The Wolves of Winter

Johnson’s debut novel is an exciting, fast-paced tale of a postapocalyptic world in which nuclear wars and a deadly flu pandemic have nearly wiped out humanity. Twenty-three-year-old Lynn McBride and her family fled the disease, setting up a family compound in the Canadian Yukon, “the vast wilderness of nothing,” a wintry landscape where they barely survive. When a bearded stranger named Jax arrives, the McBrides are wary, suspicious of a man who possesses unique and deadly skills, including an intimidating proficiency with weapons. More men appear, claiming to be traders, but a bloody fight erupts and Jax reveals he is running from Immunity, a shadowy group that claims to be developing a cure for the flu pandemic, but whose real purpose is sinister. Immunity wants to capture Jax alive, and now Lynn and her family are in danger, too. In a bitterly cold, snowy winter, they confront Immunity in a vicious climactic battle. Johnson is an excellent storyteller; the novel is full of action, suspense, and plot twists as the resilient characters fight for survival in a harsh winter wilderness. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners. (Jan.)