A secretive religion thrives in contemporary London. Formed long ago in an ancient Silk Road settlement when Christianity was still young, its founder refused to demonize the old gods, keeping their worship alive as a means to honor the pleasures of this earthly existence. Forced underground and overseas, the Order has split and scattered and weathered the centuries, nurturing the soul lines of its leaders. Now it is growing, but as one elderly leader lies dying, his British followers turn to darker rituals to ensure his safe rebirth.

Out of Darkness, the first, fast-paced installment of the Out of Darkness trilogy, travels from London and rural Wales to Rome, North Carolina and New York as the lives of cult members and outsiders alike are drawn inextricably together. At the center is Emma Penley. A young academic up for tenure at a prestigious American university, Emma would rather be writing fiction. The dystopian story she wants to tell weaves together news of disappeared girls and murdered women… and events half-remembered from her childhood. On the surface, nothing but her imagination connects her to recent gruesome events in London, yet that world soon starts to overshadow her own. Who are the people watching Emma? What do they want from her? As she takes refuge with a new friend in New York, she discovers that her life is no longer hers to control.