"Zell Dorsey was the Devil. Not even a man as kind as you stands a chance you when the Devil sets you in his sights."

In the small coal-mining town of Jubilee, West Virginia, Phinnie "Skinny" Caldwell has spent thirteen years haunted by the day her mama ran off to the desert with a mysterious man named Zell Dorsey. Taken in by her iron-willed grandmother, the two mourn their shared loss and Skinny learns to brace herself for just about anything―except Zell's return.

But Zell's homecoming dredges up more than unanswered questions. A thick, oily sickness is spreading through the community, turning everyone Skinny loves into violent creatures. Desperate to save her town and learn the truth of what really happened to her mama, Skinny turns to her best friend―and the closest thing she's ever had to a father―Happy Walker. Only nothing can prepare them for what they'll find. Behind Zell Dorsey's human façade is a creature older than the Appalachians themselves. And he's come back to finish what he started.

This book is a testament to the resilience of grieving mothers, the powerful embrace of found family, and the tenacity of the beautiful people of Appalachia, a place where the accents sing and the tea is always sweet.