The Strain (Strain Trilogy #1) ~ Paperback ~ Guillermo Del Toro

High-concept thriller with a supernatural edge from world-famous director, whose films include Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy. A plane lands at JFK and mysteriously "goes dark", stopping in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason, all lights off, all doors sealed. The pilots cannot be raised. When the hatch above the wing finally clicks open, it soon becomes clear that everyone on board is dead - although there is no sign of any trauma or struggle. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Center for Disease Control must work quickly to establish the cause of this strange ocurrence before panic spreads. The first thing they discover is that four of the victims are actually still alive. But that's the only good news. And when all two hundred corpses disappear from various morgues around the city on the same night, things very rapidly get worse. Soon Eph and a small band of helpers will find themselves battling to protect not only their own loved ones, but the whole city, against an ancient threat to humanity. Reviews "The book boasts a plethora of arresting images and many terrific macabre touches. Del Toro and Hogan also succeed in constructing a driving plot and delivering a gripping conclusion. Great characters, a semi-plausible premise and a flair forstriking scenes get this trilogy off to a first-rate start. " Kirkus Reviews '`The cross fertilsation between myth, science and fantasy makes The Strain a rattling piece of escapism….Suck it and see.'--The Times "Director Del Toro (who won an Oscar for Pan's Labyrinth) makes a dramatic splash in his fiction debut, the first volume in a vampires vs. humanity trilogy, coauthored with Hogan (Prince of Thieves)….The authors maintain the suspense and tension throughout in a tour de force reminiscent of Whitley Strieber's early work. Publishers Weekly "Pan's Labyrinth director Del Toro and thriller author Hogan (Prince of Thieves) team up to launch the first volume of a modern-day vampire trilogy. The story begins onboard a grounded plane that has just landed at New York's JFK airport. Police and emergency medical crews are called to investigate the possible outbreak of a mysterious disease, which has killed all but four of the plane's passengers. Unknowingly, something more ominous is responsible for the carnage, which now threatens the city and soon the entire country. Unlike the sexy bloodsuckers of paranormal romances and the cuddly vampires of teen fiction, these undead creatures are slick, dark, and frightening. This novel reads like a story made for the big screen, and with writer/director Del Toro, that is entirely possible. Despite the somewhat slow start, the story builds up steam quickly, and fans of horror, vampire fiction, and Del Toro's Hellboy films will line up for this one. Buy multiple copies. Highly recommended." Library Journal Author Biography Guillermo Del Toro has enjoyed huge critical and commercial success as a film director in both his native Mexico and Hollywood. His works include Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone, Blade II and Hellboy. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children. Chuck Hogan was a video store clerk in Boston when his first thriller, 'The Standoff', was published to critical acclaim and went on to become a US bestseller, translated into fourteen international editions. The film rights to his third novel, 'Prince of Thieves' is in development with Warner Brothers, with Ben Afflect signed up to direct and star.