Offspring

Readers who believe in angels and enjoy splatter films will best appreciate Jackson's muddled debut thriller, which centers on the never-ending struggle between the fallen angels and the forces of good. Lucifer and his army of allies target four American men from different parts of the country—Sam Conner, Paul Young, Michael Collier and Mark Pierce. As an epidemic of missing children sweeps the U.S., the quartet receive individual messages leading them to Abbotsville, Tenn., where they join forces. Aided by angels of light, the men discover that they are the "Offspring," descendants of both humans and angels, and thus feared by the demons who seek to kill them. Bloody mayhem ensues. (Oct.)