Publisher's Synopsis
Jim Broxbourne, a journalist, and his son Mike travel to the Midwest, to the small town of Templeton, to start a new life after his wife dies in an accident. The television station that hires him as a news writer also hires him to be their kooky midnight horror movie host, Doctor Shock. As they adjust to their new home, they realize that the citizens of this town are neurotic, if not downright crazy, and the schools there have the highest suicide rate in the country. There is a sinister rich old family, the Hawkins, who own and run the town. Jim is beginning to think the Hawkins' could be a supernatural force behind the crazed fear, and he is determined to understand the nature of their hold on everybody in the town. Jim soon discovers that some secrets are best left uncovered, as he, his son, and his new lady friend are threatened by opponents that they do not always understand. At the same time they must contend with drunken ex-boyfriends, neighbors with psychic links to other planets, and a neighbor with a murderous past. Moving to Templeton might not have been the best career choice, after all.
