Inoneofthemostdazzlingbooksofhiscelebratedcareer,DeanKoontzdeliversamasterworkofpage-turningsuspensethatsurpassesevenhisowninimitablereputationasachroniclerofourworstfears—andbestdreams.InTheTakinghetellsthestoryofacommunitycutofffromaworldundersiege,andtheterrifyingbattleforsurvivalwagedbyayoungcoupleandtheirneighborsasfamiliarstreetsbecomefog-shroudeddeathtraps.Gripping,heartbreaking,andtriumphantinthefaceofmankind'sdarkesthour,hereisasmall-townslice-of-doomsdaythrillerthatstrikestothecoreofeachofustoask:WhatwouldyoudointhemidstofTheTaking.
Onthemorningthatwillmarktheendoftheworldtheyhaveknown,MollyandNielSloanawakentothedrumbeatofrainontheirroof.Ithashauntedtheirsleep,invadedtheirdreams,andnowtheyrisetofindaluminoussilverydownpourdrenchingtheirsmallCaliforniamountaintown.Astrangescenthangsfaintlyintheair,andtheyoungcouplecannotshakethesenseofsomethingwrong.
Ashourspassandtheraincontinuestofall,MollyandNiellistentodisturbingnewsofextremeweatherphenomenaacrosstheglobe.Beforeevening,theirlittletownlosestelevisionandradioreception.ThentelephoneandtheInternetaregone.Withtheceaselessrainnowcomesanobscuringfogthattransformstheonce-friendlyvillageintoaghostlylabyrinth.BynightfalltheSloanshavegatheredwithsomeoftheirneighborstodealwithcommunitydamage...butalsobecausetheyfeeltheneedtobandtogetheragainstsomeunknownthreat,someenemytheycannotidentifyorevenimagine.
Inthenight,strangenoisesarise,andatadistance,intherainandthemist,mysteriouslightsareseendriftingamongthetrees.Theraindiminisheswiththedawn,butamoodygray-purpletwilightprevails.SoonMolly,Niel,andtheirsmallbandoffriendswillbeforcedtodrawonreservesofstrength,courage,andhumanitytheyneverknewtheyhad.Forwithinthemistygloomtheywillencountersomethingthatrevealsinaterrifyinginstantwhatishappeningtotheirworld—somethingthatishuntingthemwithruthlessefficiency.Epicinscope,searinglyintimateandimmediateinperspective,TheTakingisanadventurestorylikenoother,arelentlessroller-coasterreadthatbringsapocalypsetoMainStreetandshowcasesthetalentsofoneofourmostoriginalandmesmerizingnovelistsatthepinnacleofhispowers.