The Presence : A Novel

“Enough smoothly crafted suspense to keep readers turning pages long after dark.”—The Seattle TimesBeyond the sparkling Hawiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, and anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Halekala, Maui.Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come.Then, with the sudden, unexpected death of Michael’s friend, a disturbing truth dawns: the corporation that is funding Katherine’s dig has a far greater investment than she ever imagined—an investment in medical terror. And her son may be part of their hideous grand plan. . . . “A suspenseful thriller . . . provocative . . . Nicely done, indeed.”—Kirkus Reviews“Classic Saul . . . A potent brew.”—Publishers Weekly "Enough smoothly crafted suspense to keep readers turning pages long after dark."-- The Seattle TimesBeyond the sparkling Hawiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, and anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Halekala, Maui.Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come.Then, with the sudden, unexpected death of Michael's friend, a disturbing truth the corporation that is funding Katherine's dig has a far greater investment than she ever imagined--an investment in medical terror. And her son may be part of their hideous grand plan. . . ."A suspenseful thriller . . . provocative . . . Nicely done, indeed."-- Kirkus Reviews"Classic Saul . . . A potent brew."-- Publishers Weekly Beyond the Hawaiian beaches, evil awaits 16-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, an anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Maui. Then, with the sudden, unexplained death of Michael's friend, a disturbing truth dawns: the corporation that is funding Katharine's dig has a far greater investment than she ever imagined, an investment in medical terror. Beyond the sparkling Hawaiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, an anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Haleakala, Maui. Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come. Beyond the sparkling Hawaiian beaches, masked by the deceptive beauty of the rainforest, evil awaits sixteen-year-old Michael Sundquist and his mother, Katharine, an anthropologist who has come to the Islands to study the unusual skeletal remains unearthed on the volcanic flanks of Haleakala, Maui.

Yet far below the black depths of the Pacific a mysterious substance snakes through undiscovered fissures in the ocean floor, as nature itself seems to portend the terror to come.

On the ocean floor off Hawaii, a new form of plant life is emerging, its seed sent from a planet which no longer exists. The plant, which is giving off gases that could wipe out humanity, is discovered by an archeologist during a dive with her son