The Battle — Darrell Maloney

Dave Speer was a prepper who knew something bad was coming. He didn't know what, exactly, or when. When the power finally went out it happened at the worst possible time: when his family was on an airliner bound for Kansas City. For a year Dave stumbled through life, not knowing whether they lived or died. He vowed to get to them and find out, and to bring them back home where they belonged. The last installment of the series ended when Dave finished his thousand mile trek, bloodied but still standing, only to find his wife held captive by two dozen hardened criminals. In "The Battle," Dave looks for reinforcements, and finds that there's no one left to help him. The sheriff's office of Winslow County has been decimated, the state police disbanded. Dave has to go it alone, but he's got right on his side, and knows he'll prevail in the end. This one's full of twists and turns that'll keep you wondering to the very last page.