Publisher's Synopsis
After a deadly bio-weapon plunges a city into chaos, a remorseful prisoner reveals the secrets of a mysterious black mask. But can we trust the prisoner? Or is the prisoner an inhuman monster? In this thought-provoking thriller, Havelock Mandamus blends cutting-edge science with white-knuckle suspense to give us a speculative glimpse of the near future. Police officer Brody Pete just wants to spend some desperately needed quality time with his wife Gina, a school nurse, but when he makes a routine traffic stop and comes face to face with a driver wearing an otherworldly black mask, his day just keeps getting stranger. The masked man does not speak and has no license. In his pocket is a business card with a single word - Masquerade. Brody sends the masked man to a psychiatric hospital on a 72-hour hold and decides to investigate Masquerade. Meanwhile, a deadly virus is quietly spreading throughout the city. Brody's wife is overwhelmed with sick students at the high-school infirmary, and two students eventually succumb to the highly contagious illness. Soon, Brody's wife and her friends are caught up it the developing pandemic. Meanwhile, within the locked doors of the psychiatric hospital, the masked man begins to exert a subtle influence. Outside the psych ward, more and more people begin to wear masks to stop the spread of the illness, and an unidentified paramilitary organization deploys throughout the city. All the while, a nameless bureaucrat watches from afar as the city plunges into chaos. Could the disparate events all be connected? The nameless bureaucrat believes they are. Arrogant yet remorseful, the nameless observer speaks to us from a shadowy prison. With each twist and turn in the story, the prisoner reveals the secrets of the black mask. But is the prisoner someone we can trust? Or a monster to be feared? And will Brody and Gina ever find time for date night? Havelock Mandamus has written a gripping adventure full of humanity and humor. Weaving in medical science and computer technology, this novel is a riveting vision of the near future. It's a wild ride, so don't forget your mask. You just might need it!
