Baal

Prolific paranormal author McCammon (The Five) returns to his roots with this shiny new edition of his richly written 1978 debut. Jeffrey Harper Raines, born of a violent rape, grows up in various orphanages where he torments nuns, terrorizes the other children, and begins to call himself Baal, the name of the biblical demon thrown out of Canaan. Baal crusades around the world as the new messiah, wreaking havoc in Iraq where throngs of followers commit unthinkable crimes to pledge their souls to the living demonic idol. Chaos takes over the world as Baal’s disciples spread a holy war against the Jews, whose only hope lies in a mysterious man named Michael. McCammon entices with fluid prose and vivid descriptions that have withstood the test of time. (Dec.)