Domino Falls

The plot thickens in this engrossing continuation of the postapocalyptic Devil’s Wake. Having outrun zombie-like “freaks” and mercenary pirates, a ragtag “family” of survivors makes it to Domino Falls, the California town that is home to New Age guru Joseph Wales and his Threadrunner Ranch. After the survivors’ ordeal on the road, the town’s comfortable accommodations seem almost too good to be true—and indeed they are, because the “Threadies” are a dangerous cult that has abducted and murdered people to cover up Wales’s role in the apocalypse. The young characters in this novel are likable and credibly drawn, and the problems they wrestle with easily invite reader sympathy. Due and Barnes explode a few genuine surprises at the end to whet appetites for the next book. (Feb.)