“The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn’t put it down. This is old-school horror at its best.” —Stephen King

This “grim microcosm of terror and desperation haunting” (Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author) follows a scout troop on a terrifying fight for survival when they come across a mysterious—and deadly—stranger in the Canadian wilderness.

Once every year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip—a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story around a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite—shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry—Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. A horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival with no escape from the elements, the infected…or one another.

Part Lord of the Flies, part 28 Days Later—and all-consuming—this tightly written, edge-of-your-seat thriller takes you deep into the heart of darkness, where fear feeds on sanity…and terror hungers for more.

Nick Cutter is the author of the critically acclaimed national bestseller The Troop (which is currently being developed for film with producer James Wan), as well as The Deep and Little Heaven. He is the pseudonym for Craig Davidson, whose much-lauded literary fiction includes Rust and Bone, The Saturday Night Ghost Club, and most recently the short story collection Cascade. His story “Medium Tough” was selected by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jennifer Egan for The Best American Short Stories 2014. He lives in Toronto, Canada.

Nick Cutter's profile page

"This survival thriller is sure to make your skin crawl." —PEOPLE

"Nick Cutter pulls out all the stops. This is a brilliant and deeply disturbing novel that you absolutely cannot put down. Highly recommended." —JONATHAN MABERRY, New York Times bestselling author

"Lean and crisp and over-the-top. Disquieting, disturbing." —SCOTT SMITH, New York Times bestselling author of The Ruins

“Nick Cutter brings a bone-chilling spin to a classic horror scenario in The Troop...I enjoyed it immensely.” —MIRA GRANT, New York Times bestselling author

“Some thrillers produce shivers, others trigger goose bumps; Cutter’s graphic offering will have readers jumping out of their skin....Intense....Packs a powerful punch....Readers may wish to tackle this heart-pounding novel in highly-populated, well-lit areas—snacks optional.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS

"The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn't put it down. This is old-school horror at its best." —STEPHEN KING

“A grim microcosm of terror and desperation....Haunting.” —CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author