The Zzyzx Operation is the fifth book of the seven-part series Jeremy's Run.

Six friends and two dogs are stranded deep in the howling wastes of the hottest and driest desert in North America. It is July. They are on foot. Civilization as we know it is over. There will be no rescue. There can be no escape. Most of us fear death, until it becomes preferable to life.

If you are a fan of this series, you may have an inkling of what Jeremy and his friends are about to endure in their desperate bid to escape the nightmare of post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Clichés are sometimes exceptionally apropos. In this case, “from the frying pan into the fire” pretty much sums it up.

If you haven’t partaken of this journey, we hope you’ll join us for the ride. For those unfamiliar with the series, here's a brief recap:

In the first book, LA Dark, an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, triggered by high-altitude nuclear detonations takes down the US power grid and everything electronic. Five friends living in west LA realize that fate has landed them in one of the worst places possible. They resolve to flee the city for southern Utah.

In the second book, Blood Loss, these five amateurs, unprepared entirely for the bitter and deadly realities of a rapidly collapsing and lawless society, make a series of mistakes and pay dearly. Reality is a harsh schoolmaster.

In the third book, Run Through the Jungle, the group grows to eight. They make it as far as downtown LA. Had they known what lay in store, they might have reconsidered.

In the fourth book, The Prophet’s Niece, Paula Ivanova is reunited with her uncle, Hiram Ezekiel Smith, the powerful and charismatic prophet, seer, and revelator of a cult of his creation. He's been expecting her. Her friends think she’s there to visit. True enough. Few acts are more intimate than murder.