Set to debut in the U.S. on 10-10-10, NY Times and International best-selling author Steve Alten's new thriller, GRIM REAPER: End of Days is already high on Ingram's best seller list - no doubt spurred by its pre-Halloween theme and enthusiastic reviews. Says reviewer Jason Frost, "This will not be one of the best books you will read this year. This will be one of the best books you will read, period." Described as a gripping modern-day Dante's Inferno, the story takes place in the winter of 2012 when a man-made version of the Black Plague is unleashed in Manhattan. The hero, an injured war vet returning from his fourth deployment in Iraq, must journey through nine circles of suffering in order to bring the only vaccine to his estranged wife and child. Like "Inferno," Alten's tale is an allegory of the soul's journey; at the same time the author challenges the reader to find answers within themselves, forcing them to "play God." The result is a novel that transcends the reading experience. GRIM REAPER draws historical parallels to the public's present-day angst toward politicians, Wall Street, and the greed and corruption that has mired society, noting the Black Death struck humanity exactly 666 years ago following a period of greed and war, famine and corruption, with false prophets exhorting Christians to slaughter tens of thousands of Jews and Muslims. This "End of Days" event wiped out half the world's population, giving rise to a new figure depicted in 14th century art - the Grim Reaper. www.stevealten.com