Trapped into a life as a vampire, Cassie is bound to her maker and forced to steal for him. In a world that is getting darker by the day, Cassie knows that there is little choice in her life. She does as Zed demands and travels to the other side of town to internally case a house that he is interested in. All she has to do is take note of what's inside and how large the truck needs to be for when he takes everything that once belonged to the deceased owner. The problem is, Zed's information is unusually inadequate and Cassie is put into a situation that is far from what she expected. Faced with an elder vampire, he will give Cassie a second chance that will improve her outlook on life. She's caught his attention and Elias sees more in her than a grubby misfit that desperately needs saving from a monster. With the proposition of a job that requires her to stay at his house, Cassie takes Elias up on his offer knowing that it will be the protection from Zed that she needs and a home that is far safer than her apartment. Elias can give Cassie a better future in a new world, safe from the darkness that is slowly encroaching the world around them but the past is always a step behind her ready to drag her back.

Text and pop-up illustrations depict six of the world's deadliest creatures: the scorpion fish, the black widow, the scorpion, the king cobra, the Gila monster and the blue-ringed octopus.

Award-winning writer Grice takes readers on a tour of the animal kingdom--from grizzly bears to great white sharks, tarantulas to tapeworms--that will delight, amaze, and horrify. "A must for everyone even remotely thinking of getting a monkey, a sea lion, or, heaven forbid, a dog."--David Sedaris.

Recalling his childhood encounter with a cougar on his family farm, the author of The Red Hourglass describes the life-long obsession with dangerous animals that prompted his amateur studies with virtually all dangerous creatures, from sharks and bears to alligators and spiders.

Packed with awesome facts about some of the most deadly animals on Earth.