AnunnamedUKmetropolis.Thefuture.RenownedphotojournalistJENNIFERPRESTONisinvestigatingtheaftermathofaterribleexplosionthatrippedthroughthecityonNewYear‘sEve.Knownsimplyas‘TheCatastrophe‘,thisshockingtragedyhasleftbehindafesteringwound.Thecityisonedge,thousandshaveevacuatedandasprawling,militarizedQuarantineZonehasbeenerectedaroundtheepicentreoftheblast.The‘QZ‘,asitbecomesknown,isanetworkofemptybuildingsandabandonedstreets,shroudedbeneathclinicalplasticandfencedinbehindimpenetrablebarricades.Heavilyarmedsecurityunitsensurethatnobodygoesinandnobodycomesout.Asunexplainedandincreasinglybizarreactsofviolenceeruptacrossthecity,Jenniferbeginstonoticestrange,ephemeralphantomsinherphotographs.WhatbeginsasanartisticdocumentationofTheCatastrophe‘slingeringaftershocksoonbecomesanobsessionwith‘ThePhenomenon‘-aseemingparanormalphenomenongrippingtheperimeteroftheQuarantineZone.JenniferslowlybutsurelybecomesconvincedthatTheCatastropheandThePhenomenonsheisuncoveringarenotdisconnected.Andwhenhertheorieseventuallyinciteinterest,notallofwhicharewelcome,Jenniferlearnsthattherealityismorecomplex,anddangerous,thanevensheimagined.Jennifer‘sinvestigationbecomesaraceagainsttime.CanshediscoverthecauseoftheCatastrophebeforetheauthoritiesgettoher?Canshesaveherboyfriend,governmentadvisorJONASFLACK,fromthedangerinsidetheQZwhentheevidencesheuncoversgoadhimtoinvestigateforhimself?Andwhatofheroneally,detectiveLEVISMATHIS,who‘sownsearchforthetruthbehindTheCatastrophe,inwhichhisdaughterdied,bringshimintodirectconflictwiththedangerousandpowerfulconspiratorsorchestratingevents?Mostimportantly,canshesolvethechillingriddleofthestrangeentitiesinherphotographsbeforeThePhenomenonripsherlifeaparbbb