Book excerpt: When Jaime Escobar gets a disturbing e-mail asking for help from a woman claiming to be his best friend Michael's sister, he begins an adventure that takes him to a sleepy Southern town full of dangerous secrets. After arriving in Michael's hometown of Front Royal, Virginia, Jaime soon meets Michael's sister, M Forester. M believes her brother has mysteriously disappeared and may be in trouble. Since Jaime hasn't heard from Michael in months, he's inclined to think it's just one of his friend's practical jokes. But everyone in the town-and even other family members-are reluctant to talk about Michael. The only useful piece of information Jaime can glean from the residents is about Michael's home, Guard Hill House. It's haunted, they say, and when ominous drums begin to sound in the house, something terrible is about to happen. Jaime brushes aside their warning and heads to Guard Hill House to try to find clues to Michael's whereabouts. But after one horrifying experience almost kills him, and M has an unexplained, nearly fatal accident, the two realize the power of the old house. Did Michael somehow succumb to its frightening pull-and will they be next?