen King, Michael Connelly, and Dean Koontz, among many others. Raised in Bloomington, Indiana, he now lives in Indiana and Maine.

ISBN: 9781668033494
Format: Paperback
Pages: 496
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: January 09, 2024

"WHERE THEY WAIT hums with creeping dread and mounting horror. It’s smart and scary, and the final act is like that last downhill plunge on a rollercoaster—terrifying, exhilarating, and unforgettable. I loved every page.”"Compulsively readable . . . Easy to get hooked and hard to forget . . . Pure horror."“Uber-creepy horror thriller . . . Superior prose enhances a craftily twisted plot, which sticks its landing. Peter Straub fans will hope for more from Carson.”“Horror knows no bounds in this supernatural thriller about a new mindfulness app, behind which lurks something much more sinister.”"Readers will be terrified.""You can't put it down. Mesmerizing.""You should read this book.""A creepy horror novel that goes places I didn’t expect, WHERE THEY WAIT is eerie and unsettling and made me side eye my mindfulness apps.""If you’ve ever suspected that your relaxation app was secretly trying to kill you, this is the book for you.""Eerie and intriguing.""WHERE THEY WAIT is a tense and haunting page-turner, with crisp prose, wonderful characterisation and a cool modern twist on the ghost story. Compulsive reading."