Instinct - by Jason M Hough (Paperback)

About the Book

"Welcome to Silvertown, Washington. Population: 602. (For now.) Officer Mary Whittaker is the lone cop in a small, bizarre mountain town that has yet to fully welcome her. With the chief of police on leave, she is left to uncover the truth behind a sudden spate of abnormal incidents. An exemplary, beloved teenager has died tragically after eating wild mushrooms from his lawn. A hiker was found dead on a trail, smiling serenely after being mauled by a bear. And other residents seem to have lost all sense of self-preservation as they walk out in front of her moving cruiser or sit placidly in the middle of a sharp bend in a mountain road. As she witnesses increasingly odd behavior and more bodies are discovered in baffling-and completely avoidable-circumstances, Officer Whittaker is dismayed to find no two cases are the same, except in their bizarreness. Though every possible explanation and conspiracy theory is considered, from mental breakdowns to aliens, it turns out to be something much more unsettling. The townsfolk are all losing their instincts, one by one. As the town descends into panic, and Mary's own instincts begin to fail, she must figure out what is happening, who is behind it, and how to prevent the quirky mountain village from turning into a ghost town"--

Book Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Jason M. Hough dives headfirst into the world of thrillers with this "gripping...timely, and entertaining" (Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles) new tale.

Welcome to Silvertown, Washington. Population 602 (for now).

Despite its size, the small mountain town is home to more conspiracy theories than any other place in America. Officer Mary Whittaker is slowly acclimating to the daily weirdness of life here, but when the chief of police takes a leave of absence, she is left alone to confront a series of abnormal incidents--strange even by Silvertown standards.

An "indoor kid" who abhors nature dies on a random midnight walkabout with no explanation.

A hiker is found dead on a trail, smiling serenely after being mauled by a bear.

A woman known for being a helicopter parent abandons her toddler twins without a second thought.

It's almost as if the townsfolk are losing their survival instinct, one by one...

As Whittaker digs deeper into her investigation, she uncovers a larger conspiracy with more twists and turns than a mountain road and danger around every corner. To save Silvertown, she must distinguish the truth from paranoia-fueled lies before she ends up losing her own instincts...and her life.

Review Quotes

"Come for the big stakes in a small town, stay for the escalating mayhem (and maybe a Bigfoot pastry). Instinct is a gripping thriller where an actual conspiracy lies hidden among a nest of wackadoo conspiracy theories, and it's a timely and entertaining read."

--Kevin Hearne, New York Times Bestselling author of the Iron Druid Chronicles

About the Author

Jason M. Hough is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dire Earth Cycle and the near-future spy thriller Zero World and is a proud member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and ITW (International Thriller Writers). When not writing, reading, or playing with his kids, he spends his time exploring virtual reality or trying to coax his 3D printer into doing something useful. He lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife, two sons, and a dog named Missbuster.