I had never heard of this author before, and that is very surprising, considering how much I loved this book.

With this kind of suspense/thriller, it's hard to explain the plot without taking away from the reader's experience -- so I'll keep it brief.

Sheriff Rick is a small-town guy struggling with bit of PTSD related to terrible experiences in the latest Middle Eastern invasion. He's finally settling back into a regular civilian life, falling in love with his best friend's widow and getting ready to celebrate a big festival in his home town. His biggest problem appears to be the sudden reappearance of his ex and the awkwardness that can ensue.

Then things get weird when some military contractors take up residence inside an old decommissioned mine in town, and suddenly quarantine the entire town during the big festival, telling everyone that some sort of experimental virus has escaped and they need to be studied and vaccinated to survive.

From here on, Sheriff Rick and his ex, a scientist, are trying to find the truth in all of this and maintain order, and it twists into more of a psychological thriller. The sheriff is a trained detective and soldier, so he should be the most reliable witness -- however, he and those around him are aware that his PTSD may be coloring his perception of events and leading him to find villains where there may be none.

In short: Addictive. Exciting. Suspenseful. I didn't anticipate the ending, and felt surprised all the way to the final sentence.

I highly recommend this relatively short read, and will check out more from the author.

arc received from the publisher for review