The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event.
They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.
In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.
In two months - the world.
A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.
In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing ...
So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city - a city that includes his wife and son - before it is too late.
They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.
In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.
In two months - the world.
A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.
In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing ...
So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city - a city that includes his wife and son - before it is too late.
'The first in a trilogy that soars with spellbinding intrigue. Truly, an unforgettable tale you can't put down once you read the first page. I can't wait until the next one.' Clive Cussler
'Blood and apocalypse mix in a terrifying story that feels like it was ripped from today's headlines. Vividly wrought and relentlessly paced, THE STRAIN haunts as much as it terrifies. I cannot wait to see where Del Toro and Hogan take us next.' James Rollins
'A rattling piece of escapism' The Times
'A great read' Sun
'An entertaining mix of action blockbuster and vampire myth ... with Del Toro's talent for creating fantastical, macabre characters shining through ... an exciting page-turner' Metro
'Diverting and never less than expertly crafted' Guardian
'A pacy thriller with a great eye for detail and plenty of gloriously icky moments' SFX
'The action and excitementnever let up' SciFi Now
'Del Toro and Hogan succeed in constructing a driving plot and delivering a gripping conclusion. Great characters ... and a flair for striking scenes get this trilogy off to a first-rate start. Kirkus Reviews
'Blood and apocalypse mix in a terrifying story that feels like it was ripped from today's headlines. Vividly wrought and relentlessly paced, THE STRAIN haunts as much as it terrifies. I cannot wait to see where Del Toro and Hogan take us next.' James Rollins
'A rattling piece of escapism' The Times
'A great read' Sun
'An entertaining mix of action blockbuster and vampire myth ... with Del Toro's talent for creating fantastical, macabre characters shining through ... an exciting page-turner' Metro
'Diverting and never less than expertly crafted' Guardian
'A pacy thriller with a great eye for detail and plenty of gloriously icky moments' SFX
'The action and excitementnever let up' SciFi Now
'Del Toro and Hogan succeed in constructing a driving plot and delivering a gripping conclusion. Great characters ... and a flair for striking scenes get this trilogy off to a first-rate start. Kirkus Reviews