*Starred Review* Ethan Burke is on his way to the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho, to find two fellow federal agents who have gone missing. He has a bad car accident on the edge of town, waking up in the hospital and not at all sure what is going on. The psychiatrist on staff tells him that he has suffered a brain injury and warns him not to leave, but he takes off anyway. The town sheriff is less than helpful, and, with no ID or money, Burke can't reach his superior or his wife, and he begins to fear for his sanity (reminiscent of Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island). Matters turn ominous when Burke finds the ravaged body of one of the missing agents and realizes he's surely on someone's hit list. Clearly, despite the idyllic beauty of Wayward Pines, something is seriously out of kilter: a helpful bartender disappears, picnicking mothers turn homicidal, and seemingly innocent children display maniacal tendencies. The suspense builds to an almost unbearable point, culminating with a twist that ratchets it up even further. Fans of Stephen King, Peter Straub and F. Paul Wilson will appreciate this genre-bending, completely riveting thrill ride, which mixes suspense, horror, science fiction, and dystopian nightmare, all rolled up into one unputdownable book.--Alesi, Stacy Copyright 2010 Booklist