Masalai

When a presumptuous graduate student finds herself framed for murder and hunted down by the people responsible, she must put together cryptic puzzle pieces that connect science, history, folklore and genocide. The pieces only have one thing in common: The Masalai. The answers have been buried in the jungles of Papua New Guinea since WWII for a reason, and if Kylie can't figure them out soon, the terrorists will and millions will die.

MASALAI, the first novel by scientist Ryan Case, PhD, weaves readers through a maze of clues, chases and puzzles while exploring the scientific foundations of popular supernatural folklore such as werewolves, zombies and vampires. On the surface, The Masalai is a dark spirit of the island jungles. It's superstition. It's folklore. But it's also real. Scientifically. Historically. Frighteningly real. As with other supernatural delusions, before there were stories, there were scientific phenomena and historic events that inspired the myths. With an enigmatic journal left from WWII to guide her, Kylie has less than a week to discover the truth behind the legends in order to make sure no one else does - or else the legends will be brought to life.